INTRODUCTION 



BY 



THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOHN LUBBOCK, BART., M.P., 



F.R.S., D.C.L., LL.D., 

 CHAIRMAN OF THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL. 



IN the year 1886 I gave an address on " Books and Reading" 

 at the Working Men's College, which in the following year was 

 printed as one of the chapters in my " Pleasures of Life." 



In it I mentioned about one hundred names, and the list has 

 been frequently referred to since as my list of " the hundred best 

 books." That, however, is not quite a correct statement. If I 

 were really to make a list of what are in my judgment the hundred 

 greatest books, it would contain several Newton's " Principia," 

 for instance which I did not include, and it would exclude several 

 the " Koran," for instance which I inserted in deference to the 

 judgment of others. Again, I excluded living authors, from some 

 of whom Ruskin and Tennyson, Huxley and Tyndall, for in- 

 stance, to mention no others I have myself derived the keenest 

 enjoyment ; and especially I expressly stated that I did not select 

 the books on my own authority, but as being those most frequently 

 mentioned with approval by those writers who have referred 

 directly or indirectly to the pleasure of reading, rather than as 

 suggestions of my own. 



I have no doubt that on reading the list, many names of 

 books which might well be added would occur to almost any one. 

 Indeed, various criticisms on the list have appeared, and many 

 books have been mentioned which it is said ought to have been 

 included. On the other hand no corresponding omissions have 

 been suggested. I have referred to several of the criticisms, and 

 find that, while 300 or 400 names have been proposed for addition, 

 only half a dozen are suggested for omission. Moreover, it is 

 remarkable that not a single book appears in all the lists, or even 

 in half of them, and only about half a dozen in more than one. 



But while, perhaps, no two persons would entirely concur as to 

 all the books to be included in such a list, I believe no one would 

 deny that those suggested are not only good, but among the best. 



I am, however, ready, and indeed glad, to consider any sugges- 

 tions, and very willing to make any changes which can be shown 

 to be improvements. I have indeed made two changes in the list 

 as it originally appeared, having inserted Kalidasa's " Sakoontala, 



