National Conservative Weekly's Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th/20th centuries

10. General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by John Maynard Keyes
9. Beyond Good and Evil by Frederich Nietzsche
8. The Course of Positive Philosophy by Auguste Comte
7. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
6. Das Kapital by Karl Marx
5. Democracy and Education by John Dewey
4. The Kinsey Report by Alfred Kinsey
3. Quotations from Chairman Mao by Mao Zedong
2. Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
1. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels

Some Honorable Mentions:
Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin
Coming of Age in Samoa by Margaret Mead
The Population Bomb by Paul Ehrlich
more...

www.humaneventsonline.com...

I don't think there is any book too dangerous to read. Each reveals a certain insight into human nature, but solutions proposed or actions taken a result may be negative. I don't believe they are harmful and instead have been able to put our own culture(s) in perspective as a result of the similarities and differences we see. As well, if we are to ban? these books, then a significant portion of history and the state of the world today would be lost.

I really don't know the intended result of compiling such a list, but for me, that's a resource of books I may need to read.

I personally believe that book burning and book banning is unapropriate. Books are some people's thoughts and their ideas. Doing these kind of things is a slap in the face to the person who thought of them. It's like saying, "I hate your ideas! Go to hell for thinking a different way that I did!"

As well, if we are to ban? these books, then a significant portion of history and the state of the world today would be lost.

Quite true and it has been happening throughout history. Some things we will never know happened because books were either banned and if you read them, you would be killed, tortured, or excommunicated. The burning of books has lost important history.

No book is too dangerous to read, what can be dangerous is the weak minds who cannot discern good information from bad, fact from fiction.

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
No book is too dangerous to read, what can be dangerous is the weak minds who cannot discern good information from bad, fact from fiction.

Exactly, and I believe, at this point in history, it is better to allow all individuals to be exposed to such books and the implications they had so that future generations do not repeat mistakes.

For example, what if all references to Adolf Hitler were taken away and noone remembered him a few hundred years from now? Some time in the future you would see someone with similar ideas, but you would never know the implications that it had before. To do away with such books is just asking for history to repeat itself, and I wonder how many times we have repeated ourselves due to ignorance.

I find it highly amusing that the cons think that some of the greatest and most influential books in history are 'harmful', when these books have inspired revolutionary thinking and debate.

These books should be considered 'must read', not 'harmful'

thanks,
drfunk

in every one of those books!

Now, I have to give you my own list of honorable mentions (maybe not as bad as their list, but close!):

Future Shock - Alvin Toffler
"Steal This Book!" - Abbey Hoffman
The Book of the Subgenius
The Richest Man in Babylon
The Occult -Robert Wilson
The Analysis of Behavior - B.F. Skinner
Your Money or Your Life!
The Turner Diaries
New American Magazine
The view over Atlantis
Morning of the Magicians
The Necronomicon Abdul Al-Hazred

Interesting that they put the Communist Manifesto as more harmful than Mein Kampf. Of course I find it suspicious that they put Mein Kampf in that list at all...

Well I've read two of the books mentioned and chapters from others.

Considering what I got out of reading them the others need immediate attention on my part.

This kind of list only attracts the attention of two kinds of people. Those who will see it and obey (for myriad reasons) by avoiding those books and those who will see a reason to read them.

I wonder which audience is larger?
.

Was this National Conservative Weekly's list or the Pope's?

4. The Kinsey Report by Alfred Kinsey

I really don't get the "packaging" of modern conservatism at all.

It used to be about economics.

[edit on 31-5-2005 by RANT]

Originally posted by RANT
Was this National Conservative Weekly's list or the Pope's?

4. The Kinsey Report by Alfred Kinsey

I really don't get the "packaging" of modern conservatism at all.

It used to be about economics.

[edit on 31-5-2005 by RANT]

Now it's more about stoping gays from getting married and getting boobies off TV. Economics are far less important than that..

Anyway, according to this list, some of the enemies of conservatism are as follows: Athesists, communists, feminists, scientists (excluding the ones that build weapons), inellectuals, and sociology. *sigh*

[edit on 5/31/2005 by Flinx]

What do they consider harmful? The books that stand against their philosophy? or that these books inspired the most bloodshed and murder?

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft


The Necronomicon Abdul Al-Hazred

The Necronomicon is real! I thought it was a fictitious book used as backround in a fictional adventure series

Originally posted by Vegemite

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft
The Necronomicon Abdul Al-Hazred

The Necronomicon is real! I thought it was a fictitious book used as backround in a fictional adventure series

Roll 2D6 Sanity dude. It is not "real", all 8 or more versions of it that have been in print are all fakes, made by people specifically to make money off of the people who dig Lovecraftian horror and young occultists seaking something with more meat than the usual pagan faery tale gods of yore.

