Dr Saheb Sahu
“A room without books is like a body without a soul”. Cicero
Introduction
What are the most influential books ever written? It is tough question to answer. In my humble opinion, books that have radically altered the course of human civilization should qualify. Some books have influenced the religious practice of millions and billions of people (the Bible, the Koran), some have achieved the pinnacle of literary expression (The Iliad and The Odyssey, Shakespeare’s First Folio), and some have pointed the way to scientific discovery (Darwin’s On the Origin of Species) and some have forever changed the global political landscape (Plato’s Republic, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense). The following 25 books I have selected are based on my life –long reading (I am over 75). You make your own list but read.
1- The I Ching (Book of Changes) C.1500 B.C.E.
It is the most influential book in China. Its true origins remain shrouded in mystery. The book generated the theory of Yang and Yin. Yang originally meant sunshine, whereas yin implied the absence of light. The two antithetical principles came to be regarded as cosmic forces: masculinity/femininity, heat/cold, brightness/ darkness, hardness/softness and so forth. The Chinese saw the tension set up by the two phenomena as having brought forth the universe itself. The main message, while we cannot control our fates, we can decide how we should live: We can choose to go along with prevailing cosmic condition.
2 – The Bible C. 1500 B.C.E.
The word Bible is derived by way of Latin and French, from the Greek biblia.It consists of two books, The Old Testament and The New Testament. The Old Testament is the scripture for the Jews. The New Testament is the scripture for the Christians. Most of the ideas of the New Testament have come from the Old Testament. The Bible is an anthology- a compilation of texts of variety of forms- originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Konic Greek.These texts include instructions, stories, poetry, and prophecies, among other genres. To the believers, the Bible is generally considered to be a product of divine inspiration. It is by far the best known book in the Western world. It has influenced western literature, art, music, philosophy and dance. There are many version of the translation; the best known is the Authorized Version of 1611, AD.
3 – The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer C- 9th Century, B.C.E.
The Iliad sometimes referred to as the Song of Ilion or Song of Ilium is an ancient Greek Epic poem in dactylic hexameter traditionally attributed to Homer. Usually considered to have been written down circa the 8th century BCE, the Iliad is among the oldest extant works of Western literature, along with the Odyssey, another epic poem attributed to Homer, which tells of Odysseus’s experiences after the events of the Iliad. In the modern vulgate (the standard accepted version), the Iliad contains 15,693 lines, divided into 24 books; it is written in Homeric Greek. The Greek built up their culture on these poems, and the western literature, too, was built upon it.
4 – The Upanishads C 700B.C.E- 400 B.C.E.
The Upanishads are late Vedic Sanskrit texts of Hindu philosophy. They are the most recent part of the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, and deals with meditation, philosophy, consciousness and ontological knowledge. The earlier parts of the Vedas deal with mantras, benedictions, rituals, ceremonies, and sacrifices. While among the most important literature in the history of Indian religions and culture, the Upanishads document a wide variety of rites, incarnations, and esoteric knowledge. There are over one hundred Upanishads, but many of these are after thoughts. The really vital ones are fewer than twenty in number. Some of them are: Katha, Isha, Kena, Mundaka, Mandukya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Kaivalya and Svetasvatara.
The essence of the Upanishads is that Brahman and Atman is one and the same thing. According to Swami Prabhavananda Brahman represents God and Atman represents the self or the soul.
The Bhagavad Gita is the most famous of Hindu texts, and has a unique pan-Hindu influence.The Gita presents a synthesis of Hindu ideas about dharma, bhakti and the yogic ideals of moksha.
Two Indian epics, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata have had significant influence in the religion and, culture of Indian subcontinent.
5 – Tao Te Ching (The Way and Its Power) by Lao-Tzu,
The Tao Te Ching is a Chinese Classical text written around 400 BCE, and traditionally credited to the sage Lao-Tzu. The text’s authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The Tao Te Ching, along with the Zhuangzi, is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism. It also strongly influenced other schools of Chinese Philosophy and religion including Legalism, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism.
6 – The Avesta C.500 B.C.E.
The Avesta is the primary collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. The Avesta texts fall into several different categories, arranged either by dialect or by usage. The principal text in the liturgical group is the Yasna, which takes its name from the Yasna ceremony, Zoroastrianism’s primary act of worship. The most important portion of the Yasna texts are the five Gathas, consisting of seventeen hymns attributed to Zoroaster himself.
Majority of scholars believe that, the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism is the oldest of the monotheistic religions. It deeply influenced Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Buddhism and Manicheanism.
7 – Analects by Confucius (5th to 4th Century BCE).
The Analects, meaning “Selected Sayings’, also known as the Analects of Confucius, the Sayings of Confucius, is an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius(Master Kung) and his contemporaries. It is believed to have been compiled and written by Confucius’s followers.
Even today, Confucian beliefs strongly influence the government and society of the People’s Republic of China. The terms Renand Ligive different sides of this cultural tradition. Elements of Ren are the obliteration of the individual, the spirit of sacrifice, self-restraint, lack of privacy and ideological control. Elements of Li are a social order based on the work unit, residence and subordination to the elite.
The Analects has been one of the most widely-read and studied books in China for the last 2,000 years, and continues to have a substantial influence on Chinese and East Asian thought and values today.
8 – The Republic by Plato (429-347B.C.E)
The Republic (Latin: De Republica) is a Socratic dialogue, authored by Plato around 375 BCE, concerning justice, the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man. It is Plato’s best-known work, and has proven to be one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically.
In the dialogue, Socrates talks with various Athenians and foreigners about the meaning of justice and whether the just man is happier than the unjust man. They consider the natures of existing regimes and then propose a series of different, hypothetical cities in comparison, culminating in Kallipolis, a utopian city-state ruled by aphilosopher-king. They also discuss the theory of forms, the immortality of the soul, and the role of the philosopher and of poetry in society.
9 – The Elements by Euclid (280B.C.E.)
The Elements is a mathematical treatise consisting of 13 books attributed to the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid of Alexandria, Egypt C 300BCE. It is a collection of definitions, postulates, propositions (theorems and constructions)), and mathematical proofs of the propositions. The books cover plane and solid Euclidian geometry number theory and incommensurable lines. The Elements is the oldest extant large-scale deductive treatment of mathematics. It has proven instrumental in the development of logic and modern science. Its logical rigor was not surpassed until the 19th century.
Euclid’s Elements has been referred to as the most successful and influential text book ever written. It was one of the very earliest mathematical works to be printed after the invention of the printing press. It has been estimated to be second only to the Bible in the number of editions published since the first printing in 1482.
10 – The Dhammapada C- 252B.C.E.
The Dhammapada is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. The original version of the Dhammapada is in the Khuddaka Nikaya, a division of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism.
The Buddhist scholar and commentator Buddhaghosa explains that each saying recorded in the collection was made on a different occasion in response to a unique situation that had arisen in the life of the Buddha and his monastic community. His translation of the commentary, the Dhammapada Atthakatha, presents the details of these events and is a rich source of legend for the life and times of the Buddha.
11 – The Koran (610-632C.E.)
The Quran, also romanized Qur’an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (ة surah), which consist of verses. In addition to its religious significance, it is widely regarded as the finest work in Arabic literature.
Muslims believe that the Quran was orally revealed by God to the final prophet, Muhammad, through the archangel Gabriel, incrementally over a period of some 23 years, beginning in the month of Ramadan, when Muhammad was 40; and concluding in 632, the year of his death.
The Quran assumes familiarity with major narratives of the Bible. It summarizes some, dwells at length on others and, in some cases, presents alternative accounts and interpretations of events. The Quran describes itself as a book of guidance for mankind..
The Hadith are transmitted reports about what Muhammad said and did. They have been called “the backbone” of Islamic civilization. Within Islam the authority of hadith as a source for religious law and moral guidance ranks second only to that of the Quran.
12 – The First Folio by William Shakespeare, 1623
Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is a collection of plays by William Shakespeare, commonly referred to by modern scholars as the First Folio, published in 1623, about seven years after Shakespeare’s death. It is considered one of the most influential books ever published, printed in folio format and containing 36 plays.
The Bible and the Koran, as well as other religious texts, have influenced mankind in two opposite directions. On the one hand they inspired virtuous behavior; on the other they have inspired wars, torture, and lives of misery for billions of people.. But has any nation gone to war over Shakespeare? If you can’t read all his plays, read atleast his most famous play-‘King Lear”.
13 – Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes 1605 &1615
Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. A founding work of Western literature, it is often labeled as the first modern novel and one of the greatest works ever written. Don Quixote is also one of the most translated books in the world.
