“Ten most harmful Books�

[RedCeltic]

So, I was watching the “Washington Journal” this morning, and this rather unimpressive stuffed shirt is on there talking about this wonderful list he had compiled of the most “harmful books in the 19th – 20th centuries. He claims that he hadn’t known the politics of the individual scholars who participated in compiling the list… however when you look at what books are on the “most harmful” list… you needn’t even make a quick look at the website the list is found on, to confirm that these people are conservatives.

Here’s the list on their website ------------

http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=7591

You may recognize some of those there… I have most of them on my bookshelf behind me right now… I’m only missing two from the “Top Ten” and four from the “honorable mention.”… (Here’s the list again incase the website doesn’t load….

Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Centuries


1. The Communist Manifesto
2. Mein Kampf
3. Quotations from Chairman Mao
4. The Kinsey Report
5. Democracy and Education
6. Das Kapital
7. The Feminine Mystique
8. The Course of Positive Philosophy
9. Beyond Good and Evil
10. General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money


Honorable Mention

The Population Bomb
by Paul Ehrlich

What Is To Be Done
by V.I. Lenin

Authoritarian Personality
by Theodor Adorno

On Liberty
by John Stuart Mill

Beyond Freedom and Dignity
by B.F. Skinner

Reflections on Violence
by Georges Sorel

The Promise of American Life
by Herbert Croly

Origin of the Species
by Charles Darwin

Madness and Civilization
by Michel Foucault

Soviet Communism: A New Civilization
by Sidney and Beatrice Webb

Coming of Age in Samoa
by Margaret Mead

Unsafe at Any Speed
by Ralph Nader

Second Sex
by Simone de Beauvoir

Prison Notebooks
by Antonio Gramsci

Silent Spring
by Rachel Carson

Wretched of the Earth
by Frantz Fanon

Introduction to Psychoanalysis
by Sigmund Freud

The Greening of America
by Charles Reich

The Limits to Growth
by Club of Rome

Descent of Man
by Charles Darwin

[RedCeltic]

oh.... and this Blog was good... http://steamedpenguin.com/journal/

[Urban Rubble]

Mill's "On Liberty" is on there? :lol: :lol:

[RedCeltic]

"On Liberty" By Mills is quite popular among Libertarians due to the "harm" principle: (people should be free to engage in what ever behaviors they wish as long as it does not harm others.)

Dangerous stuff there!!! :lol:

What shocked me... is that Coming of Age in Samoa by Margaret Mead was on this list. As someone with a BA in anthropology, you can imagine that I have read at least several books by Mead. "Coming of Age in Samoa" depicts a free, egalitarian society, which is not haunted by a wrathful God. A society where according to Mead, coming of age was easier due to the relaxed nature of Samoan society. Few wars, jealousy, rape, and revenge were also rare. There was also the abundance of sexual freedom, which you can imagine means that adultery was not a serious offence.

Perhaps it is within the last few pages of the book which these "scholars" find most "harmful" to society. Mead compared Samoan society to her own American society and thus had stated; “If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place”.

A dangerous call for equal rights perhaps?

[anomaly]

The only book that belongs on that list or on honorable mention is Mein Kampf. Any of the others would make for rather good reads, IMO.

[OleMarxco]

Come to think of it, I have to wonder, where the hell is that fuckin' "Unabomber's Manifesto"? It aughta be there, 'tho! ;)

[RedCeltic]

In my opinion, I think that "The Holy Bible," should be there as the #1 most "harmful" book. More people have been killed in the name of the Bible than any other book.

[Roses in the Hospital]

"On Liberty" By Mills is quite popular among Libertarians due to the "harm" principle

What's they don't mention, however, are the pseudo-concervative views that he expresess in the later chapter. Such as that it would be immoral for a poor man to gamble but not a rich man, and the implication that the poor should not be allowed to have children...

[bolshevik butcher]

We are the best, we cause neo cons the most touble! At elast we're doing something right, and das kapital was up there,a nd what is ot be done got an honerable mention, not a bad show.

[C_Rasmussen]

I am shocked that Mein Kampf was on there seeing as thats from a conservative site and that book was written by the ultimate conservative: Adolf Hitler.

[Urban Rubble]

Such as that it would be immoral for a poor man to gamble but not a rich man

How is that conservative?

If I have millions of dollars in the bank and I do some gambling it's no big deal, I'm not risking much. If I'm broke and I'm gambling I risk giving up money for food and other necessities. Surely you see the sense in that?

