"What are the one hundred most influential books ever written? Those works that have radically altered the course of civilization, whether they have embodied the religions practiced by millions (the Bible, the Koran), achieved the pinnacle of artistic expression (The Iliad and The Odyssey, Shakespeare's First Folio), pointed the way to scientific discovery of enormous consequence (Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Einstein's Relativity), changed the perception of mankind about his very nature (Freud' s Interpretation of Dreams, Skinner's Beyond Freedom and Dignity), or forever altered the global political landscape (Plato's Republic, Machiavelli's Prince)." "For each of the one hundred entries (listed in chronological order) he provides historical background and an overview of the text, little-known facts about the author and the creation of the work, a lively discussion of the factors that warrant the book's inclusion among the one hundred most influential books, and detailed analysis of the effects of the work on our lives today."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved