10 Worst Books? Express your opinion.

[The Reason]

So, the conservative group Human Events Online has posted their list of the 10 worst books ever.

Read 'em here.

So what do you guys think about this?

-The Reason[/url]

[Shmi]

I see the Bible didn't make the list.

Damn.

Kidding. But eh, "bad" is subjective. I could love what someone hates, and since I haven't read any of those, I can't speak about them.

[Raiden256]

Well I've only read 3 of them (Das Kapital, The Communist Manifesto and The Feminine Mystique), and the fact that it comes from the National Conservative Weekly should probably give you an idea about why they are considered 'bad'.

I would suppose that Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler probably deserves the title of being a bad book in that it's probably got a lot of racist ideas in it.

However the ones I've read, while being controversial in a sense (espousing communism and feminism) aren't what i'd call 'harmful'. Communism at its heart has a good intent - the idea that all men (and women) are equal and that society should work towards the bettering of life for ALL members of that society; the fact that it expects too much from human nature is another concept entirely.

The point of this list is that these books supposedly fostered ideas in readers and in the society at large that were harmful to citizens. While that could be said of maybe communism (or the flawed implementations of communism in China and the Soviet Union) there are other books in there that fostered ideas that were ultimately beneficial.

I don't think any of us would disagree that the sexual revolution, feminism and the secularisation of the state are necessarily bad things.

[tripletrouble42]

Conservative group?...

are you kidding me?

[Taratron]

I don't think any of us would disagree that the sexual revolution, feminism and the secularisation of the state are necessarily bad things.

Unless you are a conservative.  

[kospowinc]

i bet none of those 'scholars' even picked up most of those books and just based their list on what all the 'hippies' and 'liberals' like.  i'd throw a all of ann coulter's books on there, sean hannity, while i'm at it anyone who works at foxnews shouldn't be writing books, the bible (too preachy), and john grisham's more recent work (they're all the same damn thing now).

[crazypolarbearm]

Most of the books seem to just be “controversial” instead of “bad”. A “bad” book in my opinion would have to be poorly written peice of literature.....such as “A Separate Peace”. They made us read it in English class and I hated it with all of my heart and soul….

I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL, JOHN KNOWLES!!!

[SPNKr Punk]

On Liberty got an honorable mention as one of the most harmful books of the 20th century?

...I dunno who they asked, but Mill was one of the most forward thinking philosophers in the modern era. Yea, he created one of the most popular theories of Utilitarianism, which states that majority rules in all cases.

...actually, I can see how conservatives would dislike that.

[GooseOfMercy]

Look at all the books their promoting: Link

I'm sure "How to talk to a liberal" and "Liberalism is a mental disorder" are on their top 10 list.

From: The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History
by Woods, Thomas

But now at last conservatives and patriotic Americans have an antidote: The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History is a handy one-volume guide to our nation's glorious past that has one key advantage over today's dozens of dreary PC history books: this one tells you what really happened -- not what liberals wish had happened.

Uhh...yeah I wish that our founding father's were slave owners. I mean, that'd make me a happier person and the general liberal party is so much happier that western folk were genocidal land stealers. Actually, do liberals even believe this? Sure, Jefferson had a slave, but he sure did help our country move into place and had some great ideas that out weighs that.

Ugh, conservatives make me want to stop thinking.

[Firewalker]

I think that list is an absoloute joke, as each of the books on there are not really damaging with the exception of MAYBE 2. Mein Kampff is a good book when it comes to how it was written, but surely damaging. The Kinsey report could be considered damaging in respect to creating a sexual revoloution which helped the spread of STD's but that's really stretching it at best...

I mean really, on there, they have but one (maybe two if you really REALLY stretch things with The Communist Manifesto) book that caused mass genocide and it's not even #1. I don't know about you but I certainly think that "On The Brink of a Bloody Racial War" classifies itself enough to land on that list... I guess they must have missed those kinds of books while looking for books to chastize in order to instigate liberals... Ah well.

[Shmi]

I love how they portray "Conservatives" as synonymous with "Patriotic Americans", as if liberals can't be...

Makes me sick.

[Wraithstorm]

On Liberty got an honorable mention as one of the most harmful books of the 20th century?

...I dunno who they asked, but Mill was one of the most forward thinking philosophers in the modern era. Yea, he created one of the most popular theories of Utilitarianism, which states that majority rules in all cases.

...actually, I can see how conservatives would dislike that.

I may be mistaken but are you saying that the majority is always right?  So 3 people can decide to kick the hell out of a 4th and be in the right?  I apologise if I misunderstood.

[straylight]

I'd say that most of those books should at least be leafed through. You may not agree with The Communist Manifesto (I know I don't), but the more you read, the more you think and that's always a good thing.

[Nim]

2. Mein Kampf
Oh jesus christ, it's more of a joke then anything.
"my struggle...killing all the jews were hard you know..i do have feelings..."
what the fuck?

[kospowinc]

I may be mistaken but are you saying that the majority is always right?  So 3 people can decide to kick the hell out of a 4th and be in the right?  I apologise if I misunderstood.

bush didn't win majority first time around.