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

101	Dracula by Bram Stoker 4.02 avg rating — 1,427,434 ratings score: 6,077, and 80 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
102	Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud 3.80 avg rating — 11,586 ratings score: 5,604, and 71 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
103	Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice: 150 Anniversary Edition by Susan Standring (Editor) 4.31 avg rating — 3,874 ratings score: 5,363, and 70 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
104	Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism by Alcoholics Anonymous 3.97 avg rating — 344 ratings score: 5,336, and 67 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
105	On War by Carl von Clausewitz 3.96 avg rating — 14,321 ratings score: 5,252, and 67 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
106	The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.40 avg rating — 3,075,681 ratings score: 5,239, and 66 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
107	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.16 avg rating — 2,275,894 ratings score: 5,078, and 66 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
108	The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 4.13 avg rating — 1,806,630 ratings score: 4,974, and 66 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
109	Being and Time by Martin Heidegger 4.05 avg rating — 27,264 ratings score: 4,962, and 57 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
110	The Stranger by Albert Camus 4.03 avg rating — 1,337,009 ratings score: 4,835, and 61 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
111	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.31 avg rating — 1,248,037 ratings score: 4,706, and 62 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
112	Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.90 avg rating — 1,975,164 ratings score: 4,691, and 61 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
113	Baby and Child Care by Benjamin Spock 3.80 avg rating — 2,212 ratings score: 4,590, and 61 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
114	Aesop’s Fables by Aesop 4.05 avg rating — 128,878 ratings score: 4,545, and 65 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
115	The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.39 avg rating — 374,153 ratings score: 4,196, and 52 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
116	The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.50 avg rating — 1,094,745 ratings score: 4,189, and 55 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
117	Discourse on Method by René Descartes 3.72 avg rating — 24,694 ratings score: 4,182, and 57 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
118	The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.58 avg rating — 1,013,892 ratings score: 4,037, and 54 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
119	Metamorphoses by Ovid 4.10 avg rating — 76,876 ratings score: 3,990, and 56 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
120	The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn 4.03 avg rating — 29,349 ratings score: 3,949, and 50 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
121	The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 2,349,372 ratings score: 3,910, and 52 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
122	Phenomenology of Spirit by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 3.96 avg rating — 20,143 ratings score: 3,825, and 47 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
123	The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4.02 avg rating — 977,345 ratings score: 3,756, and 57 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
124	Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 4.10 avg rating — 913,075 ratings score: 3,652, and 50 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
125	The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran 4.23 avg rating — 323,168 ratings score: 3,616, and 45 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
126	A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 3.88 avg rating — 1,000,679 ratings score: 3,507, and 53 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
127	City of God by Augustine of Hippo 3.94 avg rating — 13,517 ratings score: 3,496, and 48 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
128	One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey 4.20 avg rating — 771,040 ratings score: 3,495, and 50 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
129	On the Road by Jack Kerouac 3.61 avg rating — 441,388 ratings score: 3,480, and 53 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
130	Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 3.59 avg rating — 295,264 ratings score: 3,459, and 51 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
131	History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides 3.94 avg rating — 40,080 ratings score: 3,458, and 52 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
132	The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X 4.37 avg rating — 286,815 ratings score: 3,419, and 50 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
133	An Essay on the Principle of Population by Thomas Robert Malthus 3.42 avg rating — 1,850 ratings score: 3,405, and 49 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
134	The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 3.92 avg rating — 1,002,666 ratings score: 3,377, and 49 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
135	Night by Elie Wiesel 4.38 avg rating — 1,341,385 ratings score: 3,336, and 45 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
136	Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 3.80 avg rating — 861,738 ratings score: 3,289, and 50 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
137	The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7) by C.S. Lewis 4.28 avg rating — 697,712 ratings score: 3,267, and 44 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
138	The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe 4.29 avg rating — 164,860 ratings score: 3,183, and 45 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
139	Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 4.09 avg rating — 1,274,343 ratings score: 3,164, and 43 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
140	All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque 4.10 avg rating — 509,118 ratings score: 3,132, and 46 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
141	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.47 avg rating — 11,148,267 ratings score: 3,130, and 39 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
142	Inferno by Dante Alighieri 4.03 avg rating — 201,983 ratings score: 3,113, and 43 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
143	The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 3.90 avg rating — 1,360,886 ratings score: 3,110, and 43 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
144	Enquiries Concerning the Human Understanding and Concerning the Principles of Morals by David Hume 4.09 avg rating — 685 ratings score: 3,093, and 45 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
145	The Cat in the Hat (Cat in the Hat, #1) by Dr. Seuss 4.19 avg rating — 578,142 ratings score: 3,071, and 43 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
146	Magna Carta by J.C. Holt 3.88 avg rating — 126 ratings score: 3,055, and 42 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
147	The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 4.33 avg rating — 33,868 ratings score: 2,935, and 42 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
148	The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 4.32 avg rating — 1,000,199 ratings score: 2,934, and 40 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
149	Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse 4.13 avg rating — 209,053 ratings score: 2,884, and 36 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
150	The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 280,402 ratings score: 2,881, and 39 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
151	Walden or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau 3.77 avg rating — 201,823 ratings score: 2,877, and 44 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
152	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 2,751,564 ratings score: 2,862, and 36 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
