The Posterity Library Mini-Challenge
Welcome to HOUR 23 of Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon!
UPDATE: The Winner is Allie from A Literary Odyssey. Congrats!
If you have been reading, reading, reading for the last 23 hours – CONGRATULATIONS! Only one hour to go!
If you took a nap and are re-joining us – CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome back and best of luck!
If you forgot you signed-up and just joined within the last few hours – CONGRATULATIONS! Every bit of reading counts.
This Mini-Challenge and Prize Are Available Only to Registered Read-a-thoners (I will be checking).
The Challenge:
Imagine we live in a bizarre, post-apocalyptic world, wherein only ONE copy of every book remains in existence, and the technology (electronic, print, or otherwise) to make copies has been destroyed.
You are given the golden opportunity to select 5 books to build a Posterity Library, a small collection of treasured literary material that will remain in your family, passed down from generation to generation.
Now, think carefully – only ONE copy of every book ever written still exists. Be sure to provide the names of the books, author (if applicable) and your reason for choosing each book. The winner will be the one who can best argue why the 5 books they have chosen are most important, valuable, or significant – either to themselves, their family, and/or future generations.
The winner will be announced here and will receive an e-mail notification. He/She will have 48-hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.
The Prize:
Any book valued up to $20, to be shipped from The Book Depository. This means the prize is available to international entrants, as long as The Book Depository ships to your country. Please check first!
Rules:
1. Be a read-a-thon participate (signed-up in advance and participating throughout the event).
2. Leave a comment with your 5-10 book choices and the reason you have chosen them (Key Point: The winner is chosen based on how well they argue the merits of their personal Posterity Library – so “’cause it was sweet” probably won’t do the trick) .
3. Leave an e-mail address (Format: Me(at)Place(dot)com) where you can be contacted if you win.
4. Leave the name of the book you will choose from The Book Depository (It’s okay if you’re not 100% sure – I’m just curious!).
5. The Challenge is open for 3 hours, so until 9am Central (Chicago) Time. Any comment entries with a time stamp of 10:01am or later will not be considered.
That’s it! I KNOW it’s tough and I KNOW it’s the final hour so we’re all tired – but we’re readers! Readers who care enough to join a 24-Hour Read-a-Thon. This is who we are & what we do!
Good Luck and Happy Reading!
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I will be writing my very first novel (at least 50,000 words) and would truly appreciate your sponsorship. All donations go to The Office of Letters and Light – a great charity working for a great cause! If you can spare even $5 (or more) – please Sponsor Me and help me stay energized to write my book and WIN NaNoWriMo!
Great idea for a challenge! Unfortunately TBD won’t ship to Denmark
so I won’t be participating, but I’ll be looking forward to seeing what others reply 
Oh, bummer! That’s bizarre.. they ship to the region all around Denmark, so why not there?
good luck all
Ok, so:
1. 1984-George Orwell- because it so excellently and eloquently sums up what is wrong with political systems and is pretty consistent with my own political views (I mean opposition to it rather than the actual regime because omg can you imagine?)
2. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood- because I apparently love me a dystopian novel, and this one needs to be kept around by someone responsible who can make sure that it never comes to pass. That would be me.
3. The Hours by Michael Cunningham- because it’s one of the first (grown up) books I fell in love with, and I genuinely still think it’s perfect.
4. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck- because it’s so sad, and yet that ending is filled with such a desolate hope that it’s kind of wonderful- I think it’s exactly the kind of book I’d need in this horrible, only-one-copy-of-each-book world!
5. The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (even though I know I’d have to fight you for it!)- because it meant so much to me when I read it because I was going through a rough time, and it still means a lot 7 months later- it’s still as vivid to me as when I first read it.
I love every book on your list – but, goodness, that’s a despondent collection! I might have to throw in something positive/hopeful in my collection too.
My Posterity Library would be:
1. Holy bible by Various authors- My faith is very important to me and I would want this reference.
2. The Yukon Quest series by Tracie Peterson- One of my favorite series of all time and keeps you guess about what will happen next.
