In 2011, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson took to Reddit for an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session. Users wondered about everything from scientific funding and images taken from space to studying physics and recent technical innovations. But some commenters strayed from scientific topics completely, with one asking, “Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on the planet?” Tyson replied with a list of eight titles, each accompanied by explanations of how the book’s “content influenced the behavior of people who shaped the Western world.”
Below are the books featured in Tyson’s list, alongside his commentary and links to their free, online versions. To read the works, Tyson concluded, would be to “glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the Western world.” Some Reddit users also suggested additional titles, including Plato’s The Republic, Capital by Karl Marx, and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, among others.
To explore more, visit Tyson’s AMA thread on Reddit.
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson revealed a list of eight books in response to a Reddit AMA asking, “Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on the planet?”
The Bible
“To learn that it’s easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself.”
The System of the World by Sir Isaac Newton
“To learn that the universe is a knowable place.”
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
“To learn of our kinship with all other life on Earth.”
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Smith
“To learn, among other satirical lessons, that most of the time humans are Yahoos.”
The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
“To learn how the power of rational thought is the primary source of freedom in the world.”
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
“To learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself.”
The Art of War by Sun Tsu
“To learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art.”
The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli
“To learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.”
Source: I am Neil deGrasse Tyson — AMA
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