Ten books that led to wide scale death, destruction and evil governmental regimes – books that would have been better unwritten.
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Excerpt from the original: “Books are one of our greatest resources. But many times in history books have been written which are misleading or untrue. In some cases this has led to wide scale death and destruction and evil governmental regimes.
This is a list of ten of the worst books of this type – books that have done more harm than good. The common thread in all of these books is deception – invariably not intentional, but the consequences are the same regardless.”
Items in this podcast:
10. Malleus Maleficarum
9. Coming of Age in Samoa
8. The Prince
7. Mein Kampf
6. The Pivot of Civilization
5. Democracy and Education
4. Baby and Childcare
3. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
2. The Manifesto of the Communist Party
1. Darwin’s Black Box
I have to make use of the experience amongst thanking they considering the solutions We have all habitually prized considering yuor web blog. We’re anxious about your beginning my personal as well as college search for entirety footwork wouldn’t appear to have been whole with out having coming back onto your web site. Plainly may in any assistance to a number of people, We are gracious so that you as to what We now have obtained at this point.
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This list should be a list of religious Holy Books! Listed chronologically based on popularity.
first thing I thought just when I saw the title…
Ditto. That's what came to my mind. But the list author had the good sense to just say this was a list of "10 Books that Screwed Up the World"… not "The Top 10 Books that Screwed Up the World". Because we all know that the Top 10 would have to include holy books. I'm sure J. Frater didn't want to open up that can of worms.
Ahh, the mantra of the excessively ignorant or irrepressibly young. I can tell you really think you are something special don't you? Even as an atheist I am not such a moron as to blame religion for MANS problems LOL. But by all means continue to seek the attention you so desperately crave because mommy and daddy didn't provide you enough of it when you were the young little gadfly preparing for the life of the absurd liberal loon you have become!
But religion twists people’s minds to do things (example; the Qur’an teaches men to stone women if they have been deflowered before marriage)
to lily, no it doesnt
have you ever even read it?..
You realize that religion is man made. So religion is one of mans’ problems. Also, turn off the caps lock when you type. It makes you look like an IDIOT. Had religion never been conceived, then no books on the subject would ever have been written, obviously. Which means no Crusades, no people dying of starvation in Europe while money went to build elaborate churches and houses of worship, no other “holy wars” or religious wars or killings. You can say exactly the same thing about all the other books and ideals represented in those books above. Had they never been written and the views expressed, likely the outcome and impact they had would be very different. Same with the bible and other religious texts. Exclude those texts and call everyone an idiot if you feel it necessary Ganid, but please don’t think you’re the brightest crayon in the box. People out there are laughing at you.
The crusades would have happened anyway. The printing press wasn’t invented until 1440 and basically until that time the priests would teach people the bible. They still do but now its because people are lazy and not illiterate. In fact most holy wars (aside from Islamic expansion) weren’t text based but arose from human greed. There are plenty of nationalist wars that were fought in the same way (for instance Mein Kampf, but that’s on the list).
Ganid has a valid point about a lot of people but please dude, could you have phrased it in a more pretentious, douchey way?
way to be meek mate! I think that guidance can often be to blame, think toy soldiers in africa! I dont blame any of the books themselves. Only peoples misinterpretations (usually fasicious subconcious ignorance I believe )(charles the 5th edtion). nature or nurture? I think we should be able to agree its both (with he emphasis on nurture at an early age). I liked to think that Atheists were open minded, somewhat humbled by the enormity of our existence, and plain ignorance of some ……. but there has never been a man so ignorant I couldnt learn somthing from him (somebody famous) – thats you my friend. Atheist’s keep your chins up its hard with no lights in the tunnel!
It’s kind of funny that thinks SA thinks that without religion that the rich wouldn’t have taxed the crap out of the poor.
The difference between religious text and the others is that their has been good that’s come of them. This is a list of books that have done more harm than good. You can’t possibly put most religions on a moral scale and accurately weigh them.
Yes! Its true and I am a religious person…
I couldnt agree more it is religious holy books and its crazy follwers that will most likely kill us all and no one seems to see it.
what you don,t understand is that the books are good in themselves the reason we see religious fanatics is because there are many evil sly heartless so called religious leader twist the bible writing or any good religious book to suit there agenda yes you are right about one thing steve about the cazy followers but more then likely they are being screwed with by the wicked leaders, who are looking out after there own selfs.
im wondering why the satanic bible is,nt o n the list
wrong, government will do that, mainly with the mass array of armaments they have? whats a christian going to do, throw the bible at me? don’t get me wrong, the misinterpretation of holy books is sad and has undoubtedly caused wars, but then so has the misinterpretation of people intentions; hitlers plans for germany caused many to follow him that would have if the cult of personality hadn’t stirred up so much fear, the same can be said of americas plans for the middle east etc.
Bottom line, just like guns, holy books don’t kill people. People kill people.
Why isn't the bible and the koran on this list ?
to put the koran and the Bible in the same sentance, and implying that they are similar, infers that you know nothing of either…
You put the two in the same sentence… and they are similar. They are both religious books.
and they are both really f***ed up.
Enter your comment here.
You right Frank OK for the Koran and learn about the Bible and Gospels.
Koran is the most evil book ever published in the world, so evil like MeinKampft
Have you ever read both of the Texts? if you had. you wouldn’t say it, Popov.