3. Daughters Of Fortune series by Judith Pella- Loved this series which is set in World War II unput downable.
4. Shining Through by Susan Isaacs – Another World War II book but awesome read.
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- Must have a classic in there somewhere.
Oh yeah, and the book I’d choose is The Marriage Plot because I am literally DYING to read it!
I really want to read this one too!
1) One of the Harry Potter books – Because really if I would have a family, I want my children to enjoy that. It isn’t very original but it just is the best fantasy series for children in my opinion.
2) The book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill – Because it is such a detailed book about slavery. I think it will be a good reminder to keep around.
3) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – Because it is a feel good book, but still with a spiritual message without being preachy. I think in such times when only one book is allowed to be in existence, people will need such books.
4) Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine – because I am autistic myself, and I would want my family to know where I am coming from and understand me better.
5) De Dikke Vegetarier – This is a very large Dutch Vegetarian Cookbook. A family would have to eat and I would love to have a Cookbook in my home that would be passed on from generation to generation.
cynni_universe(at)hotmail(dot)com
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The cookbook idea is great! Very practical but almost “duh” necessary, right? If Harry Potter ever gets anthologized into one book, that would DEFINITELY be included in my Posterity Collection. I like your reasoning for everything else as well – thanks for putting such thought into it!
Okay, 5 books…
1. The Odyssey by Homer: As a remaining masterpiece of the ancient world, I think that this is an important tale for future generations. It has everything-intrigue, growth, monsters, faith…it touches on the things that make all of us human, and does it in such a beautiful way!
2. The Bible: Like The Odyssey, the Bible is the history of an ancient time. Besides helping myself and my family hold on to faith, it would also give us the chance to explore more stories from the past. We already know little of the ancient world, so we need to make sure to protect the remnants that we have.
3. War and Peace by Tolstoy: Where the length would keep us busy reading for hours, the content would continue to have us think. If we are living in a crazy, post-apocalyptic world, we have probably had some experience with war. and peace. This title would be helpful, pushing us through to the times of peace.
4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: Not everything needs to educate us. I would select this to save because it is beautifully written and well, it is a love story. if things are dire, we would need something to lift us up. And while Jane and Rochester certainly see a lot of heartache, in the end they are still happy because they have one another. THAT is something to talk about!
5. Moby-Dick by Melville: I would want to keep something that truly talks about the American spirit, and I think this would be the title to keep. Not only would it offer a great way to look back on where we came from, it also says a lot about the human spirit versus nature. Humans believe we can control everything, but we can’t. This would be a great reminder of the natural world and its power over us.
6. Complete Works of Shakespeare (I’ve seen one volume editions, and I own one already!): Shakespeare’s works are masterpieces. I can’t bear to see any of them lost, so this is a book I would keep. Besides being able to lose myself in beautiful language any time I wanted, it would also give a lot of opportunity for entertainment-we could act out scenes any time we wanted! But really, Shakespeare has everything-survival, magic, heartache, comedy, and romance. We could learn much from the Bard.
There are probably a few more I could add, but I am leaving it at 6. Great challenge Adam! I just wish it wasn’t so late/early so i could think more clearly.
Hopefully my answers made sense!
aliteraryodyssey (at) gmail (dot) com
If I win, I would probably pick one of the new Penguin clothbounds!
Or, I might pick a title I don’t own yet off my list…
Love your choices and reasoning. I’m in near-total agreement, but I would also have to include something contemporary as well. Otherwise I like that you have a broad representation of literary history here!
Five books to remain in our family, you say? To preserve and treasure? Let me see…
1. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, because it’s the story that saw our (mine with husband’s) relationship through its earlier days, and I’d like the honor to save it
2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, so that, if we ever have children, they will learn about dreams, no matter how bleak the world (or, if that is already taken, we could settle with the Hobbit: we can never agree on which of the two is best)
3. The Bible, for guidance, always
4. The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni, for a touch of national pride and to testify our love for Italy
5. The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, because in a bizarre, post-apocalyptic world we’d need all chances of laughter we could have, and this is a sure reference for lifting your spirits
Now, as for the book I’d choose if I won… do I really need to choose now, like that, out of the top of my head, when my wits are obfuscated by lack of sleep? Oh well. I’m stalking quite a few. Does the Hunger Games trilogy come at under 20$? No? I thought not… I’ll have to ask husband what he would like …
Gah! You snatched my Lord of the Rings!
