The Most Influential Books

Holy books, political books, fiction, whatever. Which books do you think have had the greatest impact and influence (positive or negative) on our world? Please only add books, not documents or essays.

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All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Holy Bible: King James Version by Anonymous 4.44 avg rating — 310,960 ratings score: 143,428, and 1,451 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin 4.01 avg rating — 120,646 ratings score: 131,156, and 1,332 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	القرآن الكريم by Anonymous 4.38 avg rating — 71,568 ratings score: 104,424, and 1,061 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Complete Works by William Shakespeare 4.48 avg rating — 57,610 ratings score: 75,233, and 782 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx 3.68 avg rating — 191,333 ratings score: 72,551, and 748 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	1984 by George Orwell 4.20 avg rating — 5,286,862 ratings score: 71,896, and 749 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Republic by Plato 3.97 avg rating — 221,653 ratings score: 63,935, and 665 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Odyssey by Homer 3.83 avg rating — 1,165,412 ratings score: 53,521, and 565 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli 3.84 avg rating — 374,570 ratings score: 48,574, and 510 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States of America, Bill of Rights and Constitutional Amendments (Including Images of Original by Founding Fathers 4.44 avg rating — 27,061 ratings score: 46,273, and 487 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.20 avg rating — 4,103,145 ratings score: 43,706, and 462 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Animal Farm by George Orwell 4.01 avg rating — 4,405,557 ratings score: 43,188, and 461 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Art of War by Sun Tzu 3.95 avg rating — 555,933 ratings score: 43,080, and 457 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.26 avg rating — 6,736,381 ratings score: 42,276, and 448 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.54 avg rating — 720,204 ratings score: 39,359, and 419 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses by Martin Luther 3.89 avg rating — 2,439 ratings score: 39,335, and 414 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Iliad by Homer 3.93 avg rating — 498,616 ratings score: 39,015, and 418 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Divine Comedy: Inferno - Purgatorio - Paradiso by Dante Alighieri 4.08 avg rating — 168,562 ratings score: 38,870, and 418 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Relativity: The Special and the General Theory by Albert Einstein 4.20 avg rating — 22,808 ratings score: 36,093, and 391 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith 3.88 avg rating — 34,514 ratings score: 35,774, and 384 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by SIR ISAAC NEWTON 4.24 avg rating — 4,788 ratings score: 35,286, and 379 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 3.91 avg rating — 299,320 ratings score: 33,985, and 371 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare 3.74 avg rating — 2,781,851 ratings score: 33,493, and 362 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ by Joseph Smith Jr. 4.23 avg rating — 90,009 ratings score: 31,541, and 324 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings by Thomas Paine 4.14 avg rating — 15,770 ratings score: 30,688, and 328 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe 3.92 avg rating — 240,361 ratings score: 28,508, and 307 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Harry Potter Series Box Set (Harry Potter, #1-7) by J.K. Rowling 4.73 avg rating — 300,484 ratings score: 27,355, and 292 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler 3.17 avg rating — 43,316 ratings score: 26,328, and 287 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Spirit Filled Life Bible: A Personal Study Bible Unveiling All God's Fullness in All God's Word by Anonymous 4.41 avg rating — 8,028 ratings score: 25,267, and 257 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Hamlet by William Shakespeare 4.03 avg rating — 1,026,949 ratings score: 24,289, and 270 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud 3.84 avg rating — 79,754 ratings score: 24,178, and 271 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 4.29 avg rating — 4,677,247 ratings score: 23,363, and 260 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 4.21 avg rating — 834,061 ratings score: 22,548, and 248 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Analects by Confucius 3.80 avg rating — 23,630 ratings score: 22,160, and 248 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Das Kapital by Karl Marx 3.89 avg rating — 11,446 ratings score: 21,988, and 247 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.88 avg rating — 1,262,033 ratings score: 21,671, and 246 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant 3.96 avg rating — 41,272 ratings score: 19,628, and 219 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 3.69 avg rating — 403,924 ratings score: 18,992, and 203 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.28 avg rating — 1,038,742 ratings score: 18,887, and 219 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Bhagavad Gita by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa 4.19 avg rating — 79,928 ratings score: 17,515, and 196 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau 3.78 avg rating — 56,232 ratings score: 17,387, and 200 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 3.83 avg rating — 1,323,785 ratings score: 17,140, and 199 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Silent Spring by Rachel Carson 4.06 avg rating — 53,761 ratings score: 17,081, and 189 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Iliad / The Odyssey by Homer 4.07 avg rating — 82,551 ratings score: 16,734, and 190 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.89 avg rating — 1,788,688 ratings score: 16,400, and 192 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Utopia by Thomas More 3.55 avg rating — 81,219 ratings score: 15,681, and 182 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Jungle by Upton Sinclair 3.78 avg rating — 152,926 ratings score: 15,361, and 175 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Paradise Lost by John Milton 3.85 avg rating — 178,993 ratings score: 15,256, and 179 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous 3.75 avg rating — 115,141 ratings score: 15,130, and 179 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.30 avg rating — 4,373,977 ratings score: 14,993, and 175 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche 4.07 avg rating — 171,358 ratings score: 14,763, and 173 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 3.52 avg rating — 235,467 ratings score: 13,995, and 167 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3.80 avg rating — 3,824,740 ratings score: 13,776, and 162 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton 4.10 avg rating — 41,673 ratings score: 13,690, and 160 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 4.09 avg rating — 900,912 ratings score: 13,223, and 160 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Candide by Voltaire 3.76 avg rating — 296,407 ratings score: 13,188, and 157 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Two Treatises of Government by John Locke 3.87 avg rating — 19,455 ratings score: 12,931, and 151 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Civil Disobedience and Other Essays by Henry David Thoreau 4.06 avg rating — 17,629 ratings score: 12,224, and 146 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm 4.23 avg rating — 219,749 ratings score: 11,857, and 142 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	The Gutenberg Bible by Martin Davies 3.74 avg rating — 94 ratings score: 11,665, and 132 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.70 avg rating — 3,138,106 ratings score: 11,501, and 141 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Macbeth by William Shakespeare 3.89 avg rating — 998,953 ratings score: 11,437, and 139 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl 4.37 avg rating — 843,245 ratings score: 11,302, and 130 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville 4.05 avg rating — 26,719 ratings score: 10,909, and 130 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche 4.03 avg rating — 110,591 ratings score: 10,812, and 135 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu 4.29 avg rating — 178,634 ratings score: 10,666, and 128 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	On The Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus 4.09 avg rating — 984 ratings score: 10,638, and 129 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	On Liberty by John Stuart Mill 3.96 avg rating — 42,188 ratings score: 10,607, and 128 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Holy Bible: New International Version by Anonymous 4.63 avg rating — 95,006 ratings score: 10,565, and 118 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Confessions by Augustine of Hippo 3.99 avg rating — 72,075 ratings score: 10,516, and 125 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Beowulf by Unknown 3.50 avg rating — 339,999 ratings score: 10,220, and 127 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Euclid's Elements by Euclid 4.32 avg rating — 3,342 ratings score: 10,143, and 119 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Aeneid by Virgil 3.87 avg rating — 140,800 ratings score: 10,143, and 127 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Alice in Wonderland by Jane Carruth (Adapted By) 4.03 avg rating — 396,090 ratings score: 10,095, and 123 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir 4.18 avg rating — 46,291 ratings score: 10,065, and 122 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 3.43 avg rating — 548,995 ratings score: 9,688, and 118 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Little Women (Little Women, #1) by Louisa May Alcott 4.17 avg rating — 2,409,643 ratings score: 9,423, and 113 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 3.81 avg rating — 1,277,947 ratings score: 9,319, and 114 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3) by Arthur Conan Doyle 4.30 avg rating — 321,917 ratings score: 9,299, and 114 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican by Galileo Galilei 4.07 avg rating — 1,283 ratings score: 9,245, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas 4.13 avg rating — 4,069 ratings score: 9,067, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	The Rhetoric & The Poetics of Aristotle by Aristotle 4.01 avg rating — 2,462 ratings score: 8,837, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan 3.87 avg rating — 30,414 ratings score: 8,797, and 107 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft 3.92 avg rating — 26,460 ratings score: 8,513, and 109 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.97 avg rating — 2,748,484 ratings score: 8,485, and 104 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe 3.68 avg rating — 326,795 ratings score: 8,370, and 108 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse 4.08 avg rating — 854,774 ratings score: 8,296, and 94 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes 3.70 avg rating — 51,763 ratings score: 8,231, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Quotations from Chairman Mao Tsetung by Mao Zedong 3.49 avg rating — 3,908 ratings score: 7,789, and 97 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money by John Maynard Keynes 3.85 avg rating — 5,698 ratings score: 7,785, and 98 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Ego and the Id by Sigmund Freud 3.82 avg rating — 12,212 ratings score: 7,766, and 101 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan 4.07 avg rating — 155,363 ratings score: 7,366, and 93 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Selected Philosophical Writings by René Descartes 3.85 avg rating — 745 ratings score: 6,977, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally 4.34 avg rating — 164,720 ratings score: 6,851, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation, Vol. 1 by Aristotle 4.41 avg rating — 2,474 ratings score: 6,851, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The I Ching or Book of Changes by Anonymous 4.19 avg rating — 20,555 ratings score: 6,673, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Experiments in Plant Hybridisation by Gregor Mendel 4.02 avg rating — 155 ratings score: 6,540, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie 3.71 avg rating — 70,740 ratings score: 6,490, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 4.17 avg rating — 359,183 ratings score: 6,280, and 82 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Histories by Herodotus 4.01 avg rating — 54,952 ratings score: 6,100, and 85 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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1,479 books · 5,281 voters · list created November 15th, 2008 by Crazy Uncle Ryan (votes) .