You are talking with a pre-determined mind about Koran that’s what occult who rule the world need. so it will lead segregation between Human,
before you criticize any Religious Books, first read it and review it again and agian and you will surely find the trueth behind those Holy books.
Qur’an is the only Holy Book to teach Arab Society from Darkness to light.
and even lead them to develop science after the revelation of Qur’an, later, that helped Europe to find more things about Science after Crusades against Islam that lead Europeans to get touched with Muslims.
Europeans not even used to have a bath before Crusades being afraid of getting sickness if touching water. but the relation between Muslim after the Crusades lead the Europeans to know the important of bathing. that Muslims already do. i am saying these things not to mock others who aren’t Muslims but to understand the truth. please learn the truth before you criticize anything…………………
Speak Search
You speak demonstrates that you are ignorant and live outside history
The Quran is the why of barefoot and naked minimum time and they come from the first universities to develop science history
Go to Spain and see progress is the basis of the progress the European man and West when Islam there
And see what happened to the Muslims after that moved away from the Quran
Made of underdevelopment and stagnation of miserable disrepair
Although there are book wicked is the Jewish Talmud offender
The man will cause the destruction of the world
The foolish who speak in amuses me things I don’t understand because they are donkeys
Eat and sleep and excrete famous only and does not know anything then comes ass public spectacles and online books
Your ab ass that needs 2 learn 2 stop being a racist dumb-ass
Religion implies racism? Islam is a race? Confucianism is a race? Christianity is a race? Hinduism is a race? What an ignorant statement.
Who is the dumb bunny here, and it isn’t everyone else bud, it’s you. Oh, and by the way, learn to type.
That should read “… and it isn’t everyone else sis, …”
Yeah thats what I was thinking too.
I think you don’t know what chronologicaly means.
Agreed!
listed chronologically based on popularity? OK
i thought it would be too
Hey, Frater. Please stop reading the list as if you were an airline pilot. Really annoying. Just use your voice as if you were talking to a friend. Great list.
frater isn't american, genius, he's a kiwi.
that's a different dude reading.
The comment is still valid, it's annoying as hell to listen to this. But I am impressed with your knowledge of Frater, you might want to make a list about your top 10 trivia about him.
if i did author a list on that topic, i dont believe i'd use the country he lives in as an interesting piece of trivia.
thats kind of like writing a list on the top 25 most interesting things about mcdonalds, and making #3 read: 'mcdonalds has food'.
chuck fresh is the guy reading
how has "coming of age in samoa" caused more harm than the bible?
Sure. Why blame a book, blame the people who abused it for their own gain.
Because the bible, except for wrong interpretations therof, has done more good than harm..just think about it, without the bible there is no such thing as right and wrong.
Bull ***** Jake Bible had done so much Harm New world.
THE BIBLE HAS CAUSED NO HARM,,,,TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE YOU NEED WISDOM,AM SURE IF YOU SAY IT CAUSED HARM THEN YOU HAD A WRONG INTERPRETATION OF IT,NOT ALL HAVE THE WISDOM ,
Moronic use of comas and capslocking…
What about the Spanish Inquisition? The Holy Crusades? They were all carried out in the name of the ideals for which the Bible stands for. I am not saying that it has done no good, just that it has done a lot of evil too.
It wasn’t the Bible that said “Go kill people to spread your religion.” As GEE said above, if it caused harm it was from misinterpretation.
So many killings because of the evil that they have! ex.
1. king philip IV and pope clement V – Templars being burned at the stake
reason try to research because of greediness.
The Bible tells us good things and to do good things but no people always finds ways to have more and more evil doings. Why? A few will understand
Ok the book in itself hasn’t caused harm but 90% of the morons that read it have.Funny what where the crusades, inquisitions etc…. Even today the priest the father preaching on the pulpit driving a hummer living in a million dollar home when in his own church there is someone hungry. you dont need religion to teach you how to be human.
LOUD
NOISES!
I have no idea…
Darwin's Black Book…Hahaha Good One…lol
Black Box, idiot.
Wait a min..Are u stalking me??
dont take it personal, gandolf…
she's allergic to stupidity
it makes her break-out with hives, and insults
imo, it's just as stupid to go around calling people idiots, even if it's just on the internet. You never know then that person might be in direct control of your fate, regardless of their level of intelligence or your opinion of them. Also–it's just not classy.
Gandolf?
That explains her face.
BAZINGA!
It isn't the bible itself that has caused harm, that is down to some idiotic interpretations of the bible.
the same can be said about every book on this list.
A book like Mein Kampf isn't going to lead to as many different interpretations as the bible. Sure, the bible has been used as a justification to do bad (even though the bible doesn't actually advocate these acts/ideas eg race supremacy) but it has also been used to do good. I hardly think a book like Mein Kampf can claim to have had anything other than bad influence.
but still the bible would have been better off not written. although the gullible would have found something else silly to believe in i guess.
Have you READ the bible with the context in mind? It does so promote racial supremacy and differences! The whole "love your neighbor" and "treat everyone as you wish to be treated" was in the context of a hunter-gatherer society where your neighbors were the 100-200 people in your tribe, and the rest of the humans out there were to be treated like trash, because in that view they weren't humans. They were just other animals meant to be beaten down and enslaved because they were taking your food! You can ignore this all you want, it doesn't mean you're right. It wasn't idiots interpreting it, it was people that interpreted it without the context in mind.
Also, murdering your son is fine if some powerful voice from inside your head says so, and ripping apart a woman YOU TOLD TO CHEAT ON YOU into 12 pieces is perfectly fine. Yeah, I'm calling BS on that. Both of them.
I have schizophrenia, and how do I know that voice in my head isn't a demon?
yep, mate, first century Palastine was a hunter-gatherer society… I agree that context is important, but maybe you should read up a bit more for yourself. By all means, raise serious issues, lets have a good discussion. But try not to say things that ANY student of ancient history, Christian or Non-Christian, knows are wrong.
I’m sorry to hear about your schizophrenia.
Considering only idiots believe that bull*****, and idiots make idiotic interpretations, I'd say it is the bible.
Correct!
How about the Kinsey Reports?
Those were pretty controversial when they were released. There was a similar study that came out maybe 15, 20 years ago…done by a woman…I can't remember her name so I can't google her. It was equally controversial.
The problem with those anonymous, supposedly blind interviews, was that there was no way to check the results….ollie can correct me if I'm wrong about any of this. It seemed unlikely that such a large portion of the population was having illicit *****, especially during the era that the report covered.
I don't think the Kinsey Reports themselves did any damage, I think the Kinsey's were just in a hurry to make a name for themselves.
I think Alfred Kinsey made some of his reports on human *****uality by participating himself in orgies with his female students…. which sounds cool by me… I would do that as well, if I had the opportunity
Would that be Shere Hite, Segues?
Yes!
Thank you for having a better memory than I have.
The Bible and The Qu’ran aswell as many other religous books should be on this list.
You for got Origin Of The Species. Darwin did more damage than any religious book.
did u even read the quran you ignorant fool??
I have read the Qur’an, and it is really REALLY messed up. Having a child wife? Raping women? Torturing a man for money? Telling people Jews are evil??? (all in there) If YOU ever read the Qur’an, you will understand.
raping women & torturing for money?where did you get that koran?i never read about that! you need wisdom or a devout moslem guide to understand it (if those verse really is there). people used to come out with their own conclusions on the religious books without asking those who really understand it. one more thing, the bible came after the old testament while the koran came after the bible which was due to people being ignorant to the GOD. who are those people? you said it lily.
The Bible did not screw up the world…religious fanatics that thought they could play God screwed up the world.
No the should not have they r just informing ppl of what happened b4 and if you think they r so bad dont annoy other ppl by this u racist ass! >:O
The Bible, the Koran, pretty much all holy books
Original…
how many times do you intend on saying original? Thats so "original…"
Maybe he's just repeating it until the correct spelling is ingrained. Everyone has a word that is difficult to remember how to spell or pronounce. In fact, it's a running joke in my family. We all know exactly which word is each persons bugaboo, and so we work it into conversation or correspondance.
It's all in good fun, and we all know it.
An optimistic way to look at it don't you? I think its just some idiot being an idiot.
The funny thing is you responded to it…MORE THAN ONCE!!
So tell me, who's the idiot?
Didn't you keep using the same word to whoever mentioned religion, more than once??
Basically.
I'm sure we'll be best friends one day
Didn't you respond to mine more than once?
"Since I already used that line you're not being ORIGINAL!! ; ^ )"
And the one you just said?
So tell me, who's the idiot?
When I read your original post which was "original…
" I responded with a quasi joke AND a winking smiley face (and trust for me to use a smiley face is truly a rarity let alone a winking one) and then you responded to anothers post by saying that I was "some idiot being an idiot.". Which, in all honesty was a tad hurtful seeing how you used ":P" in your original post and all…
I said you were "some idoit being an idiot" because all you were saying was "original…"
Sorry if I insulted, angered, ect., you?
; ^ )
As often as it takes…
Sorry, just making sure you were noticing?
I am!
I love the irony that you've replied at least three times with "original".
The Quran/Kohran/Koran isn't actually as bad. It doesn't advocate converting everybody to one faith like christianity does, and thus doesn't ending up causing stuff like annihilating all other cultures , but some people still make stupid interpretations and make it look bad.
Excuse me, but which terrorists are christian?
Well… Tim McVeigh was and both Bush and Blair are devoutly Christian. Just because they were leaders of Governments doesn't mean they didn't cause "terror" and are therefore "terrorists". They've killed more civilians than any individual muslim.
dont forget the KKK
Had the terrorists been muslim they would never attack mosque, cant u see logic in that
Christianity{the bible} does not force anybody into it like the quran does.the bible clearly says "IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS"words spoken by GOD HIMSELF meaning its a matter of choice you either abide by it or not but the quran its like everybody has to do it which is forcing people to do what they don't want,,,,so who is making stupid interpretations here,
how about this verse the “you have your religion and i have mine” or do u just choose the verses that suit your pathetic need for attention u know the world would be a better place without racists like u
sadly the bible nowadays was falsely altered. i found that the original bible was not that far the meaning than in the koran.
Enough with the 'lol religious bookz' dudes, obviously this list avoids those.
Yes!!
original…
Since I already used that line you're not being ORIGINAL!! ; ^ )
The Bible! Wow, what is up with this list?
The Silent Spring should be on here. It created what was in essence a moral panic about DDT that lasts to this day. DDT is brilliant at protecting dwellings from mosquitos. Just don't spray it on crops or drink it. It remains the one chemical that mosquitoes have no defence against. Banning DDT has resulted in the deaths of millions of people from malaria. Millions more will die because far less effective solutions are pursued. Thanks a lot, Rachel Carson, you big steaming douchebag.
