After a worldwide cataclysm, what 3 books would you save to rebuild humanity?

May I start with an apology. This is not going to go down well with most folks here and I don't mean to roil anyone. I respond for sheer fun of it.
Looking around...is there anything I like to save, any great wisdom? Fortunately No.
So I personally won't be saving any books. As for self-help, hopefully the obsession with self help will end within this apocalyptic vision that you have presented here.
Humanity knows a lot more because of books. It has not simplified, it has complicated folks. Lot of information. Our brains are merely information dumps? Information is part of the problem not solution. And usually sits in the way of direct simple response to life.

When borrowed, stale, second hand knowledge is done with...a direct, childlike, simple responding to life takes place. Fresh perspective. Life moves forward books or no books.
I have much greater trust in innate intelligence within each person. It comes to ignite in absence of precedence. Fresh, new, innovative. I feel people will be more alive. More here, in the moment rather than trying to live by second hand experience.
After all, this was presumably the case once. Civilization builds slowly...good or bad....but lack of books does not stop moving forward....as long as we are still allowed brains in our heads...the whole show is created 🙂

Thanks for your response Jnani. I understand the underlying message with what you're saying. The experience of learning how to tap into Universal Intelligence is far more valuable that any books one could read. And the human brain and senses do indeed tend to lead one astray if they are unaware.

So I would agree that no book can take the place of direct spiritual experience, and sure, humanity needs that direct experience more now than ever. Personally, I still perceive that information in books and such has it's place at present and is necessary for humanity developing, at this time. Although I can also see a time in the future when there will be little use for books and written knowledge for everyone too. 🙂

And what a wonderful world that will be when we each arrive there. 🙂

Thanks for your response Jnani. I understand the underlying message with what you're saying. The experience of learning how to tap into Universal Intelligence is far more valuable that any books one could read. And the human brain and senses do indeed tend to lead one astray if they are unaware.

So I would agree that no book can take the place of direct spiritual experience, and sure, humanity needs that direct experience more now than ever. Personally, I still perceive that information in books and such has it's place at present and is necessary for humanity developing, at this time. Although I can also see a time in the future when there will be little use for books and written knowledge for everyone too. 🙂

And what a wonderful world that will be when we each arrive there. 🙂

We need to be innocent within ourself again. World is forever what it is- an utter chaos. Future is not. There is no future, only this moment....in a way as you say, it will be nice to burn down everything and start afresh....but that's is a personal burning down. It need not wait for a global catastrophe. Collective never can arrive there. But a nice dream anyway:)

There's been a worldwide global cataclysm following a disastrous experiment with Earth atmosphere.

This has resulted in the end of civilization as we know it!

Cities are reduced to rubble, energy suppliers are obsolete, cars have run out of gas and the internet is no more. Every electrical device on the planet has been fried and humanity has lost the knowledge, wisdom and technology that once made it great.

And to make matters worse, our planet is dying and we must migrate to another planet in order to continue our survival.

Before your journey begins to repopulate another planet, you are allowed to take with you only 3 books for your family, in order to pass down valuable knowledge and information to your children.

These 3 books you decide to take will play their part in shaping the new future of humanity!

What 3 books do you take with you?

I'm not sure why we need a "disastrous experiment with Earth's atmosphere". Global warming is going to end civilization as we know it. Even if I am wrong that humans will become extinct, there's no way our unsustainable civilization can continue. ("...that once made it great" :eek:)
And - if by some 'miracle' (disaster) humans manage to get to some other planet, so that they can destroy somewhere else, I won't be going with them.

I'll stay and die with the earth.

Great question self help!

I'd rather stay and live with the earth though! Life can't be destroyed because it doesn't abide in matter, but in Spirit.
And while I absolutely know that all that is good, real and true and comes from the one divine Mind, (what I call God), at this present time, when we have books that are signposts to that truth and have been proved, why not embrace them? Why reinvent the wheel?

The two books I would want with me, whether here (or on some other planet!) are the Bible and Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, because those two books are my friends, my teachers, my physician, my relationship guide, my employment agency, my safety expect - you name it, I've found answers, healing, protection and supply. (And as for a third, something with beautiful art in it I think - something visually uplifting and inspiring, to go along with the uplifting and inspiring words of the other two.)

Hi Principled,

thanks for your reply and kind words. 🙂

What you say is very true indeed. And thanks for sharing your choice of books. I was hoping to discover what books other people find valuable. The Bible is obviously a great one, but I've never heard of Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy.

Although reading the reviews of the book it certainly appears very interesting and just the thing I'd like to read myself. So I'll certainly buy a copy and have a read.

Thanks for the suggestion my friend. 🙂

God Bless

Life can't be destroyed because it doesn't abide in matter, but in Spirit.

I don't actually disagree with this. But we will die in the sense that this post meant - i.e. a leaving of this life in this place.
What comes next will come next, regardless of belief.

I'm guessing taking the complete encyclopedia Brittanica is out of the question since it's more than 1 book!!! There is a book called 'How things work' that would probably be invaluable from a practical viewpoint. Since we would have people from all religions I would NOT take the bible. I might take a work of philosophy though.

There was a book that I read many years ago which described a world that suffered from a "cataclysm", with just a few survivors left to carry on the human race. The only thing of practical use that was passed on from the survivors was how to attach flights to an arrow to make it fly straight so that the up and coming new generation would stand a better chance with their hunting for food.
Books were of no use as the ability to read was soon lost, and any science past on eventually became immaterial as there were no way to replace lost manufacturing skills.
Word of mouth would seem to be the best legacy, something along the lines of the New Testament focusing on social values and man having a Divine relationship. Hopefully that would discourage people from eating each other until civilised survival values gradually took over.

How about Bible, Essays In Science by Albert Einstein and On the Origin of Species by Darwin. We had similar topic for a writing task at the college and as I don't like to write essays, I found some help with essayshark. The writers did that better than me