As one of the minority in this country that still appreciates reading, I found myself wandering aimlessly in cyberspace in search of interesting books. As it would happen, I inevitably began browsing titles that could result in an FBI file (if you take stock in the conspiracy theories). In the process I stumbled upon a site that nearly caused me to fall out of my chair. As I peered at the page in disbelief, I witnessed a rare but disturbing insight into the Conservative mind. A collection of Conservatives, who by some small miracle, managed to pick up a book that wasn’t a Bible, pretended to have an educated opinion on books that they deemed to be harmful. The actual title of this mockery of intelligent thought is “Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Centuries”. As I am still at a loss for words, I recommend that you see the site for yourself. Among the infamous list are some books that were milestones in social thought. Other titles qualified as those that may have been nefarious, but cannot be ignored. History, after all, has an odd way of revisiting those who forget its lessons.
I believe that the only possible response to such a warped view of history and literature is to post a counter-list. I would like some feedback as to what books balanced, well-educated people see as dangerous from this same time period (19th to 20th) century.