I would have considered including that book but it wasn't until I read all the comments on the original list that I knew about it.
Remember that time when we discovered that DDT is poisonous to humans? Oh yeah, lets spray it everywhere. We'll see how that works out.
There is no known cases where DDT has ever harmed any human in any way, but banning it has killed millions. But I am sure you have some heretofore unknown data to support your statement?
Hey Josh, did you know that you can find DDT in nearly every water supply on the planet including the ice frozen at the poles? DDT almost caused the extinction of many bird species including some that eat those mosquitos…not to mention that it is a suspected carcenagin.
Hey Josh, did you know that you can find DDT in nearly every water supply on the planet including the ice frozen at the poles? DDT almost caused the extinction of many bird species including some that eat those mosquitos…not to mention that it is a suspected carcenagin.
Nice Top 10… but what about "The Origin of Species"? I like the inclusion of "Malleus Maleficarum".
How did On the Origin of Species screw up the world?
The Origon of Species was the beginning of true scientific study of how all of the different species, later including man, came to be what they were; how they were.
Darwin was the first to notice, and to to put together the thoughts and ideas, that members of one species of bird, for example, had developed different beaks on different islands where the food sources were such that different methods of food collection were required.
You are a very intelligent guy, fenda, I strongly suggest you actually read Origon of Species before you condem it. It's a completely different book from what you have probably been lead to believe.
I didn't comdemn the book, I just said it screwed up some people's thinking, especially the religious people. And thank you for the compliment, segues, you seem very bright as well.
Religious people don't need Darwin to get screwed up: they achieve it all by themselves!
Origin and condemn, idiot.
I did say "origin", segues spelt it wrong. "Condemn" was just a simple spelling error. You must be an idiot yourself for calling ME an idiot for that.
It was directed at segues in response to her ironic correction for Gandalf, you happened to get in the way as I posted it so chill out.
i·ro·ny1 [ahy-ruh-nee, ahy-er-]
–noun, plural -nies.
1.
the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2.
Literature .
a.
a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b.
(esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
@segues
I'd just like to add something from wikipedia:
Irony (from the Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία eirōneía, meaning HYPOCRISY, deception, or feigned ignorance)
To segues,
Do you have a life? Just curious since you're constantly posting like you have nothing better to do. I would think that someone that is so interested in evolutionary anthropology, biology, physics and astronomy etc, would have a little more to do.
To xyz,
Do you have a life? Just curious since you're replying like you have nothing better to do. I would think that someone that is so smart and obviously very busy would have a little more to do.
Contradictory–as in, correcting of use of wrong word and calling someone an idiot for it, which means that you, not presumably calling yourself an idiot as well, always use right words–then using a wrong word or two, yourself.
Now now, no need to be such a Troll segues.
We all know you never actually post your own ideas on Listverse.
It is ironic that a dimwit attempts to make herself appear smart by cutting and pasting a definition of irony.
***** off ThunderArse, segues is a long time and respected Listverser. Don't be such a d*ck.
duck?
Do you suck balls as a profession, or only as a hobby?
Me suck balls as a hobby? No but I do ***** out my man***** (BigHairyDavey) to suck your fathers balls and then your father pays me directly. So yes – a profession of sorts but its Davey sucking the balls not me. Hey, don't judge after all it helped me put the kids through college and if your father wasn't such a *****en degenerate prick who likes to pay people to suck his balls I wouldn't have amassed this colossal pile of dollar coins I am sitting on.
But I digress and let's back to your question – no I do not suck balls personally or as a hobby (its a professional service I coordinate and ya gotta pay). So I can arrange my man*****, Davey, to suck yours, just like your father likes it. My number is 555 GO ***** YOURSELF, text me any time and I'll send Davey over pronto after he is done ploughing yer father.
As a book lover, i love the list.
How about Twilight? If Meyer hadn't written that… the world would have much less a stupid place. The writing of that novel is the raping of literature. Each and every great pieces of literature torn to bits and lit on fire.
Your probably gonna be mad when I tell you that there is a book about "Twilight Philosophy". A philosophy based on a very bad book that happened to sell because people are getting progressively stupider.
I actually read a bit of it and most of it is just quotes from famous philosophers and really isn't unique.
I'm team "I don't give a f***"
You can't say that Twilight screwed up the world by making people dumb and then say "the world would have much less a stupid place."
It wasn't Twilight. You know what it was? The generation gap. The reason why people are so stupid now is because ever since the 80's, education has been going down. The age gap between students and teachers is thinning, and thus the schools are too lenient towards the students. I am in high school right now, and I know people that still can't read. The teachers haven't even tried helping. Most of my teachers are more like friends than authority, and even though that makes High school more fun, it doesn't make it a better place to be. Couple the generation gap with the internet which rids the perseverance from knowledge. Now that people can know whatever they want, they don't NEED to know anything, and so we've become stupider on the basis of websites like Google that make things too easy. Google would only work if people remembered what they learned from it (I actually do. Most words that I look up stay in my vocabulary for the rest of my life).
So if i told you what Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is you would be telling me that you would remember it 50 years from now?
i know i would
nope i think its the national enquirer, people and the E! entertainment channel that is making people dumber . Serious my GF puts that channel on and i feel my braincells dying i have to switch over to history or discovery for 30 mins to erase the damage .
I like Twilight. And I'm not stupid. I do very well in school studies.
This is what we call a paradox. If you like twilight you are inherently a moron, qnd btw, school studies have nothing to do with intelligence.
