12 Books that Changed the World BBC
2007-02-05 02:35 AM | Posted by Tejvan Pettinger | Permanent Link | General
(
0 votes)
These titles were chosen by Melvyn Bragg as being the most significant books for changing the world. It has been developed into a BBC series, which is quite interesting, even if I don't agree with his selection.
- Darwin - The Origin of Species (1859)
- The First Rule Book of the Football Association (1863)
- William Shakespeare's First Folio (1623)
- Newton - Principia Mathematica (1687)
- Adam Smith - The Wealth of Nations (1776)
- William Wilberforce - Speech to the House of Commons (May 12 1789)
- The King James Bible (1611)
- Patent Specification for Arkwright's Spinning Machine (1769)
- Mary Wollstonecraft - A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)
- Michael Faraday - Experimental Research in Electricity (1855)
- Marie Stopes - Married Love (1918)
- Magna Carta (1215)
Melyvn displays a very anglo centric viewpoint. In terms of which books had the most influence you would need to choose the 2 books which shaped the couse of Asian and middle eastern history. The Bhagavad Gita and the Qu'ran. I would also choose the Dhammapada, which is a collection of the Buddha's thoughts. These books have had a tremendous influence over the spiritual and religious development of Asia and beyond.
In terms of changing the 20th Century you would have to choose The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
"The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win."
A mantric quality of language, so sad what became of Communisim of course.
Which books would you add as being indispensible?