Tags: best, classics, important, influence, influential, most, powerful, significant, worst

2250 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (5281)

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Comments Showing 1-50 of 122 (122 new)

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message 1: by JoAnn (new)

Jul 07, 2009 07:41PM

OK!

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message 2: by [deleted user] (new)

Aug 13, 2009 05:36PM

Carol wrote: "My computer went crazy when I tried to do this. So, I have voted twice. The first one is the Bible on my "real" list. "

I think this is one of the few lists that I didn't add any books but going to check yours out. This is a good list.

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message 3: by David (new)

Sep 23, 2009 04:20PM

The bible isn't the most influential book ever!

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message 4: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 23, 2009 05:02PM

Mukesh wrote: "The bible isn't the most influential book ever!"

What is?

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message 5: by Daniel (new)

Sep 26, 2009 11:25AM

The use of the word ever is what is causing the problem - ever is infinite
Also, the level of influence will be determined by the demographic of the survey population and the survey is opinion, if an individual who "reads" the survey doesn't agree with the survey response, say so once share your opinion and then shutup.
Everyone has an opinion and it probably does not agree completely with yours, accept it and move on.

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message 6: by Daniel (new)

Sep 27, 2009 07:33AM

I agree

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message 7: by Donna (new)

Oct 07, 2009 11:39AM

Your list is so limited. I could add just a few: The Wealth of Nations: Adam Smith, The Spirit of Laws: de Montesquieu, Analects of Confuscius, Rights of Man, Politics and Poetics: Aristotle, The Republic: Plato, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History: A.T. Mahan...the list goes on and on. Why did you stop where you did?

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message 8: by Lobstergirl (new)

Oct 07, 2009 04:07PM

Donna wrote: "Your list is so limited. I could add just a few: The Wealth of Nations: Adam Smith, The Spirit of Laws: de Montesquieu, Analects of Confuscius, Rights of Man, Politics and Poetics: Aristotle, The ..."

Wealth of Nations is on the list already, as is Plato's Republic, and Aristotle's Poetics.

