Books that Changed the World (Paperback)

by Robert B. Downs (Author) "Out of the ancient, immemorial wisdom of the East, the Hebrew prophets developed the concept of one God, a national deity but one supreme over..." (more)
Key Phrases: Uncle Tom's Cabin, United States, Adam Smith (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
From the Bible, the Iliad, and the Republic to Civil Disobedience, Das Kapital, and Silent Spring, this revised and greatly expanded edition is a monument to the power of the printed word-an informative discussion of many of the most important works ever created.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics; Revised edition (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451529286
• ISBN-13: 978-0451529282
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #81,114 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Outstanding. Good for a Lifetime of Reading., February 28, 2002

By	T. Carlsen - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Books that Changed the World: Revised Edition (Mentor) (Paperback)

I bought this book used from a library, along with a dozen others, a decade ago without much thought of what I was buying. Wow! I ended up with a lifetime of excellent reading. I've since had this book at my bedside, off and on, for the last ten years. So much excellent information is packed into this book that you can keep coming back to it and learning the most important writings of civilization.

This book summarizes the works for you. With just a little reading you can say something like, "What Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity did was radically change our perspective of time and space, and matter and energy. He showed that all motion is relative, and that the velocity of light is independent of the motion of its source. The implications are profound. To illustrate..."

Or, "What Socrates means by his definition of love, as written in Plato's Symposium, is that love is the pursuit of the beautiful; a desire for the immortal though reproduction. This, at its highest state, is manifested in a generalized love of universal beauty - beautiful souls, thoughts, laws, institutions and the immortal afterlife."

Everyone needs to read these works, and here is a condensed way to do it. It's a small investment in your education.

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for every book lover., November 30, 1998

By	Monson Marukatat (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Books that Changed the World: Revised Edition (Mentor) (Paperback)

I have been reading an average of 2 books a month. Yet I throw most of them away after reading. This is one of a few books I keep in my library. And it is the third time I bought it because every time someone borrow the book, I never got it back. Books That Changed The World summarizes the influences of the great books to the way we believe in things, some of which we take it for granted now. Things like the solar system, gravitational force. I hardly give a five-star to any book reviews, but this one well deserves it.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for history buffs who are limited by time., January 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Books that Changed the World: Revised Edition (Mentor) (Paperback)

A classic that discusses 16 books that have changed the world. But it is also much more. It delves into the times that the books were published and shows how society was affected by the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it to everyone interested in history and or historical people. How many people can honestly say that they know that Uncle Tom's Cabin is about? Sure the expression Uncle Tom is bandied about in the course of our society but what do you know about the person or the book where this and many more expression that live today arised. You will not waste money or time on this read. Enjoy!