[Roses in the Hospital]

You're looking at it the wrong way. Surely it's wrong for anyone to waste money on gambeling when anyone else is living in pooverty, isn't that one of the basic principals of the Left?
Mill makes a variety of claims, particularly in Chapter V, which defend the position and entitlements of the rich, whilst condeming the poor as immoral if they wish to carry out similar activities. It is this overall view which I am critising as concervative, as well as the specific examples...

[burn_ladiesagainstfeminism]

The feminine mystique?

The second sex?

Oh these books are terribbly harmful, If one of my lovley little kids got a hold of them it might rot there brain.........................my ass

[Clarksist]

Actually, Mein Kampf is an interesting read because its so disgusting to hear about Hitler's ideas.

Where is one of Bill O'Reilly's books?

[Don't Change Your Name]

Originally posted by [email protected] 5 2005, 12:42 PM
In my opinion, I think that "The Holy Bible," should be there as the #1 most "harmful" book. More people have been killed in the name of the Bible than any other book.
I agree.

[codyvo]

Mein Kampf I can see, but honestly their isn't any reason for lists like these, these are just excuses for censorship. And honestly, it takes a complete idiot to think that anything that Karl Marx wrote is as dangerous as anything that Hitler wrote.

[Phalanx]

Alright, I have no respect for these people, but I would have to say that they should have alittle common sense if they were able to put together a website. For example, they put Darwins' "Descent of Man" on there! How in anyway is that harmful to the world? Only morons are that rabid about their cult religion would say something like that.

Sorry, the Descent of Man is on the honorable mention list.

[praxis1966]

You're looking at it the wrong way. Surely it's wrong for anyone to waste money on gambeling[sic] when anyone else is living in pooverty[sic]...

As opposed to what, wisely spending it on a third Rolls Royce, house in the Caymans, or fuel for the private jet perhaps?

[Urban Rubble]

You're looking at it the wrong way. Surely it's wrong for anyone to waste money on gambeling when anyone else is living in pooverty, isn't that one of the basic principals of the Left?

Well I think you're looking at it the wrong way.

I don't think that's what he is talking about at all. I mean, yeah, it's foolish to waste money on gambling, but I think that selfishness is implied by the fact that they're rich people.

I guess I'd have to see it in context, but I don't think he is talking about the morality of it, I think his point is that it is foolish for a poor man to gamble because more is at stake.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

What a stupid list. Only one of those books listed is actually harmful. A more realistic list would be:

1: the Bible
2: Baghavad Gita
3: the Quran
4: Mein Kampf
5: Protocols of the elders of Zion
6: Atlas Shrugged
7: That book by malthus on population
8: Any of Nietzche's work
9: 14 Questions (Not really a book but what the hell)
10: The Book of Mormon

And the runner up would be the Black Book of Communism.

[Red Heretic]

Speaking of the Bible, did any of you hear about the Barnes and Noble employee who was fired for moving all of the Bibles to the fiction section?

[RedCeltic]

"The Book of Morman" should be higher up there in my opinion...

a couple other "Harmful" books I would have put on the list would be:

The Prince by Nicolò Machiavelli
The Turner Diaries by Andrew MacDonald
The International Jew: The World's Formost Problem by Henry Ford SR.
You can Trust the Communists to be Communists by Dr Fred Schwarz

[praxis1966]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2005, 03:42 AM
Speaking of the Bible, did any of you hear about the Barnes and Noble employee who was fired for moving all of the Bibles to the fiction section?
No, but have you ever been in a Books-a-Million? The only books in the religion section are about Christianity or are actual bibles. To find other religious material you have to either look in the 'new age' or 'philosophy' sections. All the Dalai Llama's books, for example, are in the new age section. Nevermind that Buddhism predates Christianity by about 2000 years and I have yet to see a copy of the Quran on the shelves there. If that's not subtle racism I don't know what is.

[YKTMX]

The less hocus pocus on the shelf the better, as far as I'm concerned.

[RedCeltic]

Actually, Mein Kampf is an interesting read because its so disgusting to hear about Hitler's ideas.

I agree. Mein Kampf is a book I'm glad I read. I also don't think it is a book that should be banned. (well ok I don't think any book should be banned.)

I don't think that books such as Mein Kampf or the Communist Manifesto cause one to become a Nazi or a Communist, I think that the ideas, or sympathy has to be there first. The conservatives are correct for example that many college classes have students read Karl Marx. Everything from economics to sociology, anthropology, political science, and even history.

The reason is simple. In economics they tell you that Das Kaptial is one of the best books to read to understand capitalism. The Biggest supporters of a capital based economy will tell you that!

In Sociology, they will tell you that Marx and Engels are basically the founders of a particular sociological theory used to study society.


In Political Science and History, they will tell you that the theories of Marx and Engels are important to understand many events of the 20th century.