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message 9: by Donna (new)

Oct 07, 2009 06:33PM

Thank you for pointing it out.

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message 10: by Kate (new)

Dec 06, 2009 12:09PM

I love that Harry Potter is on this list!

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message 11: by Donna (new)

Dec 06, 2009 01:27PM

Well, I'm fond of a few modern pieces of literature to be sure! This isn't an exhaustive list of the books I've read. The list now runs into the hundreds of thousands of books. People write for all kinds of reasons--but mostly to tell a good story...me included!

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message 12: by Xenophon (new)

Dec 12, 2009 08:54PM

My least predictable choice is Statistical Methods for Research Workers by R.A. Fisher, but it is an extremely important book in the methodology of twentieth century science. It's the book that either directly or indirectly taught most non-math-jock scientists how to evaluate their experiments, at least according to The Lady Tasting Tea by David Salsburg, a history of statistics.

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message 13: by Courtney (last edited Jan 21, 2010 04:18PM) (new)

Jan 21, 2010 04:16PM

Whether you believe in them or not, the Bible and the Koran are two of the most influential books ever. if you know much about history you can see all of the wars fought over them, and those are just the tip of the influence iceberg. This is a great list. I didn't add much that wasn't already on there.

About Harry Potter: I don't know about that one. Certainly it has been influential in recent years as it has brought reading back to the Nintendo generation, but influential in the way that these others are in actually shaping a culture? Eh.

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message 14: by Xenophon (new)

Jan 21, 2010 08:08PM

Harry Potter: it's hard to say that something that so many people have read hasn't been influential. It's easy to question whether it belongs in the top one hundred.

If HP follows the example of The Lord of the Rings and becomes as embedded in our culture as firmly as King Arthur, it might be possible to declare it to be in the top one thousand.

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message 15: by Courtney (new)

Jan 23, 2010 01:46PM

I can see that. Maybe in the top one thousand. I would even say perhaps top one hundred in the century, two hundred for sure.

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message 16: by Defaeco (new)

Feb 05, 2010 04:09AM

Who the hell voted the Koran?

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message 17: by Xenophon (new)

Feb 05, 2010 01:10PM

Gglast wrote: "Who the hell voted the Koran?"

108 people as of this writing. Don't you think the Koran has been extremely influential?

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message 18: by Defaeco (new)

Feb 06, 2010 04:04AM

On what and how?
Amount is not quality, and it does not point on influence of future writing.

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message 19: by Xenophon (new)

Feb 06, 2010 01:11PM

The question didn't ask for quality; it asked for influence. Raw numbers of people matter. Islam is the religion of over a billion persons, and given birthrates and migratory patterns, it's spreading.

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message 20: by M (last edited Feb 14, 2010 03:05AM) (new)

Feb 11, 2010 05:56AM

here's my (short) list of books which have had the greatest impact and influence (positive or negative) on our world's cultures and civilizations until the 21th century

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message 21: by Betsy (new)

Feb 21, 2010 10:16AM

So many books, so much influence - in my world+ - Western, European - The Bible is the most influential book at least for the last 1500 years. The Koran has increasing influence. But many books are not in the list. IE - a Wrinkle in Time - almost any woman of thought will list this in her top ten.

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message 22: by Emily (new)

Mar 05, 2010 11:53AM

You know, I'm going to have to agree with The Bible, The Koran, and The Origin of the Species being the top 3. I may not like the fact that the Bible and Koran have gained this much influence, but it's very clear that they influence everyday life in more ways than just about any other books. Look at every war being fought right now, and tell me that those two holy books are not at least tangentially involved in them. Look at the American political and legal system, and tell me that Christianity has not infiltrated it to the highest levels (sadly for those of us ho are non-Christian). The same can be said for The Koran and the Middle East and Northern Africa. Those two books govern, for good or for bad, the lives and deaths of millions.

And as for the Origin of the Species, well, all I need to say is that evolution is the foundation of modern Biology. Taking evolution out of biology undermines everything, from the classification system on down. That, to me, is a pretty influential book.

