What three books...?

[Jamie]

In the 1960 film adaptation of The Time Machine, the traveller's friend notices that, before heading back to the future (different movie), the traveller grabs 3 books from his library to take with him.

The question the traveller's friend asks the maid is posed to the audience as well: "What three books would you take with you to the future with the Eloi?"

So, what three books would you take with you, if you were going to travel through time to:
- the future with the Eloi?
- the past (you pick how far in the past, but make it farther back than one year)?

[Randy]

I'd want definitive works on medicine, basic/advanced survival techniques, and science.

For example, CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics?

Information on herbs and medications might be worthless going that far into the future, because plant life can be completely different.

I don't think I'd take a religious book. Something like the Bible can be summarized so easily, other than the historical portions of it. Which would be relatively meaningless with so little relevant context.

[Todd Fonseca]

Man, this is a tough question.
The first book that came to mind to me was Plato's Republic. I remember reading this in high school and it felt like with that one book my thought processes, questioning skills, and understanding of the human condition grew substantially.

I think another book would be something like Stephen Hawking's "A Briefer History of Time" which encapsulates the scientific thinking of the day might be appropriate.

Something more practical, especially for the Eloi which were so helpless, also seems appropriate - like how to farm, build shelter, etc. seems appropriate but I can't think of a good book for that - other than my Reader's Digest - Fix-it yourself manual ;-)