153	Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, Vol. 1 by James Clerk Maxwell 4.44 avg rating — 170 ratings score: 2,858, and 40 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
154	The Trial and Death of Socrates by Plato 4.12 avg rating — 45,056 ratings score: 2,846, and 45 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
155	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.83 avg rating — 647,150 ratings score: 2,777, and 40 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
156	Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 3.71 avg rating — 366,865 ratings score: 2,762, and 40 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
157	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3.93 avg rating — 5,777,199 ratings score: 2,753, and 41 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
158	The Torah: The Five Books of Moses by Anonymous (Editor) 4.16 avg rating — 2,333 ratings score: 2,751, and 37 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
159	Antigone by Sophocles 3.68 avg rating — 171,777 ratings score: 2,748, and 38 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
160	J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.61 avg rating — 142,189 ratings score: 2,728, and 36 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
161	Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table by Thomas Malory 3.92 avg rating — 39,117 ratings score: 2,677, and 38 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
162	The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 3.89 avg rating — 556,018 ratings score: 2,676, and 37 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
163	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 2,820,931 ratings score: 2,578, and 32 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
164	A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present by Howard Zinn 4.08 avg rating — 261,330 ratings score: 2,535, and 32 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
165	The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4.27 avg rating — 939,778 ratings score: 2,523, and 32 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
166	What Is to Be Done? by Vladimir Lenin 4.08 avg rating — 4,692 ratings score: 2,516, and 37 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
167	East of Eden by John Steinbeck 4.43 avg rating — 611,624 ratings score: 2,512, and 35 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
168	The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen 4.29 avg rating — 108,285 ratings score: 2,510, and 38 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
169	The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper 4.20 avg rating — 115,915 ratings score: 2,504, and 34 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
170	The Code of Hammurabi by Hammurabi 3.51 avg rating — 1,329 ratings score: 2,492, and 33 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
171	The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare 3.78 avg rating — 200,110 ratings score: 2,487, and 35 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
171	Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 3.88 avg rating — 421,687 ratings score: 2,487, and 33 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
173	Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1) by Sophocles 3.72 avg rating — 233,260 ratings score: 2,474, and 34 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
174	The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.44 avg rating — 905,480 ratings score: 2,442, and 37 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
175	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1) by L. Frank Baum really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 502,010 ratings score: 2,441, and 35 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
175	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown 4.26 avg rating — 100,322 ratings score: 2,441, and 35 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
175	Faust, First Part by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 3.83 avg rating — 84,592 ratings score: 2,441, and 30 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
178	Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley 4.45 avg rating — 163,935 ratings score: 2,435, and 37 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
179	The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells 3.83 avg rating — 343,142 ratings score: 2,341, and 38 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
180	The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand 3.89 avg rating — 334,860 ratings score: 2,323, and 29 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
181	The Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon, #2) by Dan Brown (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 2,487,556 ratings score: 2,299, and 32 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
182	The Symposium by Plato 4.09 avg rating — 86,995 ratings score: 2,267, and 33 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
183	Leonardo's Notebooks by Leonardo da Vinci really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 52,375 ratings score: 2,137, and 34 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
184	Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Captain Nemo, #2) by Jules Verne 3.89 avg rating — 272,339 ratings score: 2,130, and 30 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
185	The Dhammapada by Anonymous 4.27 avg rating — 30,615 ratings score: 2,125, and 30 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
186	Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond 4.04 avg rating — 448,140 ratings score: 2,035, and 27 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
187	The Lorax by Dr. Seuss 4.35 avg rating — 365,233 ratings score: 2,021, and 28 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
188	The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot 4.11 avg rating — 58,162 ratings score: 2,005, and 29 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
189	Blackamoores: Africans in Tudor England, Their Presence, Status and Origins by Onyeka 4.36 avg rating — 107 ratings score: 1,960, and 20 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
190	The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon 4.02 avg rating — 15,311 ratings score: 1,953, and 35 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
191	The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer 4.22 avg rating — 145,565 ratings score: 1,895, and 28 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
192	Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett 3.84 avg rating — 218,422 ratings score: 1,801, and 26 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
193	The Conquest of Gaul by Gaius Julius Caesar 4.01 avg rating — 13,294 ratings score: 1,754, and 28 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
194	Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 3.99 avg rating — 876,942 ratings score: 1,744, and 30 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
195	The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich A. Hayek 4.15 avg rating — 25,534 ratings score: 1,732, and 23 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
196	Man and His Symbols by C.G. Jung 4.19 avg rating — 32,596 ratings score: 1,721, and 24 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
197	The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey 4.16 avg rating — 806,803 ratings score: 1,709, and 23 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
198	Ethics by Baruch Spinoza 4.10 avg rating — 20,527 ratings score: 1,708, and 30 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
199	Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 3.92 avg rating — 199,607 ratings score: 1,705, and 26 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
200	The Secret Magdalene by Ki Longfellow (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 4,720 ratings score: 1,703, and 18 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)

Crazy Uncle Ryan 459 books
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Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3384 books
853 friends

Alisa 1319 books
38 friends

Angel 2507 books
115 friends

Ray 1829 books
67 friends

Emily 301 books
19 friends

Emilytwo 45 books
1 friend

Shon 31 books
1 friend

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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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