I love the idea of The Lord of the Rings (or another “serious” fantasy series) to pass on the idea of fantasy and make-believe/dreams to future generations, particularly after such a bleak time.
The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide is interesting too – just hope it doesn’t turn out to be something out of Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, where people mistake the book for actual truth. What a hilarious world that would turn out to be!
That was a HHARRDDDD! ONE!!! I posted on my site. http://www.mochagirlsread.wordpress.com/
Thanks!
Wow, such a cool challenge.
Wish I was lucid enough to be able to take part.
1) Mythology by Edith Hamilton. I just finished this one and it really covers the spectrum of human and divine glory and foolishness. Lots of lessons, but plenty of good times as well. It’d be a good book to tell out loud, too.
2) In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. It’s got some valuable information about Australia, but it mainly comes down to the sunny outlook and charming humor that Bryson brings to every book.
3) The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. It’s got re-tell value like Mythology, but it’s a different kind of feeling: good wins and bad is punished in a way that doesn’t always happen in myth. Plus, it has wicked sentimental value.
4) Geisha by Liza Dalby. You get a look at a different culture, plus the book is gorgeous. You can satisfy your academic and aesthetic sensibilities all at the same time.
5) American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Epic quests, gods, criminals, heroes, all roaming America… this will be the ultimate nostalgia book when everything goes up in smoke, not because it captures the details of modern America, but rather the broad emotions and atmosphere of it.
I’m not quite sure what I’ll get if I win, but let me show you my to-be-read list on Amazon. Probably Stephen King’s The Stand? Anyway, my email’s in the links along the side of my blog.
1. The Autobiography of Henry VIII by Margaret George. Besides this book being one of the best written and most compelling I’ve ever read, it’s very historically accurate without being immensely boring. The story of Henry the Eighth is important to me because it teaches about the laws of the time, how the Catholic church allowed itself to be corrupted, of a woman who sought after and gained exactly what she wanted, and how allowing one man power over all things is a sour mistake. Not only is The Autobiography a great read, it serves as a great medium to teach these important lessons.
2. (Assuming we could somehow get all 49058738945 thousand pages into one anthology) The Harry Potter Series. There’s no reason that we shouldn’t keep children’s literature. After all, they are the future, not matter what present you’re in. I would chose this series for my library because of the lessons learned throughout: friendship and loyalty and love are the most important things a man could possess; it does not matter where you start, you can always triumph; that good will always prevail in the face of evil; respect should transcend all racial lines; and many many more. To deprive future generations of this series would be a travesty.
3. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. This book explains, in depth, the ins and outs of evolution. But most importantly, Dawkins discusses biology and evolution in laymen’s terms. Everyone can understand what he’s talking about. In case of all our technology being lost, I feel like certain sciences should be preserved, and why not do so in a reader-friendly fashion.
4. Paintings in the Louvre by Lawrence Gowing. Art is such a rich, vital part of our history. Should we lose all of our books, I’m sure we would love some of the most inspiring, enriching, beautiful paintings. I love this book, and I think it’s a great collection of the images you can find in the famous art museum. I can’t imagine a world without art, and even if it’s in the form of smaller prints in a book, it’s better than nothing.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I consider this one of the most important books in the world. It shows us such an unflinching, clear view of racism; I hope that future generations would use this book as a sort of guide, so that no matter how we proceed after this apocalyptic event, we will never go back to prejudice, hate, or bigotry.
Whew! Sorry for the novel! That took a lot out of me. Going to get some sleep now.
Fantastic choices and excellently argued!
I love that you argue to include art in the collection of books. Excellent stand!
1. The Bible – I would choose this one because it is the cornerstone of my faith as a Christian.
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury – I would choose this book as a warning as to what happens to the world when people stop caring about one another and only their own pleasure.
3. Second Nature by Jonathan Balcombe – This one is important because I am an animal lover and wish for future generations to be more in tune with the animal world. Gahndi said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” I believe that Balcombe shows us why animals deserve as much compassionate treatment as humans.