Interesting list.
I remember reading about the flap over "Coming of Age in Samoa" in a cultural anthropology class at Uni. And I also remember the hippie crowd who took the book as gospel, using it as one excuse for excessive, anonymous *****…I had to read the book for class and, for the life of me, couldn't find excessive, anonymous ***** anywhere in it…although there was plenty of *****.
The rest of the books are seriously damaging to the world. Just awful in their scope and intent.
Well… what's wrong with excessive, anonymous *****?
(Sorry, I'm from Sweden) 
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Nothing, in and of itself, it's the ramifications I'd worry about…and what does your being from Sweden have to do with it?
Nothing… except that we Swedes seem to have a certain reputation…
I've always wanted to visit Sweden (certain reputations aside).
did the Swedes give themselves said reputation because i have never heard of it.
are you guys like the latinos of europe?
honest question
latinos of europe? Europe is where latinos live.
I think we have been considered promiscuous, since we had no film censorsip in the 1970's so a lot of hardcore ***** flicks were made over here. In Denmark, as well. Swedish guys also seem to have a reputation of being gay (it's not true), especially in Finland, where I live now. This is a joke a Finnish friend told me and I laughed like a madman: "How do you separate the Swedish hockey Team members from each other? -With a crowbar."
i agree with segues. people will interpret what they read however they want too
I cannot see why Darwin’s BB is on this list. Sure, it has been used by fanatics out of concept but fact remains that there are clear flaws in the modern theory of evolution, not to mention Darwin’s original theory.
Claiming this book, which doesn’t even deny evolution has been more destructive than Mein Kampf is ignorant. The “worst” this book can do is convince a few people that there is a God. Denouncing everything to do with religion might make you feel very clever and reasonable but no serious unbiased scholar can claim that christianity has not contributed greatly to western civilization.
he said the list was in no particular order, they are just all on the list. He never said Darwin's BB is worse than Mein Kampf. Listen to it again.
Sure, the Inquisition was a great contribution to civilization! Islamic terrorists are such gentlemen! And the Jews' psychotic belief in the "Holy" land led to such happy happy joyful behaviors…
Martin, are you a CareBear or what?
OMG I LOL’D IRL SO HARDCORE!!!!!11!!one!
Same here, as much as it is a flawed book, Darwin's Black Box has not caused tyranny or other type of disasters. Then again, the Original List was about 10 Books that Screwed Up the World.
Then again, blaming books for the evil things some people have done is stupid as well.
Also, Democracy and Education has not caused murders and disasters as well. And while I agree that teaching lies in schools is bad (whatever, though, in every history class there are gonna be lies spread) the general idea of teaching skills instead of just teaching facts to memorize is quite important.
The Prince didn't screw up the world, Machiavelli simply laid out how things really work in politics. There was just as much intrigue and bloodshed before his work as after.
Pretty cool list.. or podcast haha But you forgot the bible.
thats like saying "your mum is *****y"
either it is a compliment or a slur. either way it is completely upto to the person interpreting it. so dont let oyur prejudices ruin this list.
The bible!
Agreed, the bible along with the koran.
I do not think that The Prince should have been included on this list. Machiavelli wrote about what he saw happen in Cesar Borgia's court. He also wrote about how Borgia ruled. He himself did not support the ideas that were in his book.
Some people do not like The Prince because it tells the truth. It is better to be feared than to be loved because people are more likely to do what you want them to do. Although this is very unfortunate and disheartening, it is sadly true.
"The Prince" is satire. Many years ago there was a book (or article) published, "The Prince: Political Science or Satire." I have forgotten the name of the author, who argues that it is satire. How can a book be serious when it describes how ? Borgia did not continue a war because he had a stomach ache!
I lost count how many people were complaining about religion on the original list and this podcasts. Anybody keeping count?
The more people that say what about the Bible and knowing how many times it has been mentioned in the comments in both the podcast list and the regular list the more religious I get.
In that case, by now we should be measuring you for wings and a halo…
I really don't care for the podcasts, as I sit here watching TV, and playing a DS the last thing I want to do is have more sound going. But if I have a thing to read during breaks that is much better. So please go back to the standards lists. Thanks
I'm surprised that Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman isn't on that list… I think it has done a similar amount of damage (if not more) than The Manifesto of the Communist Party.
yea like raise the standard of living? give poor people cars and air conditioning? things that kings of yesteryear would have killed for? make it so children didnt have to work to feed a family? worry about other things other than food?
hippy.
Yeah. Promoting individual choice is far worse than a system that inevitably leads to tyranny, bread lines, starvation, corruption, and gulags.
Like capitalism has turned the world into?
I can only hope davey is joking. Calling the communist manifesto worse than friedmans book is an insult to the victims of the soviet union, the brave people fighting oppressive communist governments today and all other billions of people who have had to pay for the idiocy known as communism. Capitalism and freedom can hardly have caused any harm, partly because there is little new in it, just old principles of the free market explained to laymen. Sure, people may have suffered due to international corporations exploiting countries and resources but blaming that book for the downsides of capitalism is absurd.
Capitalism and Freedom would seem a harmless book, mostly because it grossly misunderstands how markets and society work, never makes any violent or racist claims (although it comes close), or incites the reader to do so.
