Suppose all the books and records of books are goin to be destroyed next week. But you of all people are chosen to decide which 5 books will be saved and passed down to future generations. What books would they be? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl The Celestine Prophecy, by James Redfield Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway Everything I Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum Mere Christianity by CS Lewis (although I'd throw my body on all the books by him, because they'd have to burn them over my dead body! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!) I adore CS Lewis. Great thread!
The Koran (Saudi Version) Das Kapital Lord of the Rings Guinness Book of Records Fifty Shades of Grey
The code of Hammurabi The Golden Bough, by James Frazer Democracy in America, by Alexis Tocqueville A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
Does the Encyclopedia Brittannica count as one book? I guess that I'd include the most heavyweight one-volume introductory survey texts I could find in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. Plus a heavy-weight one-volume survey of world history to top it off.
The Bible Dune - by Frank Herbert Good Omens - by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman Lord of the Rings - Tolkein Brief History of Time - Hawking
A 2013 Merck Manual (valuable medical knowledge) The Complete Works of Shakespeare Isaac Newton's "Principia" Plato's "Republic" The Tao Te Ching
Secrets of Anti-Gravity Propulsion , by Paul A. Laviolette , or SubQuantum Kinetics ( a systems approach to physics and cosmology ) tough choice Not in His Image , by John lamb Lash The Hidden History of the Human Race , by Michael A. Cremo and Richard L. Thompson Confucius , The Analects Cosmic Plasmas , by Hannes Alfven
Very interesting answers all... I think I would take: * the Jefferson Bible * Les Miserables Plus 3 books I hadn't read but always meant to, probably all by either Leon Uris and/or John Irving.
The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior Is Almost Always Good Politics. The God Argument: The Case against Religion and for Humanism. War of the Worlds. Mary Shelly's: Frankenstein. The Time Machine. * i would have added the Canterbury Tales, The Hobbit, Lord or the Rings, Stars-Ship Troopers, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
"On The Origin of Species" - Charles Darwin "A History of Western Philosophy" - Bertrand Russel "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" - Christopher Hitchens "11/22/63" - Stephen King "A Wrinkle in Time" - Madeleine L'Engle
I have others, but the one that tops my list is .. Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraordinary_Popular_Delusions_and_the_Madness_of_Crowds Nearly 200 years old, and more relevant today than ever. Read it to know how the world works. PS - no need to buy it. Readily available free on line.
[1] Principia Mathematica: Isaac Newton [2] The Origin of Species: Charlie Darwin [3] The Making of the Atomic Bomb: Richard Rhodes [4] Brief History of Time: Stephen Hawking [5] 2001: A Space Odyssey: Arthur C Clarke...
All the Pretty Horses: Cormac McCarthy Wizard and Glass: Stephen King A Storm of Swords: George RR Martin Spin: Robert Charles Wilson The Scar: China Mieville
5 different versions of the bible, or maybe these http://www.cracked.com/article_15959_5-books-that-can-actually-make-you-stupider.html
Vegetable Gardening in Cold Climates How to Build a Log Cabin Small Boat Construction First Aid Manual Mythologies of America
5 Books/Series of Books 1) Synergetics 1 & 2---Fuller ..omni-comprehensive... 2) Critical Path---Fuller ..omni-comprehensive.... 3)Seven Mysteries of Life---Guy Murchie ..omni-comprehensive... 4) ? ---how to grow food 5) ? ---book of hygenic practices R6
