Author:
Michael Hart
Genre:
Non-fiction History
Appeals to:
History buffs, of any age
What it is about:
Hart's work discusses who he thinks are the most influential persons in history are. He discusses the first 100 in detail providing historical facts, and another 100 honorable mentions. He also explains his list and why he had did not include several major figures in the top 100.
Why read it?:
The list is entertaining and easy-to-read for almost all ages. Hart's selections may be surprising to some due to his selections, leaving out figures such as Marie Curie, Benjamin Franklin, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and even Leonardo da Vinci.
Dozens of critics have slammed this book down for they felt that nobody should have the nerve to list the most influential persons on his own. Still remaining controversial to this day, Hart's work may be subjective, but whether one disagrees or agrees, it still does not fail to give the reader new knowledge and a feeling of being entertained.
Notes:
The book was revised by Hart in 1992, making some changed to his list. For example, he included communist figures such as Lenin and Mao Zedong, and replaced Pablo Picasso with Henry Ford. The 1992 revision is undoubtedly more up-to-date and hence more accurate.
Other books like this:
Michael Hart also wrote "A View From the Year 3000" (1999), where Hart listed the top 100 people, both in the past and the future. 44 people were real people, while 56 were from the future.
