<p>what do you think they are? </p>
<li>Bible (of course)</li>
</ol>
<p>Throw out a few titles and where exactly to place them can later be debated.</p>
<p>Communist Manifesto</p>
<p>This is a very good thread. Unfortunately, I’m too lazy to think right now. But I’ll leave you off with the Da Vinci Code, since it did spur a lot of controversy as well as a lot of The History Channel documentaries. Oh, and also, I think Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time should also be up there, since it was the first incredibly bestselling book amongst nonscientists–I don’t remember what the exact number was, but I’ve read somewhere that it sold more copies than all of Madonna’s CDs combined (I think I read that in the intro of the edited version with illustrations.) I’ll think up of more books later.</p>
<p>nyjunior wants me to tell everyone that he strongly believes that another one should be The Little Red Lighthouse because it is read to lots of little kids in New York City and New York is the most important city and, so, there! He also wants me to remind everyone that The Cat in the Hat is also very influential because they made a movie about it. Plus, it’s been around for even longer than The Da Vinci Code. But, basically, any book that’s moved more units than Madonna CDs is proof that a book is influential.</p>
<p>Uncle Tom’s Cabin, at least for US history
The Rights of Man (Thomas Paine)</p>
<p>The Koran and Hadith (counts as two books maybe)</p>
<p>The Fountainhead, I think thats actually number 2 on some study I read after the bible.</p>
<p>^ =]</p>
<p>Atlas Shrugged should be up there too, but I guess it can share a spot with Fountainhead.</p>
<p>And maybe Moviegoer, by Walker Percy.</p>
<p>D’yer Maker–are you serious? I was not talking about Da Vinci Code when I said the Modanna thing, but about the SCIENCE book!!! Keyword:science. SCIENCE!!! SCIENCE books are usually not bestsellers, and other than the bible and Shakespeare’s stuff, Hawking’s book was the longest best-seller in British history!!! Plus, many young scientists and teachers today claim that this book was the first book that actually “hooked” them into science.</p>
<p>And also, I agree with Mike and Taggart about Ayn Rand’s top two, Fountainhead + Atlas Shrugged (though I personally liked the Fountainhead slightly better.) And to balance Rand, I think we should add a Vonnegut, and I would like to nominate Slaughterhouse-Five, for it was a unique book that boasted a fascinating, deep, and quite horrifying philosophy of its own while converying it in an unorthodox style.</p>
<p>And I would also like to nominate “A People’s History of the United States” since it has become an extremely popular book that boasts some non-mainstream ideas. It gave the world a different perspective in a welcoming way, and it has been very effective in curing the ignorance of many.</p>
<p>Random Acts of Badness by Danny Bonaduce
Confessions of an Heiress by Paris Hilton
The Truth About Diamonds: A Novel by Nicole Richie
George W. Bush: Portrait of a Leader</p>
<p>Oh, and don’t forget about The Prince by Machiavelli–a ruthless book with an extreme philosophy that still thrives today. Do the ends justify the means?</p>
<p>Oh oh oh, and of course how can we forget The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Sir Isaac Newton, it is the foundation of today’s physics and calculus.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Seriously? I have little hope left for the world…</p>
<p>That’s exactly what I was thinking, but then I thought the poster was definitely being sarcastic and commenting upon it would make me look silly…the world is losing humanity and at an exceptional rate, which reminds me of two more books: 1984 and Farenheit 451.</p>
<p>Two Treatises of Government by John Locke
Provided much of the foundation for the ideas expressed by the U.S. Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.</p>
<p>Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
Same as above, but from the opposite viewpoint.</p>
<p>The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
Created many of the modern perceptions of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. Many people take for granted that so many assumptions about Hell are taken from the Inferno and not the Bible.</p>
<p>The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Foundation of modern biology.</p>
<p>I’m having way too much fun on this thread…sorry. But last one for tonight (I hope, can make no promises): The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy. Gandhi states numerous times that this work was what impacted him the most (contradicting popular belief about Thoreau’s essay) in his autobiography, and since Gandhi went on to motivate MLT as well as Mandela, I would say this has to be on the list.</p>
<p>The Illiad and The Oddessy by Homer
Created two of the underlying plot devices in modern literature, movies, etc–the armed conflict and the journey.</p>
<p>-The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
-something or other about naval power influencing the world (I forgot the exact title but tons of world leaders read it and were deeply affected by it, so huge global political effect)
-El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha (haha such a great title, gotta say the whole thing) by Miguel de Cervantes - literary influence, I guess. Considered by many the greatest work of literature in the Spanish language.</p>