4. A Year By The Sea by Joan Anderson – Women from every time and location need to stop and refresh themselves from time to time. This book inspires time away to rejuvenate and contemplate your place within your own life but without necessarily coming to the conclusion that you need to uproot yourself and leave your family for all eternity in order to be the person you want to be after that time of inner contemplation.
5. Beowulf – This story inspires heroism in the face of probable failure and death. This world needs to know that putting yourself out there and overcoming the odds to do something great, not just for your own selfishness but for the good of others, is not only possible but necessary for the world to thrive.
*The book I would choose from the Depository is probably The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan simply because my son wants to read it but our library has somewhere in the neighborhood of 100+ holds on it.
*My email address is crissyfleetwood@gmail.com
1. The Complete Works of Shakespeare (one of those all-in-one leather volumes)- because he’s the immortal bard, and the thought of losing even one of his masterpieces (and even some his less than masterpieces) would be a shame. Plus, I’d want future generations arguing over who he might really have been!
2. The Stand by Stephen King- it is the ultimate battle between good and evil, and the end message of the book is hope- that life can exist after the end of the world, and that’s something that’s going to be vital to future generations.
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl- this was probably my favorite book when I was a little midnight book girl and I couldn’t imagine losing the message of hope when all seems bleak. Maybe you’re just a golden ticket away from happiness!
4. The Complete Works of Jane Austen (one of those all-in-one leather volumes)- because romance and love should always be in the world, and if future generations have a chance of producing a new Mr. Darcy then they’ll need to read about him!
5. A Blank Journal- to write down our own story, because that’s what books really teach us. And we could write our own memories of books, poems and stories that we loved and why. We can make up new ones and change old ones.
Book Depository choice I’d make: I have the audio version of The Name of the Star but would love to get a physical copy!
katetowery(at)gmail(dot)com
This is hard btw… REALLY hard… (also, I’m intentionally only doing fiction books, just so you know…)
SO-
1- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, because I have read this book over 50 times and it never fails to have a legitimate and serious impact on me. I sob EVERY time I read this book and I would be devastated if I never got the chance to revisit it again.
2- The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm- I LOVE fairy tales. Always have. I really like a LOT of Hans Christian Anderson tales as well, but overall The Brothers Grimm are my favorites. I love them, so very VERY much and would want to share these stories with my family. I wouldn’t want them to miss out on fairy tales because I love them too much.
3- Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta- Honestly, if you’ve ever talked to me on Twitter, this should not surprise you… It is the book I recommend more than any other book and I love it. The story is one of the most amazing and complex books I have ever read, and I can’t get over how REAL the characters and their stories were to me. Marchetta is my freaking rock star. No way I’m not taking her book with me into this terrifying book-less apocalypse.
4- Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren- Because there is something magically special about Pippi, something that just filled me up as a child. There is something so amazing about these books. I read my copy so many times as a kid that I read the covers off. And, if we are truly living in a world where there are no more books, then everyone is going to need a sense of the ridiculous and love and fun that Pippi brings, especially the children, but the adults as well.
5- Pack up Your Troubles compiled Ted Malone- This is a collection of poems that my grandfather loved. And, since this is a library for my posterity, I want to pass this down to them. After my grandfather died, my dad bought a copy of this book for each of us kids (it’s out of print and can be rather difficult to get a hold of) and I know most, if not all of my cousins also have a personal copy. This is a collection of poetry that meant a lot to my grandpa, and while I admit that I didn’t like all of the poems in it, I did like a lot of them and I have SO many memories of this one. (And, it’s also a bit nice knowing that since SO few people know about it, odds are pretty good that I’d for sure be able to get this one for my library
)
(and a gazillion runners up, like The Count of Monte Cristo, The Grapes of Wrath, How to Win Friends & Influence People (since it IS post apocalypse, gotta be good to know how to talk to people
) and a gazillion million others. Seriously… this one was hard. and kinda mean 
)
Oops… Forgot to include that my email is
basicallyamazingbooks at gmail dot com
and if I win I would pick… Umm… Hmm… (can I pick later?!
