A recent vote has named On The Origin Of Species by Charles Darwin the single most influential academic book that has ever been written. The book has been hailed as a major example of why academic books are important, and others have stated that the writings have changed the way that we think about everything.
A total of 20 academic books were compiled for their significant contributions to society. The list of the books was created by expert booksellers, librarians and publishers. The prestigious list is a part of the inaugural Academic Book Week. Recently, the public was asked to vote for which book on the list they thought was the most influential.
Other books on the list included A Vindication Of The rights Of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, The Wealth Of Nations by Adam Smith, and A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking.
Of course, the entire list is highly influential and legendary. Still, it was Darwin’s prized work that came out on top. On The Origin Of Species received a whopping 26% of the vote, making it an overwhelming favorite.
The book covers the 1859 study conducted by Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands which outlines the ways that animals and plants evolve and change over time. The book is still massively influential to this very day, having a major impact on how scientists consider the principle of evolution. Many people say that the book single handedly put to rest theories of “creationism” in favor of legitimate scientific studies.
University of Glasgow Professor Andrew Prescott said, “Every researcher, no matter whether they are writing books, creating digital products or producing artworks, aspires to produce something as significant in the history of thought as Origin of Species.”
In second place was The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Third place went to The Complete Works Of Shakespeare, and The Republic by Plato rounded out the top four.
However, it was difficult to select only 20 books. Needless to say, all of the books on the list are highly influential in their own ways.
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