Top 10 Most Influential Books
Bible
A collection of scriptures that is sacred to both the Jews and the Christians is an absolute best seller of all times. Interestingly, there is no single Bible.
Iliad and Odyssey by Homer
The two works describing the Trojan War and the adventures of the Greek hero Odyssey, respectively, that are traditionally attributed to Homer (ca. 8th century) are oldest works of the Western literature.
Koran
The influence of the Muslim sacred book can be easily compared with that of the Bible. The religious texts were compiled into a single book by Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law and the first Muslim Caliph (r. 632-634).
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
The author’s most famous work published in 1532 (five years after his death) is considered one of the first works of modern philosophy which had a major influence on early modern political life.
Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
One of the most influential political works ever written became the ”Bible” of the later Communist countries. It did, however, lost its popularity after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc although several 21st writers expressed their conviction that it has not lost its relevance.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harrier Beecher Stowe
The second best seller (after the Bible) of the 19th century depicting the reality of black slavery boosted the abolitionist movement in the mid-19th century and according to some, even contributed to the American Civil War. The novel, however, also greatly influenced the American literature.
On Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin
The most famous Darwin’s work that was published in 1859 was the first to propose that humans and apes have a common ancestor. The missing link that would prove his theory, however, still has not been found. Despite that, the Darwin’s evolution theory remains the most widely accepted model for the origin of species.
Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
One of the most famous psychoanalysts of all times published his best known work in 1899 (1913 in English). However, the interest of the public for one of the most influential books in history was very low at the beginning. In fact, the first 600 copies were not sold out for several years.
Relativity by Albert Einstein
The father of modern physics published his most important discovery – the theory of general relativity in 1916 which radically changed our understanding of the laws of nature as well as of the space. The theory has turned out to be highly accurate and was proved as such by a number of tests and experiments, however, it does seem incomplete.
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
One of the greatest physicists and cosmologists of our time published his most successful book in 1988. The book in which he explains a variety of cosmological phenomena including the Big Bang and black holes in a way that non-specialist reader can follow and understand the topic immediately became a best seller and remained on the British Sunday Times’ list of best sellers more than 4 years.