) There are lots I could pick, but maybe the special edition of Forest Born by Shannon Hale that has the illustrated cover art (NOT the cover art with the girl face…) Or about 100 million more 
Lol I know how tought this was – and I’m not going to lie and pretend I didn’t do it on purpose.
Speaking of Fairy Tales and the Brothers Grimm – are you going to be watching the new T.V. series, Grimm? It starts next week (28th, maybe?) and it’s getting good reviews. I have a link to the pilot to watch it in advance, if you’re interested.
What a great idea – including kids’ classics. I agree!!!
- Some bible (maybe my KJV edition or maybe my NWT edition)– because it’s always good to have inspiration
- Webster’s Dictionary– because I’m always looking up words. It’s bad enough to have books die out, but to have words die out??
- Something like Nature’s Garden: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer– to help me survive in hard times
- Some poetry book that includes a little Ovid
- The Stand by Stephen King or Swan Song by Robert McCammon– because they are two of my favorite books, and they are both so long and full of characters and different storylines that I can read them over and over again
nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com
(I might choose Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes)
I think the Dictionary is a smart, smart, choice. It almost seems obvious, except that it would never cross your mind! (Except YOUR mind, ’cause you thought of it!). Kudos.
1) The Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong offers guidelines for a spiritual practice designed to make humanity a kinder and saner species. If we have a chance to start over, let’s do it right next time.
2) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a book that shows us what to avoid in our relationships with others, especially those who are different from the dominant group.
3) The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein gives us a dog’s view of life and what it means to be human.
4) Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish is a feel-good book filled with humor, even though it looks at what unrelated friends learn together about their mutual friend Annie after her death.
5) Epaminondas and His Auntie by Sara Cone Bryant is a 1907 children’s book about a little boy who is very literal in his understanding of his mother’s instructions, helping even adults to be more careful of what they say and how they say it.
Book I would choose from The Book Depository:
That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back ~ by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum, 2011
I also posted this list on my blog (Hour 23), here:
http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/deweys-read-thon-october-2011.html
Email: emerging DOT paradigm AT yahoo DOT com
I’m glad to see To Kill A Mockingbird popping-up on a few lists – it wasn’t my favorite book of all-time, but the message is certainly important and would be great to pass on to other generations.
I’m too tired to reflect in any length about why I choose these. I’m sure there’s some good reason deep down in my psyche… View the list at http://dw-spot.blogspot.com/2011/10/reah-thon-passing-attempt-at-mini.html
1. “Silence” by Susaku Endo
2. “When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost” by Joan Morgan
3. “Confederates in the Attic” by Tony Horwitz
4. “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck
5. “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” poetry anthology
6. “Furious Improvistation” by Susan Quinn
7. “Matilda” by Roald Dahl
8. “A Choosen Faith” by John A. Buehrens and Forrest Church
9. “Guilty Pleasures” by Laurell K. Hamilton
10. “The Blud Jay’s Dance” by Louise Erdrich
My choice from The Book Depository website would by “Jim Henson: The Works” biography. Wait, why didn’t I put that on my list?
Alright, here’s what I came up with:
1. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (for what it says about human decency, friendship, family, and individuality/coming-of-age). Just hope there are teachers left to explain the message.
2. Complete works of William Shakespeare – because the man practically invented modern English and perfected both drama and comedy. Not to mention, so much of literature and literary references harken back to his works, so having the primary text could be important in explaining many others.
3. Ovid – Metamporphses – because I have to choose at least one ancient text, and this is one which spends time on many of the major gods & themes, without going too in-depth on one particularly story, like The Odyssey (which was ALMOST my choice for this slot).
4. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – because this book is about coming together and pulling through the hard times, which is a message I think these early post-apocalyptic generations might need. It is also the embodiment of human nature and the human experience – the quest for more, the need for survival, the fierce loyalty to family and friends.
5. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – because this book literally exams both war and peace. It also gives insight into French and Russian cultures and politics – so by including it, I will have books in my library that provide glimpses at the histories of America, Britain, Greece, Russia, and France. It is also beautifully written so could be an inspiration to future writers, who will be essentially re-building literary tradition.
6. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende – again, because of history and literary merit (adding South American cultural and political history to the collection). In addition to being beautifully written, though, it says much about the seedier elements of family – abuse, neglect, etc. and overcoming those issues. It discusses land ownership, farming, and treating others (particularly workers) fairly – something the new generations might need to know about. Finally, it allows glimpses of magical realism, to stoke creativity and fantasy.
7. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (assuming it has been anthologized) – because we will need Young Adult literature as well, and as a series that grows from Book 1 to Book 7 – it would be a great way to reinvent reading practices for young people. It is also littered with life lessons and valuable themes, such as good v. evil, family, friendship, education, belief systems, will-power, strength of conviction and hard work. Too much to say about why this series would be important to hang onto.
8. A collection of political/social texts to include: The Decleration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution, and The Decleration of Human Rights. If the world has been so devastated that even books are scarce, it is not hard to imagine that societies will need to be rebuilt. They will need a strong, vivid, and sound foundation, which these documents (among others) can provide. I could have said just the Decleration of Independence, but we know from history that certain doors were left open (or closed) and only through time and amendments were wrongs righted – so best to include the timeline of doctrine to work from.
Thank you again!
I love some of the other choices here. The Dictionary? never even thought of that! I also like your inclusion of some social//political documents.
This was a great challenge, and one I hope never comes true (I want to keep EVERYTHING).
great challenge! wish I’d been awake for it
This was an excellent challenge!! I popped in at Hour 23 to see what you’d cooked up, but I was too tired to argue my cases in time to claim a prize.
Lame me!
I actually haven’t read enough at this point to have any sort of collection. I’ve read mostly Victorian books so far.
I love the idea of a dictionary — but in which language? I love the idea of the Bible, but that would leave out so many other religions. I love the idea of the idea of Shakespeare, but what about all of the other super-classics works, outside of England? (Which I cannot name yet, since I’ve yet to read them.)
1) I think I’d want to offer a reflection of history about the world as a whole, so there would be a collection of political text (excellent idea!), that includes not only American politics, but also Ancient Greek, Hammurabi’s Code of Laws, Japanese, French, British, Post-colonial, etc.
2) I’d want to ABSOLUTELY include the Bible, but also the Quran, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Greek and Roman pantheon (and myths), Buddhism, Transcendentalism (German as well as American), etc.
3) Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey, without question, because they are the oldest works (I, at least) can think of, and while they’re about Greek history, they’re pretty universally studied around the world today (I think?)
4) I’d want to include a collection of short stories from around the world, both in history and today.
5) POETRY!! Some sort of classic/contemporary poetry collection, that offers a glimpse of the world and history as a whole, for future generations.
6) Charles Darwin’s The Origin of the Species — Fundamental, I think.
7) Einstein’s Ideas and Opinions – I’d suggest The Theory of Relativity, but I’m not sure how many could read it! (Ahem, I can’t imagine I could. Maybe Relativity accompanied by Cliff Notes.)
8) I’d want to include a history of the universe, such as Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe by Simon Singh. Some of the ancient thought on Astronomy would be excellent, but if I had to pick, I’d want to include whatever the latest research is about the universe (and science in general.)
9) Gosh, mathemetics! The history of it, the application of it. So many fields, so many uses. I have no clue what book would suffice to fill this hole.
10) The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language by John H. McWhorter (For a general overview? But translated into which language???!)
Honestly, I can’t possibly get this down to ten, because I’d still want to include children’s classics, Shakespeare, Jane Austen!!!, art history, biographies, a set of encyclopedias that covers the world (as opposed to centering in England and America), so many of the essays throughout history, speeches, debates, a collection of quotations, the banned books (all of them!), reflections on the American Civil War and slavery, Philosophy, the post-colonial works (Australian, Indian, African, etc), feminist history and literature, the Victorian era, Apartheid in South Africa, The Lives of the Great Composers byHarold C. Schonberg, the Holocaust, etc, etc, etc.
So, I am still lame. Or else I just really like what I’m doing (literature) — which is awesome.
The 8) above is an 8 with a ) after it. I always forget that WordPress will turn that into 8).