The Books that Changed the World

These are the books that changed the world

Over the course of history numerous books have been written. There are millions of them, yet only some have had the power of influencing people and of truly changing the world. These are the top 10 books which in my opinion have changed the world.

10. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

The book Atlas Shrugged was Ayn Raid’s last book of its kind, as afterwards she only wrote about philosophical topics. The book contains lots of themes which would eventually become the core of Objectivism, which became the philosophy she developed. The critics considered the book to be a failure, but like in many cases the opinion of the critics does not match the opinions of the regular people. The people loved the book, and the Libertarian movement appeared as a result of the information contained in it. Modern Library made an online poll in which they asked the people which book of this century they consider to be the best, and Atlas Shrugged was voted number one.

9. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

The book written in 1949 is the most famous work of Simone de Beauvoir. She wrote the book after she attempted to write about herself. The intent of the book was to define what a woman is. It is considered to be one of the biggest feminist works, as it presents the status of the women across history. She wrote in the book that women have often been considered inferior to men, and that they were often called the other sex, hence the name of the book.

8. On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

The book written by Charles Darwin in 1859 is considered to be one of the most important books in the history of evolutionary biology. The book says that over time, the species will evolve through the process of natural selection. As you can imagine, the book was very controversial, as the religious people were outraged by it. One of the main characteristics of the book is the fact that anyone can read it, as it does not contain terms which only an expert would be able to understand. The theory has changed since then, as the scientists discovered some flaws in the book. There are still some people who consider the book to be false and of spreading lies.

7. Experimental Research in Electricity by Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday was an English chemist and physicist who invented the electromagnetic rotary devices thanks to his numerous experiments with electricity. He became one of the most influential scientists in history, even though he lacked the education the other scientists had. He relied on experience and on trial and error in order to develop the devices which formed the foundation of electric motor technology.

6. Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

The book written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels has become one of the most important influential political tracts in history. The Manifesto suggested that the working class should fight in order to achieve the same status as the rest of the classes, meaning that all the classes should have the same rights. In case that sounds familiar, that is the theory of communism. One of the most famous quotes from the Manifesto is “Working men of all countries, unite!”

5. Either/Or by Søren Kierkegaard

The book contains two volumes and it portrays two different lifestyles. One lifestyle is based on pleasure and it has a hedonistic view whereas the other lifestyle is based on the moral values and duties. Each lifestyle is written by a different fictional author and it is written in different manners such as poetry or prose. This is the book that gave birth to the Existentialism.

4. The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was an English writer who influenced the Democracy with his writings. Paine said that the main task of the government is to protect the rights of the individuals. Paine was in France when the French Revolution began, and it was there where he wrote his book. The book caused lots of stir in England, and for it he was convicted for seditious libel against the crown.

3. The Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas

The Summa Theologica contains multiple books and it presents the most popular and the most common beliefs and doctrines of Christianity. The book was praised by the Christians, and some consider it to be almost as important as the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church still uses the book written by St. Thomas Aquinas as the primary teaching tool. They consider St. Thomas Aquinas to be a Doctor of the Church, a title which has only been received by 33 people so far.

2. The Qur’an by Various Authors

The Qur’an is the holy book of the Islamic nations. Call it their version of the Bible, if you will. Mohammed, who is the founder of Islam, stated that he received information from Angel Gabriel, and the information received from the angel forms the basis of the Qur’an. The book has faced lots of criticism, mostly because many have stated that it advocates crime and violence. The Muslims do not agree with it, saying that the book does not advocate such things, saying that the people often take the information out of the context.

1. The Bible by Various Authors

I am certain that you predicted that this book would be on first place. You can not contest the fact that the Bible has changed the world more than any other books. It changed the Roman Empire from paganism to Christianity, 200 years after it was written. Since the book was written, Christianity has become the most important religion in the world, as it has 2.1 billion adherents. The Bile has two books: the Old Testament, and the New Testament. The Old Testament was used by Jesus and His apostles, whereas the New Testament was written by His apostles.

It is the best selling book in the world.11