The Fifty Worst (and Best) Books of the Century

I was checking out some things over at the ISI web page and came across this interesting tidbit: The Fifty Worst (and Best) Books of the Century.

It certainly makes me feel better as I own and have read (at least in part) the top four on the “best” list. Here are the top five from both sides:

Best
1. Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams
2. C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man
3. Whittaker Chambers, Witness
4. T.S. Eliot, Selected Essays, 1917-1932
5. Arnold Toynbee, A Study of History

Worst
1. Margaret Mead, Coming of Age in Samoa
2. Beatrice & Sidney Webb, Soviet Communism: A New Civilization?
3. Alfred Kinsey, et al., Sexual Behavior in the Human Male
4. Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man
5. John Dewey, Democracy and Education

Discuss amongst yourselves . . .

Kevin Holtsberry
I work in communications and public affairs. I try to squeeze in as much reading as I can while still spending time with my wife and two kids (and cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Michigan Wolverines during football season).

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