However one cannot deny that the implementation of Milton Friedman's policies in Chile (by way of the "Chicago boys", Chilean students of Friedman who passed on their policies to Pinochet) are a testament to how harmful laissez-faire capitalism can be. One could cite post-communist Russia as well, which experienced an incredible social and economic downward spiral under Boris Yeltsin. Let's not even bother discussing institutions like the IMF and World Bank that continually cripple developing countries' economies around the world with Friedman's policies, under the pretense of saving them.
You mention that Friedman is just regurgitation older beliefs and you're right–he largely got his free market theories from his mentor, Friedrich Hayek. But it was Friedman that managed to shift the economic paradigm towards these beliefs in the 1970's, earning him a Nobel prize in '76.
My point is that Friedmanite free market capitalism just doesn't turn out as peachy as he promises in his book, sometimes with really dire consequences. I don't see how what I said bothered you, Martin. If you can't see that the damage that laissez=faire capitalism has done, then you got blinders on.
Don't let your mind skip steps and assume that I'm some kind of commie because I don't like Friedman. in fact, I think his brand of capitalism has a terrible reality in common with communism: if the proponents of either got their way, the societies that let them would wish they hadn't.
i was waiting for you to say chile and boris
only talking points that are not even valid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_Chile
boris:
Russia is mega corrupt crony capitalism. dont pass it off like it's free markets like america. when you have to bribe the right person to start a business in a particular town, that does not represent free markets.
try again. and enjoy your capitalistic computer. One of the most lassie faire markets there are.
Computers and cell phones very few regulations and you see what has happend. case and point.
man judging from the amount of time people are getting called idiot , it seems the comment section is getting rougher….
i dislike podcast as much as i despise an old, smelly, moldy sandwich.
i would have added any book of the twilight saga.
and also those other popular kid's phenomenoma caching a side that is darker than it looks:
Pokemon: reminds me of both, the summoning of demons and the dog fighting
Harry Potter: how pagan are those kids at hogwarths!!! Even worse, they are pagan-atheists. I mean they use those mysterious powers they see in nature but worship none.
And other
i know pokemon is not a book but i don't care. still is screwing up my nephew's mind.
What?
Yeah what?
someone didn't get pokemon cards when he or she was a kid…
what the hell is wrong with you. your soul is ful of hatred. your just hating on the books the world has grown to love. if youve ever read a book, then surely you'll understand that you can take anything and make it look like the devil wrote it. just a hint, if you ever decide to write a book i doubt you'll even get it published. go jump off a cliff
Seriously. And for someone who seems to despise pagans as much as you do, you'd think you'd know the origin of your username. The origin of the name Mordechai (As found in the Hebrew Bible as well as elsewhere) is identical in meaning to Marduku. Which means "Follower/Servant Of Marduk" Marduk being a Babylonian God. The Babylonian Mythos being a pagan establishment. Also even more ironically, the Babylonian Mythos provides much of the foundation for modern day satanism.
You are spreading hate against pagans while professing your allegiance to a pagan god!
http://listverse.com/2010/09/09/top-10-worst-theo…
Check comment n° 150, the 3rd from the bottom. Posted on September 09. *hush*
Whomever is reading the list, he sounds like he's trying to do a bad Casey Kasem imitation. He also has some speech problems, like his "s" 's are hard has hell to listen to and he makes very loud mouth inhales to close to the mic.
To me it makes the whole thing unlistenable.
the Bible the Koran and the Tora should all be put as the same item…. and should not have been missed…..
They have messed up this planet for centuries.
The Bible goes back millennia(sp?) and has screwed up nothing. Its those who don't follow it or misinterpret it who screw up the world. Atheism is the real killer in this word.
Books don't kill people.
People w/ or w/o books kill people!
Besides, the 20th century killed far more than any perversion of the Bible has.
Mao, Stalin, &, Hitler were ALL against everything The Bible stands for and they killed MILLIONS of people. The most you can get from the Crusades & Inquisition is a couple hundred thousand people, maybe a million or two?
Im pretty sure this is the same list posted for like the third time, along with many others. You are seemingly running out of ideas.
Wow, it has taken more than a day for the first idiot to appear, we're making progress.
Yes this list has been released before but now it is re-released as a podcast (!) and not in it's written form.
The reason the podcasts are only re-releases of older lists is that an astonishing numbers of idiots, complained they wanted to read the lists, not only listen to them in podcasts. It is only logical for some of the items on this list (i.e. the prince, the communist manifesto), to appear on some of the other lists concerning books, seeing that they're pretty controversial.
To sum up my comment: idiot!
I certainly am sorry if what seems to me like the majority of readers here have offended your high principles by wanting to read new lists rather than only listen to them being read by a narrarator that by the comments I have seen can be described as poor.
You certainly have hit the nail square on the head that everybody is an idiot. Congratulations.
humpf!..
bad list no holy books…. fail
I like the list being re-released as podcasts, not because I listen to them, but because I can go back and read the list if it looks interesting. I have no recollection of this list (or, I didn't. When I read it, I began remembering), so this was a nice reminder of a good list.
About those estimated 10m copies of "Mein Kampf" in 1945…
It wasn't like the book was THAT popular in germany, you simply could hardly avoid owning one!
When a couple got married, the registrar would give them a copy. If you were a child winning e. g. a sports competition, you wouldn't get a medal, but "Mein Kampf"…
That way the Department for Propaganda made sure the book was widely spread in germany and Hitler got his royalty…
It seems that there is a particular bend that 'religiously'-framed books are the ones that 'screwed' up the world. Hmm…
With Love and Gratitude,
The Intentional Sage
To those of you who say that the Bible should be on the list: The Old Testament is simply a collection of books that teach about the history and laws of the Jews…with some poetry thrown in (Psalms) etc. and the New Testament teaches love (feed the hungry, do unto others…, love your neighbor).
Anyone who believes the above mentioned things are bad is as screwed up as some of those that have been influenced by the books in this list.
"Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him." – Deuteronomy 13:13-19
Plenty more examples where that came from…
That's history, not doctrine! If you're reading a history book and you come to the period when the transplanted Americans were conquering the country, you gonna start killing Native Americans?
Your bible causes death every single day. Get a clue please.
The old testament prescribes the stoning to death of not only homo*****uals, but adulterers (many disgraced evangelists would fall under both the former categories), and disobediant children amongst others. It also condones ethnic cleansing (the promised land was already inhabited) and slavery.
Anyone who believes the above mentioned things are bad is as screwed up as some of those that have been influenced by the books in this list.
Where is curan or bible
That is so lame…. have you even read either of them? Because I have noticed that most people who blame everything that's wrong in the world on religious books, haven't even BOTHERED TO READ THEM!
Qur'an… spell check please.
Meh and Linus: What you don't seem to understand is that you're reading history, not doctrine.
The Romans used to kill Christians. When you learned that in history class, did you take that to mean you should kill Christians or did you take it for what it is: History? History is full of atrocities against humanity but that doesn't mean we're supposed to do those things now.
The books listed here are described as "treatise", "outline", "manifesto", "manual", "advice" and "propaganda". See a trend? The Old Testament, as a whole, can not be described using any of those words. The laws that are mentioned, and are observed by Jews and/or Christians today, do not condone violence or greed or hatred
In the New Testament, Jeshua (Jesus) teaches love, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, understanding, sensitivity, devotion, harmony…need I go on? What the Bible teaches and what some individuals get from it can, and has been, on opposite ends of the spectrum in some cases.
I'll sum this up by saying that the Bible isn't what screwed up the world, it's the individuals throughout history who misinterpreted what they read and taught it to others that did it. Most of the books on this list were intended to incite hated, violence etc., the Bible was not.
How is saying 'you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock' not inciting violence? The new testament is, admittedly, much less bloodthirsty, but the old testament, the one that is the foundation for three major religions, is full of statements like those I posted above. I am aware there is a historical context to passages like those but the bible is not treated as a history textbook by Christians: it is considered the word of god. Now whether you read that passage at face-value or try to justify it with some far out interpretation, at the end of the day that is a book which encourages people to kill others.
If I write a book now that says that all Christians should go out and kill all non-Christians it isn't going to be said in 1000 years time that 'it's history, so it doesn't really count', it would be denounced as inciting hatred and violence. So why should the bible, or at least the old testament, be treated any differently?
My thoughts actually. I am a Muslim and I think it's not the Qur'an that screwed the world. It's the Arabs that twisted its content for their benefit. When Islam was first established, women had rights equal to men. Centuries later, certain Islamic cultures have reduced women's rights to zero..
I am so glad about your comment. I'm not a muslim myself, I was raised as a Lutheran, but now I'm an Agnostic. I think… more than any religion. And I agree that people have really twisted the words of both of those books (The Bible and the Qu'Ran)
Using that same type of logic, you may as well say this list is incorrect, because all these books only had words, and it was the actions of those that interpreted it that are at fault. Perfectly reasonable, but to be in defence of one book with this argument, one should be in defence of all.
the title of the list is called 10 books that screwed up the world, we are really focused on what the book says but rather of its consequences and responses. This is probably why the communist manifesto or the prince is on the chart
The Old Testament is one of the most gruesome pieces of work ever written. I don't even know how it is still paired with the New Testament.
Reading the Bible is what made me an atheist.
haha, im sorry to burst your bubble, but you in no way must twist the words of the bible(or any other religious scripture for that matter) in order to get a hateful message promoting violence. there are several passages in both the new and old testament and the koran that specifically, word for word, tells you to kill people who don't agree with its teachings.
I'd appreciate it if you could provide me with some examples from both the Old and New Testaments.
Thou art welcome!
But tell me before you come, I'm not in Stockholm right now, I'm in Finland 
IF you would like to meet me…..
The Prince has done no harm at all. It is just a matter-of-fact commentary.
The Bible, on the other hand, has caused untold suffering and death, and must be one of the most destructive books ever.
Your lack of critical thinking skills and obvious need for easy bits of information to swallow, or, slogans, to understand and interact in the World
IS WHAT KILLS PEOPLE!
A book neither holds, hugs, loves, or, strangles. It is only MAN. Douche!
Also, add it up. Hitler, Stalin, & Mao, not to mention every other skirmish and battle through the 20th c. !!!
Then, taking even generous estimates of 'your ideas' of the Bible "killing" people. People kill people w/ or w/o a motive, and, usually it is a selfish means anyways so unlike the movies & TV you've seen, say 7even!, most killers are not killing for/because/ of any God, let alone Christ.
LASTLY, you cannot judge a system by its perversions.
Like, Muslims saying they aren't all suicide bombers! Is that so insane an idea? Playing with children is wrong. No No it is not wrong unless you're a pervert & a pedophile! Are we not allowed to interact with children because of a few rotten apples? Ofcourse NOT, because that logic is what's truly dangerous.
The lack of evidence, logic, or, effort to reach either is what makes U closer to a killer than any inanimate object can be!