Mein Kampf... however is a book that holds alot of dark power due to the name of it's author (Adolf Hitler). It actually wasn't a book that drew as much readership, nor mobilized much of a movement in it's day. Mein Kampf wasn't a book pointed to by Nazi leader to say "this is what we should do"... like the Communist Manifesto became... nor did it sit on the desk of every Nazi politician as "Quotations by Chairman Mao" did in China.

Rather, it was sort of a novelty, which gained more readership after the fall of the third Reich. During the Third Reich... books by the Brother's Grim for example were more important, as they instilled a feeling of nationalism within their folklore.

I also have to admit that when I first read this list, I thought that the Feminine Mystique was there simply because Betty Friedan was a socialist. However after seeing books like "Silent Spring" and "No Safe at any Speed" I am convinced that the authors of this list are a handful of far right idiots who don't read.

[Raisa]

Wow, they make themselves look real weak now dont they! Hahahaha. Harmful books. Geez.

They might paper cut their bourgeois hands turning the pages. :rolleyes:

[workersunity]

the black book of communism is such bullshit, those authors deserved to be smacked around a little

[communist panda]

That list is so funny and foolish. I agree with everone that the Bibe should be on there. How many holy wars has that cause and thousands of natives death because they would not convert.

[Edelweiss]

5: Protocols of the elders of Zion

WTF???

Don't say you believe in that anti-semitic conspiracy bullshit! The "Protocols of the elders of Zion" are a fake. I'm shocked! What kind of "leftist" are you?

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I'm saying it's dangerous because it has inspired nazis - they believe it to be an example of 'Jewish Evil'

[Edelweiss]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16 2005, 01:37 PM
I'm saying it's dangerous because it has inspired nazis - they believe it to be an example of 'Jewish Evil'
Okay sorry, my bad.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I thought it would have been obvious what I intended - Maybe I should be more clear next time.

[Andy Bowden]

What was the Cappie argument against Ralph Nader's book, [i]Unsafe at any speed[/]? That it decreased GM's profits? :lol:

[The Z-Man]

Originally posted by [email protected] 5 2005, 06:32 AM
The only book that belongs on that list or on honorable mention is Mein Kampf. Any of the others would make for rather good reads, IMO.
Agreed.

[CrazyModerate]

Originally posted by Andy [email protected] 16 2005, 03:10 PM
What was the Cappie argument against Ralph Nader's book, [i]Unsafe at any speed[/]? That it decreased GM's profits? :lol:
Capitalists would hope nobody reads it and just claim it is stalinist propaganda.

[communist panda]

Ya they didet read alot of the books on there. The Greening of America by CHARLES REICH is on there. Im not sure how they can be harmful to people because its about creating a world were its not based on war and economic sulfering and useing democratic means to get there.

[Saint-Just]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2005, 07:38 AM
What a stupid list. Only one of those books listed is actually harmful. A more realistic list would be:

1: the Bible
2: Baghavad Gita
3: the Quran
4: Mein Kampf
5: Protocols of the elders of Zion
6: Atlas Shrugged
7: That book by malthus on population
8: Any of Nietzche's work
9: 14 Questions (Not really a book but what the hell)
10: The Book of Mormon

And the runner up would be the Black Book of Communism.
Why is Malthus's book harmful? I haven't read it but I have some grasp of the ideas layed out in it.

I have read five of those books:

1. The Communist Manifesto
2. Mein Kampf
3. Quotations from Chairman Mao

What Is To Be Done
by V.I. Lenin

Soviet Communism: A New Civilization
by Sidney and Beatrice Webb

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Why is Malthus's book harmful? I haven't read it but I have some grasp of the ideas layed out in it.

It discouraged the rich from doing anything to help the poor, in spite of the green revolution proving Malthus wrong.

[Saint-Just]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2005, 06:06 PM

Why is Malthus's book harmful? I haven't read it but I have some grasp of the ideas layed out in it.

It discouraged the rich from doing anything to help the poor, in spite of the green revolution proving Malthus wrong.
Thanks for that.

[bolshevik butcher]

I just noticed that darwin's books were there. Thes people are creationists :huh:

[mwolf]

What I find pathetic is the feeling that a "10 Most Dangerous Books" list is necessary. Mein Kampf itself is not dangerous. No matter how insane Hitler's ideas were. Anyone who reads Mein Kampf and is effected so that he or she comes to believe and or agree with him is dangerous. The only dangerous thing is ability for humans to be the mental equivalent of sheep.

[The Z-Man]

Originally posted by Clenched [email protected] 19 2005, 08:15 PM
I just noticed that darwin's books were there. Thes people are creationists :huh:
Yes, quite screwed up. :blink: