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Books inspire us. Books inspire us.
They teach us. They teach us.
They let us escape
into
new worlds. They let us escape into new worlds.
But some books do much more
than
this. But some books do much more than this.
These books hit a collective nerve, These books hit a collective nerve,
and have had a profound and lasting effect
on
society. and have had a profound and lasting effect on society.
What are the titles that had this impact? What are the titles that had this impact?
There are many, many books that fit this definition, There are many, many books that fit this definition,
but
we've managed
to
narrow it
down
to
five books but we've managed to narrow it down to five books
that have truly shaped our world. that have truly shaped our world.
...wrote Robert Burton
in
his enormous 900 page book, ...wrote Robert Burton in his enormous 900 page book,
The Anatomy
of
Melancholy. The Anatomy of Melancholy.
Which was first published way back
in
1621. Which was first published way back in 1621.
So
in
the 17th Century, So in the 17th Century,
there weren't books
about
melancholy, there weren't books about melancholy,
or
as
we would call it today, depression. or as we would call it today, depression.
It looks
as
if Robert Burton himself suffered
from
depression. It looks as if Robert Burton himself suffered from depression.
And there's a real sense And there's a real sense
as
he writes it, that he's writing himself
into
a position as he writes it, that he's writing himself into a position
of
expertise
about
depression, so he can help himself of expertise about depression, so he can help himself
as
well
as
other people. as well as other people.
And it's remained such a kind
of
influential book And it's remained such a kind of influential book
over
the centuries
since
then. over the centuries since then.
Not simply because
of
its subject matter, Not simply because of its subject matter,
it's the way it's written - it explores inner life it's the way it's written - it explores inner life
in
a way that hadn't really been explored
before
. in a way that hadn't really been explored before.
So it's the patient's voice. So it's the patient's voice.
And one
of
the things that we've learnt
over
the last 20 years And one of the things that we've learnt over the last 20 years
is the importance
of
the patient's voice, is the importance of the patient's voice,
in targeting research and clinical treatment. in targeting research and clinical treatment.
To 1960s America now, To 1960s America now,
where many people still thought that a woman's place was
in
the home. where many people still thought that a woman's place was in the home.
Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique in 1963, Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique in 1963,
and in the introduction describes it
as
, and in the introduction describes it as,
"The problem that has no name." "The problem that has no name."
It was a book writing
about
the experience and aspirations It was a book writing about the experience and aspirations
of
women
in
suburban America. of women in suburban America.
It stood out
as
a book
at
this time because the experience
of
women It stood out as a book at this time because the experience of women
wasn't being written
about
in this way
for
the general population. wasn't being written about in this way for the general population.
It stood out because she was standing
up
and saying, It stood out because she was standing up and saying,
"We need
to
acknowledge that there is more
to
life
for
these women "We need to acknowledge that there is more to life for these women
than
being the perfect wife, the perfect mother." than being the perfect wife, the perfect mother."
She developed the idea that women needed
to
become politicised, She developed the idea that women needed to become politicised,
they needed
to
think
about
their experience
at
home. they needed to think about their experience at home.
However, and there is a big however, However, and there is a big however,
the biggest criticism came
from
her exclusion
of
women
of
colour. the biggest criticism came from her exclusion of women of colour.
Poor women's experience was excluded, she also excluded lesbians. Poor women's experience was excluded, she also excluded lesbians.
Despite these shortcomings, Despite these shortcomings,
this book had real impact
at
the time. this book had real impact at the time.
It bought feminism
to
a very wide audience and that's a huge positive. It bought feminism to a very wide audience and that's a huge positive.
Bill McKibben's 1989 book, The End
of
Nature, Bill McKibben's 1989 book, The End of Nature,
is considered
to
be the first book
to
bring global warming is considered to be the first book to bring global warming
to
a general audience. to a general audience.
The End
of
Nature is
about
how humans are changing the planet. The End of Nature is about how humans are changing the planet.
It's a sad lament on human destruction. It's a sad lament on human destruction.