Sorry NZder but with all your world class education, is Baaaaaa! five a's or six?
Is the voice of the podcast even real? It sounds computer generated to me.
Number 1 should be The Bible.
AMEN, Monsieur.
Easily far more blood was shed because of the Bible and its fellow so-called "Holy Books" than all ten of these combined.
Most certainly the Bible needs to be burned. The transcendent monotheistic 'god' mentioned in the Bible obviously does not exist, as all the 'sky-gods' presented by Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All books representing those three religions need to be at the top of the list as books that have "screwed-up" generations for centuries. Perhaps my book titled: Did God Screw Up? published by lulu.com might make a list of books that readers would enjoy reading. Why not have a list of the most influential authors and books
starting with "The God Delusion" by Professor Richard Dawkins?
Prowriter
assuming that your response is not on three fundamental religions but the book in which some of the most influential writer have sort refuge you must remember that these books particularly the Quran where written by mad man that is not to say they did or did not hear the voice of God merely that what they wrote can not be disputed as the most empowering and important words in all history those books may have done damage but they have saved more people then they have killed built more civilizations then they have destroyed and cultivated heroes who lead the way in conquering poverty and world hunger
sorry i hit the wrong key
@ Victor: U are such a hater,I am SURE ur life is so miserable and lonely that u didn't wanted to be the only miserable one..u need it to poison the world around u with ur words.
Don't make war..Make LOVE
yes..bible sud be #1.So should most other religious books. Religious fanatics have killed and murdered quoting verses from these books,twisting the words to fit their bill.
Hitler hated religion.
Stalin wasn't religious.
Nor Mao, although they ALL were fanatics for their own beliefs.
Either way, you are thinking on level of a child, average American who watches TV and is more afraid of a book because of these poor, half-baked ideas everyone gets from the media and our culture.
you should actually read the Bible, you would have a completely different opinion.. try it,, I challenge you.
In truth, all books are evil. The written word has a level of authority the spoken word doesn't have. A man with an opinion is just that. A man with a book to back him up is a man who will murder you without guilt for what he KNOWS is right.
Which is the worst book? Whichever one led to the second one.
U WATCH TOO MUCH TV!
Trust any teacher who knows books don't kill people,
people with either poor thinking skills or poor interpersonal connections kill people.
I strongly disagree with the inclusion of number 5. How can teaching people how to think be a bad thing? Is knowing the outcome of the War of 1812 really all that vital in today's society? In my opinion, Dewey had it right.
So did Dewey teach people to have that nice ***** with goats? Because they picked up that skill like a fat kid to cake
Oops, I mean sheep, I'm getting all your guys' favorite meat puppets mixed up
That's okay. Cake is my favorite meat.
You're *****, long life to marx !
i can't believe 120 days of Sodom isn't in here
This is a list of ten of the worst books of this type – books that have done more harm than good. The common thread in all of these books is deception – invariably not intentional, but the consequences are the same regardless.”
If this list is to be accurate then religious books should have been added. I dont slam any religion nor do i think religion is a bad thing. However, man has used these religious books to commit some of history's most horrifying deeds against another man, and they have done so for 1600 or so years. By far the Bible and Koran are guilty for killing millions if not billions in the last two millennium.
To have omitted these two books from the list is a tragedy and just another example of the media not being true to themselves or their readers.
You are so off base, sorely lacking a real education, and a stack of books W/ bibliographies @ the end!
There were NEVER billions of people for any religion to kill before now. Adding all the people to ever live and you still come with the fact that PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE!
Dunce! You are judging the perverts as if they were professors! Anyone who can use The Bible to rationalize any anti-thesis to what is actually professed & COMMANDED inside The Bible would have killed if there had been NO book. Hitler, Stalin, &, Mao actually did kill MILLIONS and it was IN line with their beliefs & books they used.
U cannot judge any system/group/people by how it is/they are perverted!
If it says, Thou (meaning everyone!) shall NOT kill then THOSE who KILLED & CLAIMED 2 be a Christian were CLEARLY NOT Christian @ ALL!!!
Wolves in sheeps clothing, or they were rationalizing, like you seem to do oh so well!
First of all, the podcast basically implied that they left of the Bible and other religious texts since they knew they'd show up in the comments anyway.
The Bible is more than just the Ten Commandments an the Golden Rule. There is a lot of other rules in there. There are tons of instances where specific things require someone be put to death (adultery, working on the Sabbath, etc). A big one, tied to the 10, is that worshipping other religions was punishable by death. Which is basically justification for things like the Crusade. Thou shalt not kill leaves out the small print of "applies to 'our' people only".
wrong, the new testament negated the more ruthless bits of the old testament (which were there mainly to help people survive in those times) if anyone in power had had the balls to point this out, people would have quickly realised the crusades was just people killing people whilst using the bible as a scapegoat and all hell would have broken loose, kind of how the americans claimed nuclear weapons were in the middle east then invaded despite mass opposition.
"according to wikipedia" – 'epic face palm'
You're missing "Silent Spring", by Rachel Carson. The anti-DDT hysteria that she started has resulted in more deaths from malaria than all the murders by all the communist and fascist dictators of the 20th century.
-jcr
Great point!!! Should definitely be on the list.
The word of God is sweeter than the honey and fresher than the best fruits.Enjoy it fellow. how God loved the world that he gave his begotten son for us, me and you. aikins yao amemavor
AMEN!!!