Culture and Anarchy by Matthew Arnold

This book is a series of essays that critically examines the culture and society of 19th-century England. The author argues that the pursuit of perfection and an ideal state of culture is the remedy to the social issues and disorder of the time. He presents two opposing forces, "culture" which seeks the holistic development of society, and "anarchy" which represents the chaos and disorder resulting from a lack of culture. Throughout the text, he explores the tension between these two forces, ultimately advocating for the importance of education and the pursuit of perfection in achieving a harmonious society.

The 4982nd greatest book of all time

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Total Points: 81

Since this book was first published in 1869, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 81.0.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.