In the 1980s, people had been talking
about
global warming, In the 1980s, people had been talking about global warming,
but
it hadn't entered the public consciousness
as
something but it hadn't entered the public consciousness as something
that we should be really concerned
about
, that we should be really concerned about,
and we should be already acting
on
. and we should be already acting on.
What he did
with
this book is really wake people
up
What he did with this book is really wake people up
to
this dramatic change that we are having globally
on
the natural world. to this dramatic change that we are having globally on the natural world.
And which now is taken
for
granted
by
everybody, And which now is taken for granted by everybody,
we all are very aware
of
the impact we're having. we all are very aware of the impact we're having.
And it's largely due
to
books
like
this. And it's largely due to books like this.
Things Fall Apart
by
Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe,
was one
of
the first African novels
in
English was one of the first African novels in English
to
gain global recognition and acclaim, to gain global recognition and acclaim,
and it is still read and studied all
over
the world
to
this day. and it is still read and studied all over the world to this day.
Africa was always seen
through
the eyes
of
the white colonials. Africa was always seen through the eyes of the white colonials.
It was
like
a door opening It was like a door opening
into
a world that white Europeans never understood into a world that white Europeans never understood
and even as it was published and even as it was published
people were astonished
by
the beauty
of
the book. people were astonished by the beauty of the book.
Here comes a man who's talking
about
Igbo villages in Nigeria Here comes a man who's talking about Igbo villages in Nigeria
and their lives and their inner thoughts and their lives and their inner thoughts
and their hopes and desires and we'd never seen that. and their hopes and desires and we'd never seen that.
And
for
Africans - and that's the more important point - And for Africans - and that's the more important point -
there were emerging writers, there were emerging writers,
they knew their time was now, they knew their time was now,
they knew that the world was ready they knew that the world was ready
and it was that book that convinced them that it was. and it was that book that convinced them that it was.
And finally,
to
post-war Britain, And finally, to post-war Britain,
a time when many items were still rationed, a time when many items were still rationed,
and
to
Elizabeth David's A Book
of
Mediterranean Food. and to Elizabeth David's A Book of Mediterranean Food.
Britain already had a reputation
for
poor food, Britain already had a reputation for poor food,
plain food, grey food. plain food, grey food.
She wrote it
as
a memoir almost,
of
her time spent
in
southern Europe She wrote it as a memoir almost, of her time spent in southern Europe
before
and
during
World War Two. before and during World War Two.
She wrote it really
as
a yearning
for
these wonderful places She wrote it really as a yearning for these wonderful places
and the colours and the scents and the flavours. and the colours and the scents and the flavours.
These days we completely take
for
granted ingredients
like
chickpeas, These days we completely take for granted ingredients like chickpeas,
lemon, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, basil. lemon, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, basil.
But then, when this book was published, But then, when this book was published,
none
of
those ingredients were really available. none of those ingredients were really available.
I mean, if you wanted
to
buy olive oil, I mean, if you wanted to buy olive oil,
you had
to
go
to
a chemist's shop you had to go to a chemist's shop
because it was sold
for
treating earache. because it was sold for treating earache.
She triggered a movement which we still feel today She triggered a movement which we still feel today
which is one where food becomes something important which is one where food becomes something important
not just
to
our daily routine
of
nourishing ourselves not just to our daily routine of nourishing ourselves
but
saying a little bit more
about
who we are. but saying a little bit more about who we are.
So there's now multiple generations So there's now multiple generations
of
food writers and cookery presenters of food writers and cookery presenters
whose existence now would not have been possible
without
that book. whose existence now would not have been possible without that book.
Words
on
a page can do so much more
than
entertain. Words on a page can do so much more than entertain.
Some books have imagined, explored and introduced ideas Some books have imagined, explored and introduced ideas
which have had a lasting impact
on
our society which have had a lasting impact on our society
which we experience
to
this day, even if we haven't read them. which we experience to this day, even if we haven't read them.

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