The plot revolves around the adventures of a member of the lowest nobility, an hidalgo from La Mancha named Alonso Quijano, who reads so many chivalric romances, that he either loses or pretends to have lost his mind in order to become a knight errant, and serve his nation, under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha.. He recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire, who often employs a unique, earthy wit in dealing with Don Quixote’s rhetorical monologues on knighthood. The book had a major influence on the literary community of the world, especially of Spanish language.
The Tale of Genji is a classic work of Japanese literature, written in the early 11th century by the noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu. The tale concentrates on Genji’s romantic life and describes the customs of the aristocratic society of the time. It may be the world’s first novel, the first psychological novel and the first novel still to be considered a classic particularly in the context of Japanese literature.
14 – A Treatise of Human Nature by David Hume 1739
A Treatise of Human Nature: Being an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning into Moral Subjects (1739–40) is a book by Scottish philosopher David Hume, considered by many to be Hume’s most important work and one of the most influential works in the history of philosophy. The Treatise is a classic statement of philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism. In the introduction Hume presents the idea of placing all science and philosophy on a novel foundation: namely, an empirical investigation into human nature. Impressed by Isaac Newton’s achievements in the physical sciences, Hume sought to introduce the same experimental method of reasoning into the study of human psychology.
15 – Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Common Sense is a 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–1776 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen American Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution and became an immediate sensation.
It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history. Historian Gordon S. Wood described Common Sense as “the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era”.
Rights of Men and The Age of Reason are two other great books by Paine.
16 – The wealth of Nations by Adam Smith 1776
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, generally referred to by its shortened title The Wealth of Nations, is the magnum opus of the Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith. First published in 1776, the book offers one of the world’s first collected descriptions of what builds nations’ wealth, and is today a fundamental work in classical economics. By reflecting upon the economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the book touches upon such broad topics as the division of labor, productivity, and free markets. It provided the foundation for economists, politicians, mathematicians, and thinkers of all fields to build upon. Irrespective of historical influence The Wealth of Nations represented a clear paradigm shift in the field of economics.
17 – A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects (1792), written by British Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797), is one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy. In it, Wollstonecraft responds to those educational and political theorists of the eighteenth century who did not believe women should receive a rational education. She argues that women ought to have an education commensurate with their position in society, claiming that women are essential to the nation because they educate its children and because they could be “companions” to their husbands, rather than mere wives. Instead of viewing women as ornaments to society or property to be traded in marriage, Wollstonecraft maintains that they are human beings deserving of the same fundamental rights as men.
Wollstonecraft’s work had significant impact on advocates for women’s rights in the nineteenth century, particularly the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, which produced the Declaration of Sentiments laying out the aims of the suffragette movement in the United States.
18 – The Communist Manifesto 1848
The Communist Manifesto, originally the Manifesto of the Communist Party, is an 1848 pamphlet by German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels commissioned by the Communist League, and originally published in London, just as the Revolution of 1848, began to erupt. The Manifesto was later recognized as one of the world’s most influential political documents. It presents an analytical approach to the class (historical and then present) and the conflicts of capitalism and the capitalist mode of production, rather than a prediction of communism’s potential future forms.
The Communist Manifesto summarizes Marx and Engels’ theories concerning the nature of society and politics, namely that in their own words “the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles”. It also briefly features their ideas for how the capitalist society of the time would eventually be replaced by socialism. In the last paragraph of the Manifesto, the authors call for a “forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions”, this served as a call for communist revolutions around the world.
19 – Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau 1849
Resistance to Civil Government, also called On the Duty of Civil Disobedience or Civil Disobedience for short, is an essay by American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau that was first published in 1849. In it, Thoreau argues that individuals should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that they have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican- American War (1846–1848).
Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi was impressed by Thoreau’s arguments. In 1907, about one year into his first satyagraha campaign in South Africa, Gandhi wrote a translated synopsis of Thoreau’s argument for Indian Opinion. He credited Thoreau’s essay with being “the chief cause of the abolition of slavery in America”, and wrote that “Both his example and writings are at present exactly applicable to the Indians in the Transvaal”. Martin Luther King, Jr and Nelson Mandela were influenced by Gandhi.
20 – The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin 1859
On the Origin of Species (or, more completely, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life), published on 24 November 1859, is a work of scientific literature by Charles Darwin, that is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. Darwin’s book introduced the scientific theory that populations evolved over the course of generations through a process of natural selection. The book presented a body of evidence that the diversity of life arose by common descent through a branching pattern of evolution. Darwin included evidence that he had collected on the Beagle expedition in the 1830s and his subsequent findings from research, correspondence, and experimentation.
