Which three books would you take to start a new civilization on another planet?

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You have been chosen by aliens to build a new human civilization on another planet in an adjacent solar system and you are allowed to take 3 books on your shelf right now, which ones do you take?

1. The Road to Reality

2. The Princeton Companion to Mathematics

3. Cosmos
 
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Pengwuino said:
I'd bring a Kindle.

So which three books on your kindle?
 
Kevin_Axion said:
So which three books on your kindle?

I'd hide the kindle inside 1 hollowed out book storing 1/3 of all the books ever written. I would proceed to buy 2 more kindles and do similar things for the other 2 books.
 
1. Physicsforums
2. Google
3. Wikipedia

Oh darn! These aren't books!
My intelligence is going to suffer!
 
1. Pimsleur Alienian.
2. Swiss Navy Survival Guide.
3. To Serve Aliens.
 
Bible, King Lear, and the Encyclopedia Britannica

Sorry, it's more than a "book," but I can fit it on a thumb drive. As I'm bringing it, you'll just have to cope. :)
 
"Steal This Book", Abbie Hoffman
"The Secrets Of Houdini" by J. C. Cannell
"Alien Abduction Escape" by Steve Schultz
 
wuliheron said:
"Steal This Book", Abbie Hoffman
"The Secrets Of Houdini" by J. C. Cannell
"Alien Abduction Escape" by Steve Schultz

Hahahaha!
 
If I look at the shelf now they would be
The River Cottage Year
Nigel Slater's Real Food \
Katie Stewart Times Cookery Book
It's a bummer to read PF on a laptop in the kitchen.

In a better room
Complete Shakespear
King James Bible
Other Men's Flowers
 
1) Feynman lectures on physics
2) Biology - Campbell
3) Introduction to psychology - Atkinson
 
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micromass said:
1) Feynman lectures on physics

What's this?
Are you working through the Feynman lectures?
Good! I definitely recommend them! :smile:
 
It's said that Abraham Lincoln had just three books available to him in his formative years: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, the King James Bible and an arithmetic textbook. (Of course, he grew up to be a lawyer.)
 
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micromass said:
1) Feynman lectures on physics
2) Biology - Campbell
3) Introduction to psychology - Atkinson

I'm suprised it took 12 replies to say the Feynman lectures. That's one book that i will definitely take.
 
Brandon_R said:
I'm suprised it took 12 replies to say the Feynman lectures. That's one book that i will definitely take.

And that from a mathematician! :biggrin:
 
Textbooks, Textbooks and Textbooks. :biggrin:

What else do i have to study? :smile:
 
Pranav-Arora said:
Textbooks, Textbooks and Textbooks.

What else do i have to study?

Oh, you need the book that explains how to study books!
 
I like Serena said:
Oh, you need the book that explains how to study books!

Where can i find this book? :smile:
 
If I'm going to start a new human civilization, then the only book I'd need to bring is the Kama Sutra
 
The following will be required reading for every single person in my new civilization:

1. How to Solve It - Polya

2. The Feynman Lectures on Physics - Duh

3. Calculus - Spivak

The inability to reason and solve problems will not be tolerated in my new civilization. If one is found to lack these skills by the age of 18, then they will either be given to the aliens to be used in experiments, or fed to the animals.
 
Hmm...

1) Bible (NABRE)
2) Encyclopedia Brittanica (on DVD, which means I'll need my laptop too :biggrin:)
3) a portable hard drive with PDF's containing all the musical scores that I can find, and as many MP3's as I can fit (I like classical music)
 
Dembadon said:
3. Calculus - Spivak

The inability to reason and solve problems will not be tolerated in my new civilization. If one is found to lack these skills by the age of 18, then they will either be given to the aliens to be used in experiments, or fed to the animals.

Urkel... I never had Spivak... and I'm already over 18! :eek:
 
Dembadon said:
The inability to reason and solve problems will not be tolerated in my new civilization. If one is found to lack these skills by the age of 18, then they will either be given to the aliens to be used in experiments, or fed to the animals.

Hmmm, I don't think I want to live in your civilization then :bugeye:
 
micromass said:
Hmmm, I don't think I want to live in your civilization then

In that case, you're stuck with me! :shy:
 
Molecular Biology of the Cell
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (88th edition)
Communication Systems Engineering
 
micromass said:
Hmmm, I don't think I want to live in your civilization then :bugeye:

I like Serena said:
In that case, you're stuck with me! :shy:

I don't know what you two are worried about; both of you possesses the skills I require.
 
Oh, it has to be on my shelf?

Rocket Propulsion Elements
Classical Mechanics
Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity
 

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