Yoda Power
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The digital book.
Most important book of the 20th Century
- Thread starter Nuka-sama
- Start date
Yoda Power
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The digital book.
GarretSidzaka
Modder
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not calling you an elitist, just a capitalist (im sure thats okay with you)
but i was right, you do make almost twice what i make
Sofista
Deity
Should Mein Kampf ever be honored with a "book of the century" edition (considering the debate so far, it doesn't seem impossible), I have the ideal blurb ready:
"An unreadable potboiler" - Benito Mussolini
"An unreadable potboiler" - Benito Mussolini
Cheezy the Wiz
Socialist In A Hurry
How kind of you to be ignorant of my politics. Poke around the threads a bit, and you'll see why.
Monetary worth is not an absolute determiner of wealth or well-being. The cost of living in Maryland is very high, it is natural that I would be paid more than someone in, say, Utah, where things cost much less. This doesn't change the fact that I'm still very poor, as far as Marylanders are concerned. I could not afford room and board by myself at this rate, unless I selected Section 8 Housing.
Fifty
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Howsabout you guys discuss factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations in Zinn's book, rather than arguing over who is more poor (last time I checked poorness wasn't what most qualified one to judge the veracity of a history book...).
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
I'd disagree with all these people saying Mein Kampf. I don't think the book itself was that important; it outlined the goals of the National Socialist movement, yes, but it did not create or inspire the movement. The book never achieved a great deal of popularity in it's own right; any success it found was due to the popularity of Nazism, not the other way around.
Also, it depends what you mean by "of the 20th century". Honestly, I'd say that Das Kapital had a far greater influence on the events of the century than anything actually written during it. The Russian Revolution not only caused the Red Scares which crushed US socialism, but played a hand in the Great Depression, the rise of fascism and Nazism and spread Marxist derivatives to a great number of nations.
Of course, it's important not to over-stress the importance of this one book. Other literature, both by Marx and other authors, played significant roles, it's just that Das Kapital was probably the most important individual text.
Also, it depends what you mean by "of the 20th century". Honestly, I'd say that Das Kapital had a far greater influence on the events of the century than anything actually written during it. The Russian Revolution not only caused the Red Scares which crushed US socialism, but played a hand in the Great Depression, the rise of fascism and Nazism and spread Marxist derivatives to a great number of nations.
Of course, it's important not to over-stress the importance of this one book. Other literature, both by Marx and other authors, played significant roles, it's just that Das Kapital was probably the most important individual text.
GarretSidzaka
Modder
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correct. thank you
about mien kompf. i think that book is drivel and don't think it is the important book in the 20th century. The only notoriety that book has is its infamous genocidal author, i tried to get a couple pages through it and its drivel.
holy king
Deity
would you care to shortly outline why you think hitler was "the greatest revolutionary this world has ever seen" ?
GarretSidzaka
Modder
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i think hitler was the ultimate in Statist, not revolution. His was not a German Revolution, rather a coup.
philippe
FYI, I chase trains.
Hitler wasn't a "revolutionary", he was just revolting.
Ecofarm
Deity
More importantly: why is my book of questionable literary value written by the greatest revolutionary that century saw not getting more attention?
C'mon people, the environmental movement. Top that!
Nazis are crap that will soon be forgotten/embarrassing history; they destroyed Germany and that history serves as an embarrassment to Germany even today (where nationalism is quite frowned upon). The green movement is at a crest that may never break.
Sure, nazism (1930s?) is almost twice as old as Environmentalism (1962) but nazis consist of a few psychos hiding in shacks whereas environmentalists are conquering the world - and she was a lesbian/bi! She totally pwns some loser who ruined a country (well... a few), brought shame for generations and had a stupid mustache.
Syterion
Voodoo Economist
I second Das Kapital. If it has to be on literary merit, I would be torn between Lolita, Ulysses, Midnight's Children, Grapes of Wrath, Sound and the Fury, Catch-22, Slaughterhouse Five, Invisibe Man, etc.
Ecofarm
Deity
The story of the Okies made it easy. Read a documentary on them if you get a chance, it is one of the greatest success stories in the history of the US. They left the dustbowl with basically nothing for rumors of fieldwork in CA. When they got there, there was no work and everyone hated them. As outsiders, they even had to make their own school at the compound. They got volunteer teachers from around the country as favors to their headmaster (who was a volunteer)/altruism; their school became SO good, that locals starting sending their kids to the Okie school and it forced the compound to be incorporated into the county, connecting services and making them a part of the community. Many of the Okie students (from the dustbowl) went on to impressive careers.
Of Mice and Men is good. Canary Row is meh. Anyone who has not read those two books and is watching tv does not know what is good for them (they're short).
Incredible writing. On par sometimes with Irving and Hemingway (who are mysteriously lacking from your list of 20th century literature - as opposed to 'most important book').
'God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater' is far better writing and almost as nuts.
ps. How about Hitchhikers Guide? Adams matched the whimsical (yet tragic) style of Vonnegut even if he lacked a bit of depth. I liked "Last resturant... something..." by him too.
Cheezy the Wiz
Socialist In A Hurry
Resturant at the End of the Universe? Excellent book, as is the Hitchiker's Guide.
Hardly. Nazism showed that a supposedly civilized, rational people can quickly turn into mass murderers. Nazi was not just a few psychos. The people of Germany elected Hitler, fought for him, built concentration camps and carried out executions. You can't just argue that Hitler somehow managed to pick the worst kind to guard Auschwitz. They weren't. They were the same common people just like you and me. We are all capable of such atrocities.
If you forget history, if you do not tread carefully, you will be surprised when it repeats itself. And trust me, it will, only that it probably would happen to a different country, such as America.
Rossiya
Fridge Magnet Porn
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Does "you" include all of the 6 billion children of God?
Fun fact:
Did you know...
that there are countries other than America?
Strange, but true.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
A thought occurred to me today... Perhaps the Robot series (not a book, as such, but bear with me) could be a candidate? Asimov essentially inspired modern robotics- he was even the first to use the term "robotics" to refer to the science- which could prove to be one of the most important technological developments in modern history.
Obviously, a candidate who's influence is yet to manifest itself is debatable, but I thought it was an idea worth mentioning.
Obviously, a candidate who's influence is yet to manifest itself is debatable, but I thought it was an idea worth mentioning.
GoodSarmatian
Jokerfied Western Male
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Facebook.
No seriously, I don't know what makes a book important. Mein Kampf itself was almost utterly irrelevant and it is only considered imoprtant because the guy who wrote it somehow managed to kick off the worst genocide and war of the last century.
When I read the title I imediately had to think of 1984 but it's more of a contemplation of the first half of the 20th century in europe.
Das Kapital would be the undisputed champion for the 19th century, but I doubt there's one book in the 20th century that even comes close to it's significance.
No seriously, I don't know what makes a book important. Mein Kampf itself was almost utterly irrelevant and it is only considered imoprtant because the guy who wrote it somehow managed to kick off the worst genocide and war of the last century.
When I read the title I imediately had to think of 1984 but it's more of a contemplation of the first half of the 20th century in europe.
Das Kapital would be the undisputed champion for the 19th century, but I doubt there's one book in the 20th century that even comes close to it's significance.
GarretSidzaka
Modder
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do you know what that book is about even?
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