With the development of the modern evolutionary synthesis in the 1930s and 1940s, Darwin’s concept of evolutionary adaptation through natural selection became central to modern evolutionary theory, and it has now become the unifying concept of the life sciences.
21 – Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 1866
Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It was later published in a single volume. It is the second of Dostoevsky’s full-length novels following his return from ten years of exile in Siberia. Crime and Punishment is considered the first great novel of his mature period of writing. The novel is often cited as one of the supreme achievements in world literature.
Crime and Punishment follows the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodin Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in Saint Petersburg who plans to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker, an old woman who stores money and valuable objects in her flat. He theorizes that with the money he could liberate himself from poverty and goes on to perform great deeds, and seeks to convince himself that certain crimes are justifiable if they are committed in order to remove obstacles to the higher goals of ‘extraordinary’ men. Once the deed is done, however, he finds himself racked with confusion, paranoia, and disgust. His theoretical justifications lose all their power as he struggles with guilt and horror and confronts both the internal and external consequences of his deed.
22 – War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 1869
War and Peace is a literary work mixed with chapters on history and philosophy by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. It was first published serially in a magazine, and then published in its entirety as a book in 1869. It is regarded as one of Tolstoy’s finest literary achievements and remains an internationally praised classic of world literature.
The novel chronicles the French invasion of Russia and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society through the stories of five Russian aristocratic families.This vast work has the spirit of an epic, where the life of Russia of the beginning of our century in general and in details has been recreated by the hand of a true master.
John Galsworthy called War and Peace “the best novel that had ever been written”.
23 – The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir 1949
The Second Sex is a 1949 book by the French existentialist philosopher Simone deBeauvoir, in which the author discusses the treatment of women throughout history. Beauvoir researched and wrote the book in 14 months between 1946 and 1949. She published the work in two volumes: Facts and Myths and Lived Experience. One of Beauvoir’s best-known books, The Second Sex is often regarded as a major work of feminist philosophy, and as the starting inspiration point of second- wave feminism.
According to Beauvoir, two factors explain the evolution of women’s condition: participation in production, and freedom from reproductive slavery. Beauvoir writes that men oppress women when they seek to perpetuate the family and keep patrimony intact.
The book has since been translated into more than 40 languages. The Vatican placed the book on its List of Prohibited Books.
24 – Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell 1949
Nineteen Eighty-Four (also stylized as 1984) is a dystopian social science fiction. The novel is a cautionary tale written by the English writer George Orwell. Thematically, it centers on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance and repressive regimentation of people and behaviors within society. Orwell, a democratic socialist, modelled the totalitarian government in the novel after Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany. More broadly, the novel examines the role of truth and facts within politics and the ways in which they are manipulated.
The story takes place in an imagined future, the year 1984, when much of the world has fallen victim to perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, historical negations and propaganda. Nineteen Eighty-Four has become a classic literary example of political and dystopian fiction. It also popularized the term “Orwellian” as an adjective.
25 – The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan 1963
The Feminine Mystique is a book by Betty Friedan, widely credited with sparking second –wave feminism in the United States. First published on February 19, 1963, The Feminine Mystique became a bestseller, initially selling over a million copies. Friedan used the book to challenge the widely shared belief that “fulfillment as a woman had only one definition for American women after 1949—the housewife-mother.
The prevailing belief was that women who were truly feminine should not want to work, get an education, or have political opinions. Friedan interviewed hundreds of her college graduates and proved that women were unsatisfied with that idea but could not voice their feelings.
Friedan has been criticized for focusing solely on the plight of middle-class white women, and not giving enough attention to the differing situations encountered by women in less stable economic situations, or women of other races or trans-women.
Conclusion
Reading has multiple benefits for our health. Reading has been shown to put our brains into a pleasurable trance like state, similar to meditation. Reading brings the same health benefits of deep relaxation and inner calm. Regular readers sleep better, have lower stress levels, higher self-esteem and lower rates of depression than non- readers. You do not have to read books recommended by others but usually they are helpful. Read what you like and enjoy. If don’t like a book, don’t waste your time and move on to the next one. Get a library card and visit your local library. Visit book stores with old books. You will be rewarded. Take your children to your local libraries and book stores. Read to them regularly. It will benefit both of you. Happy Reading!
Sources
1- Martin Seymour-Smith. 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written. Citadel Press: Secaucus, N.J. 1998
2- Wikipedia.org July 26th 2022
