Setting book lists. 50 Most Influential Books of the Last 50 (or so) Years. In compiling the books on this list, the editors at SuperScholar have tried to provide a window into the culture of the last 50 years.
Ideally, if you read every book on this list, you will know how we got to where we are today. Not all the books on this list are “great.” The criterion for inclusion was not greatness but INFLUENCE. All the books on this list have been enormously influential. The Staff Recommends: Home. BookMooch: trade your books with other people. A new way of choosing what to read next. The Best 100 Opening Lines From Books / Life / Stylist Magazine. Book recommendations from readers like you.