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message 23: by Xenophon (last edited Mar 06, 2010 05:36PM) (new)

Mar 06, 2010 05:31PM

To Kill a Mockingbird has been influential for the last fifty years. There are other books that have been influential world wide for centuries or even millennia. Getting a book into the top thousand most influential in history is a great achievement.

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message 24: by C-tim (new)

Apr 17, 2010 03:17PM

Frankenstein? Really?
Who thinks the novel Frankenstein is more influential than any other book on the list (except maybe Old Man and the Sea)?

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message 25: by Ardis (new)

Apr 26, 2010 04:29PM

Carol wrote: "My computer went crazy when I tried to do this. So, I have voted twice. The first one is the Bible on my "real" list. "

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message 26: by Ardis (new)

Apr 26, 2010 04:36PM

Carol wrote: "My computer went crazy when I tried to do this. So, I have voted twice. The first one is the Bible on my "real" list. "

The Bible is the basis of everything--would like to share with you. www.goodreads.com/ardisa

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message 27: by Linda (new)

Jul 11, 2010 11:37PM

This list doesn't make any sense to me. Best loved, sure, but INFLUENTIAL? To Kill a Mockingbird, Frankenstein, LOTR, Pride and Prejudice, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Paradise Lost and Shakespeare -- over the BIBLE, Really?? I love all of the above mentioned, but I don't think people understand what is meant by Influential. The Bible has influenced each of those and many other books, not to mention other aspects of life and thought through the centuries.

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message 28: by Javier (new)

Oct 28, 2010 11:15AM

Courtney wrote: "Whether you believe in them or not, the Bible and the Koran are two of the most influential books ever. if you know much about history you can see all of the wars fought over them, and those are ju..."

Certainly many people have bought the books, but i dont think they read them. When the bible was first written it was so in Greek. Greek was the universal language of the time. St Paul wrote it or put it together. Now I wont swear to this, i wasnt there.

The book is more of a symbol of moral authority, it empowers those who claim to know....the thoughts of God.

When the books were written illiteracy was the rule. Heck even now we have places that dont have high literacy rates. There is a tale in the bible about how people were bldg a stairway to the sky. God got upset and gave them all different languages. So they couldnt continue with their ambition. Apparently he didnt want to hear from us then.

Story tellers roamed the country and told stories for money. Stories are something you make up, they didnt have copyright laws then. Books were rare and people would pay to go have someone read to them.

You may remember "deux ex machina" something like that. So anytime the story was about to end up with the bad guys winning, the hero would show up in a white hat to say the day.

I could never read the bible...it didnt taste good. I started the Koran and was pleasantly surprised. Still I dont believe in magic, vodoo, and things like that. But many people do....and they call it faith. My god is better than your god. Want to make something out of it.

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message 29: by Javier (new)

Oct 28, 2010 11:26AM

Ardis wrote: "Carol wrote: "My computer went crazy when I tried to do this. So, I have voted twice. The first one is the Bible on my "real" list. ""

Watch out Carol...I believe I see a bible thumper heading your way.

It occurs to me that the Bible and the Koran are two sides of the same coin. Heads your good, tails your bad.
Or one side can have Mohamed and the other side Jesus. Now this coin would look good in my collection.

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message 30: by Justin (new)

Dec 29, 2010 10:42PM

Wow, this list seems to have started out as a list of most influential books, and then deteriorated to a list of "classics". A classic book does not equal an influential book.

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message 31: by Julie (new)

Dec 30, 2010 11:35AM

Why are people turning this into some random flame war? Books, even those that you have not read/read and did not like, can have a profound influence on others. I think that most peopl are voting with the idea of what was influential in their life personally, not what they think was influential for everyone else.

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message 32: by Justin (new)

Dec 30, 2010 12:09PM

Okay Julie, that makes more sense. You are absolutely right.

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message 33: by Brian (new)

Feb 10, 2011 02:35PM

What the heck is the Spirit Filled Life Bible, and why is it ranked so high on a list of "most influential" books? As I'm posting this the King James Bible is 23rd on the list. I think that's slightly more influesntial than some book I never heard of...

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message 34: by Xenophon (new)

Feb 10, 2011 04:06PM

Rather than confuse things by nominating their favorite translation, most persons are voting for the first translation of the Bible on the list, which happens to be the Spirit Filled Life translation.

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message 35: by Daniel (new)

Feb 16, 2011 01:43PM

Mukesh wrote: "The bible isn't the most influential book ever!"

No matter what religion you practice (I'm not a catholic by the way), Guttenberg's edition of the Bible IS the most influential book ever, after all it was the first printed Book in the world, and that has made all the difference. If Guttemberg had decided to print his memoirs instead of the Bible, then that would be a very influential book, but not as much as a book that had been around for over a thousand years by the time it was printed

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message 36: by Ben (new)

Mar 21, 2011 08:04AM

Good list!

Surprised Twilight and Harry Potter haven't made their way to the top 100 yet! :o)

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message 37: by JMZ (new)

Mar 30, 2011 08:14PM

Nice. Books to keep me busy this year.

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message 38: by Lobstergirl (new)

May 20, 2011 07:51PM

Ugh. I'm deleting my vote for the Bible, because it somehow became "The Spirit Filled Life Bible," which I most certainly did not vote for.

People voting for "The Gutenberg Bible" by Martin Davies might want to know that it is 64 pages and is described thus: "This book reproduces many illustrations from the Bible, and discusses how it was created and published, and its role in the early spread of printing in Europe."

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message 39: by ღ Carol jinx~☆~☔ʚϊɞ (new)

May 20, 2011 09:15PM

I had to change mine to the King James Version.
My husband always says not to bring up religion or politics because it gets heated and it looks like it can happen online too.

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message 40: by Paul (new)

Jun 21, 2011 12:27PM

Retarded that the spirit filled life is #2. Do people have no sense of history? These lists are so bad sometimes.

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message 41: by Danna (new)

Nov 07, 2011 08:15AM

Where's Hrzel's The Jewish State? It was THE book!

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message 42: by Manray9 (new)

Feb 16, 2012 10:48AM

The list doesn't include Adam Smith or Mahan's "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History."

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message 43: by Francisco (new)

Feb 24, 2012 05:03PM

newton's book not in the top 3? objection, your honor!

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message 44: by Jeremiah (new)

Apr 19, 2012 05:35PM

Francisco wrote: "newton's book not in the top 3? objection, your honor!"

Paul wrote: "Retarded that the spirit filled life is #2. Do people have no sense of history? These lists are so bad sometimes."

"Retarded?" You choice of words to express your dislike in this list is suspect. I understand your concern but you choice of descriptive values negates the value of your objection. Use your literary mind and use words that don't undermine an unfortunate group of individuals in our society.

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message 45: by Loveliest Evaris (new)

Jun 20, 2012 12:44PM

Aah, these books make me feel nostalgic, in a "in-a-past-life-I-was-alive-when-this-was-written" kind of way..

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message 46: by Loveliest Evaris (new)

Jun 20, 2012 12:54PM

Oh and why is the book Kittens by Carey Scott on this list? O_O

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message 47: by George (new)

Jun 26, 2012 04:21PM

Koran is number 3?!!!

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message 48: by Danna (new)

Jun 26, 2012 10:13PM

George wrote: "Koran is number 3?!!!"

yeah.?

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message 49: by Francisco (new)

Jun 29, 2012 04:59PM

Danna wrote: "George wrote: "Koran is number 3?!!!"

yeah.?"

If you ask me this poll is very inflamable... dont get me wrong, if it were inflable AND had a point id be happy, but books are so subjective that this is rather pointless task

lets keep religious war to where they belong: medieval europe.

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message 50: by Athens (new)

Aug 19, 2012 10:14PM

Influential means creating of influence, correct? Lots of people liking a book, such as Harry Potter title, does not mean it influenced anything.

I would suggest for your consideration that little to no human thought, philosophy, or action has been shaped in any way by Harry Potter.

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