- published: 30 Nov 2015
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The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History is a 1978 book by Michael H. Hart, reprinted in 1992 with revisions. It is a ranking of the 100 people who, according to Hart, most influenced human history.
The first person on Hart's list is the Prophet of Islam Muhammad. Hart asserted that Muhammad was "supremely successful" in both the religious and secular realms. He also believed that Muhammad's role in the development of Islam was far more influential than Jesus' collaboration in the development of Christianity. He attributes the development of Christianity to St. Paul, who played a pivotal role in its dissemination."
The 1992 revisions included the demotion of figures associated with Communism, such as Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong, and the introduction of Mikhail Gorbachev. Hart took sides in the Shakespearean authorship issue and substituted Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford for William Shakespeare. Hart also substituted Niels Bohr and Henri Becquerel with Ernest Rutherford, thus correcting an error in the first edition. Henry Ford was also promoted from the "Honorary Mentions" list, replacing Pablo Picasso. Finally, some of the rankings were re-ordered, although no one listed in the top ten changed position.
In twilight
Where rain and gray aren't innocent
None of us are
Shadow life
The light is dim and paranoid
This is all we have
Now we leave this place
Between the light and the dark there's a comfortable grey
From all I've known I'm leaving today
Don't make me turn away
When the Light comes (from far away)
I'm closing my eyes in shadow
When Darkness takes me (so far away)
I look for the Light and find that you can't have both
I look around
See through myself and to the ground
For I am empty
What I have
It's all I've got and is the cause of pain within me
Now we leave this place
Between the light and the dark there's a comfortable grey
From all I've known I'll have to part ways
I won't go through this, the divorce is too great
I will not let go of all I've never wanted
Must I turn away my only hope to see the day?