For anyone who has seen the 1960 movie, The Time Machine (based on the HG Wells novel): which 3 books would You have taken back with you to rebuild civilization, and why?
__________________
Shinier than a speeding bullet.
Last edited by Mindship on Jan 17th, 2007 at 02:44 AM
That, I thought, was the charm of the movie: it was never said which books he took. It was up to the viewer to answer the question for him/herself.
For those who have no idea what this is about :
An inventor from 1899 builds a time machine and travels to the year 800,000 AD (or there abouts). He finds that the human race has evolved into two races: the monstrous, subterranean, machine-using predators called the Morlocks; and their passive, topside-dwelling, very attractive prey (like herd animals) called the Eloi. For the Eloi, there is no progress, no personal ambition, not even anger or resentment at this set-up. They've been bred/controlled to accept their fates. There are no books, no databases of any kind. Man's quest for knowledge and advancement has long since died.
The Time Traveler finds this state of affairs unacceptable. So (long story short), he sabotages the Morlocks' operations to free the Eloi. But this isn't enough. Civilization needs to be restarted, so the Time Traveler returns briefly to his own time to grab what he needs (also, to let his friends know where he's been) and return to the Eloi world.
The movie ends with the Time Traveler's 1899 friend noting that 3 books are missing from the Traveler's bookcase. His maid asks, "I wonder which books he took?"
The Traveler's friend says, "If you were going to rebuild civilization, which books would you take?"
Excellent ending. The 2002 movie didn't have it, and I don't believe even HG Wells' novel had this ending (I could be wrong; it's been years since I read it).
So: which 3 books would you have taken?
Not directly, AFAIK (though scifi author Stephen Baxter wrote an excellent sequel to Wells' book, called The Time Ships, which takes your question into account in a major way).
__________________
Shinier than a speeding bullet.
Last edited by Mindship on Jan 17th, 2007 at 12:55 PM
Thats a tough one......
I don't think I have read many books that would come in handy for rebuilding civilization...
And this is assuming that I'm working with intelligent people who already know how communicate and how to survive and so forth in their environment right? sorry i've never read the book or seen the movie.
I mean, do they know how to make a fire and basic nutrition?
Ill just throw these out there I guess...
1 Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
2 some sort of a comprehensive math/engineering book..
3 some sort of a comprehensive book on sustainable farming...
I know those answers are kind of cheating but, its a really tough call, especially not knowing what the situation is exactly.
Should you immediately focus more on improving quality of life through science/mathematics or focus more on your civilization having a healthy mental/spiritual/social set up in the beginning?
One book I would definitely NOT bring: the bible.
Last edited by goatstradamus on Jan 20th, 2007 at 10:08 PM
Siddhartha because I think the story has a lot of good wisdom that would help a lot in starting a civilization and at the same time it is not imposing.
Comprehensive math/engineering - well because I think it would help make life easier for my civilization to know how to work with there environment through engineering. Being able to build effective housing, irrigation, accurate tools, measure distance effectively ect..
Comprehensive farming - Well, this one is pretty obvious.. basically farming is a very effective way to sustain a civilization. I guess my civilization would be agricultural.
Other interesting ideas that come to mind..a book about nutrition and health, or something on the history of governments..
Gender: Male Location: Drifting off around the bend
The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis, B.F. Skinner
Beyond Freedom and Dignity, B.F. Skinner I believe these two provide plenty of information to start a proper civilization.
The Kama Sutra I think every society needs to have access to a decent sex manual.
Gender: Male Location: al-Jumhuuriyya al-Yamaniyya
I should have known you'd take books by Skinner (fanboy).
I'd take books with information simple practical engineering as well as information on building mechanical devices (too far back in time and anything complex would be meaningless).
__________________
Sig by JasonK4
In the Heaven I'm headed to/ There's a place for preachers, thieves and prostitutes/ Saints and soldiers, beggars, kings and renegades
The Morlocks provided the Eloi with basic food and shelter. Basically all the Eloi did all day was play in the sun like children, not really caring about anything, even when one of their own was drowning (the Time Traveler had to jump in). I doubt they knew how to make a fire, but that was okay: their Morlock-powered habitat was quite the paradise. No one minded being herded, even when the dinner siren sounded from the nearby Morlock Sphinx. The Eloi just went into a kind of trance and walked quietly to their doom (Sphinx doors opened to the Morlock underworld, letting several in before closing...til next meal time).
Truly.
I was thinking:
Farming
Engineering
Medicine
If I could bring a fourth book, it would be one on ethics.
As tempted as I would be to bring some spiritual/mystical work, I would prefer to see what developed naturally (if anything).
__________________
Shinier than a speeding bullet.
Gender: Male Location: Drifting off around the bend
You betcha Besides I am a behavior analyst, and I have a rather solid position on Skinner's work.
I figure technology isn't necessary for civilization, advances are a byproduct of a decently functioning society. Thus for me texts that may lead to a decent society are more important than technical prowess
ah, I see, well then, I must say siddartha would probably not be very effective given these guys don't seem to put much thought into life..haha, probably is not such a good idea to introduce such a book when they seem hardly capable of independant thought.
And yea, I agre with your choice of seeing what develops naturally then trying to introduce something else as well..
I guess replacing siddhartha with a book about alternative and traditional medicine would probably be the best choice.
Ethics probably wouldnt be to hard to teach without a book about it.
Though the thing about the one drowning and nobody giving a crap about it does sound pretty discouraging...
A book concerning philosophy and the different schools of thought.
__________________
I am not driven by people’ s praise and I am not slowed down by people’ s criticism.
You only live once. But if you live it right, once is enough.
Make poverty history.
Stop aids, keep the promise.
- Engineering(perhaps more focused on civil and agricultural engineering)
- Philosophy (for a political, social, spiritual and scientific basis, I think philosophy will be important for starting a new civ. as it cover many points.)
- Medicine
The rest I would have to trust in my knowledge of the subject...
I was just waiting for the first to choose the Bible.
__________________
I am not driven by people’ s praise and I am not slowed down by people’ s criticism.
You only live once. But if you live it right, once is enough.
Make poverty history.
Stop aids, keep the promise.
KMC Community Forums
Jan 17th, 2007 02:33 AM
that wouldn't help.
Besides I am a behavior analyst, and I have a rather solid position on Skinner's work.
I play guitar, sing & write songs. Listen to my music 