I knew a guy who "channeled" his own Necronomic at the same time as the Simon version was being prepared, and he had a meeting with the Magickal Childe people involved with that version, they didn't dig his version (nor want split the proceeds, ie, money to buy more coke).
When I finally read his version it was trash, buts that makes at least 9 Necronomicons that I'm aware of.

Back when I was a teenager I wrote a paper on using Necronomicon spells for military applications....you can't imagine how red my cheeks are telling anyone about that.....DOH!

Originally posted by Jamuhn
10. General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by John Maynard Keyes
....
2. Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler

No way are both these books in the list!

John Maynard Keynes is one of the founding fathers of economics and whether you agree with his theories or not he is an absolute must read for all students of the subject. I think the only reason conservatives dislike him is that he suggests that during times of economic depression the economy can be stimulated by large government spending programs. This is true, whether you think it is the right thing to do or not (conservatives think you should reduce taxes to stimulate an ailing economy). The irony is that the current Bush administration have been Keynesians, spending unprecedented amounts on the military, partly to boost the economy. That they have reduced taxes at the same time is another thing!

Mien Kampf on the other hand is just a load of drivel. There is nothing dangerous about it, as it doesn't even lay out a blue print for National Socialism, and is just rubbish.

I think the mention of Origin of Species betrays the US/religious flavour of the list. You would never find a European conservative even thinking to mention Darwin, as there is nothing incompatible with conservatisim and a belief in evolution.

I suppose being listed as a "dangerous" book is a great flattery. I would imaging every writer would love to have a book listed in the top 10 for all time. Mein Kampf aside it does look like a "must read" list.

I wonder what their all time most beneficial books are....?

I don't understand why those books are harmful. They are a part of worlds history. Some of the ideas they had were good in a way. Not saying I'm a communist/socialist/feminist. Some of the ideas the had started off good, but ended badly. I however don't think we should start burning books, especially historical books. Well I give the exception of some books that you can burn. You can burn my math book , and America/World Lit book. Actually you can just burn all of my school books.

Originally posted by Legalizer

Originally posted by Vegemite

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft
The Necronomicon Abdul Al-Hazred

The Necronomicon is real! I thought it was a fictitious book used as backround in a fictional adventure series

Roll 2D6 Sanity dude. It is not "real", all 8 or more versions of it that have been in print are all fakes . . .

I made my "I refuse to believe" roll successfully. Don't worry, I'm an 11th level arch-broker, and am wearing a ring of sales - turning . . .

I never get tired of posting this link, to Dan Clore's magnificent Necronomicon FAQ page:

www.geocities.com...

He gives the low-down on all 8 (or 9) accursed versions of that impious tome.

See, my list was actually a fnord, designed to get people talking about books by pretending they are horrible.

Hey. It worked for Hewlitt Packard lovecraft.

I wonder what their all time most beneficial books are....?

1. The Bible

rinse and repeat 9 more times

If it were up to these Facists the only book we would be allowed to read is that one. And of course any book written by anyone friendly to the Evangelical cause.....

[edit on 2-6-2005 by sardion2000]

It seems we've all got this straight..there's no such thing as a dangerous book, no such thing as a harmful book, no such thing as an evil book. We sensible folk here on ATS understand this, I wonder what could have motivated the author to miss our shared understanding?

The closest thing to culpable that a book can be is motivational. But the choice..that's always ours. Nobody can take away our options. There's ALWAYS a choice to be made, even when the weak claim they had none.

I think conservative, as a term, has lost all meaning due to persistent misuse. Those who were once called conservatives are now nameless. Rest in peace..or stand up and speak up for Christ's sake.

It's the ideas that are dangerous, harmful, evil (whatever that means). Always have been, always will be. You steal fire from the Gods, you're going to get burned.

Men and their ideas...

I'm just kind of thinking out loud; I don't have the answer.
IF a book could be dangerous, it'd have to be one that spreads hate/pain.

Maybe these?

The protocols of the Elders of Zion
Terrorist instruction manual from Al Queda
The Poisoner's Guide
Anarchist's cookbook
Poor Man's James Bond
The Turner Diaries

Certainly, a book is speech. And speech definitely impacts people.

*looks at a copy of Martin Luther King, Jr's "Why We Can't Wait*

I think the only way a book can be dangerous is if it get in the wrong hands. For instance if a National Security book got into the hands of Al Qaida or maybe something worse.