10 Books that Screwed Up the World

2011-07-18

1. Darwin’s Black Box (Michael Behe, 1996)

In this book M. Behe snubbed Darwin’s theories. Many fundamentalists still use it as a proof that evolution doesn’t exist. Despite his fans, M. Behe is not a fundamentalist and doesn’t believe in what is written in the Bible.

2. The Manifesto of the Communist Party (Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, 1848)

It’s on our list, as a book, which inspired the most vicious regimes in history. Some principles of manifesto stated the repeal of private ownership and inheritance, heavy taxes and confiscation of emigrant’s property.

3. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

It’s a small book, which proposed the idea that Jewry and Masonry want to take over the world. Though the book is a complete fraud, many Europeans believed this is true. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was instrumental to Hitler’s anti-Jewish efforts in Germany. The book is still published in many Middle Eastern countries.

4. Baby and Child Care (Benjamin Spock, 1946)

This book is the reason of about 50,000 children deaths in 1990s. Spock believed that babies on their back can choke, so parents should put children on their stomachs. Unfortunately, the experts denied this theory.

5. Democracy and Education (John Dewey, 1916)

Democracy and Education could be the manifesto of non-traditional education. J. Dewey criticized schools that are oriented in classical education and encouraged teaching thinking skills. However, because of his training, grew up a generation that wasn’t able to motivate their opinion by facts and knowledge.

6. The Pivot of Civilization (Margaret Sanger, 1922)

In her book The Pivot of Civilization M. Sanger outlined her ideas of eugenics (control of a human race) and racial purity. She supported contraception because she believed, that inferior humans should be killed to enable a superior race appear over time.

7. Mein Kampf (Adolf Hitler, 1925)

In this book Hitler outlined his racist plans that included mass murder of Jews, and a war against France and Russia. At first Mein Kampf didn’t receive much attention, but after Hitler rose to power, that changed. There is a rumour that in 1945 circulated about 10 million copies of the book.

8. The Prince (Niccolo Machiavelli, 1532)

Hitler, Musolini and Stalin were inspired by this book. The Prince is a treatise for rulers without any scruples. N. Machiavelli urged to use extreme means in order to consolidate the power.

9. Coming of Age in Samoa (Margaret Mead, 1928)

American anthropologist Margaret Mead traveled in Samoa in 1920, in order to get answers about sexuality. Unfortunately, the youths she interviewed in Samoa told her wild tales of sexual experiences, which Mead presented as a fact in her book.

10. Malleus Maleficarum (Heinrich Kramer, Jacob Sprenger, 1486)