# Send a Book Back In Time!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/send-a-book-back-in-time/110044>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 21, 2002, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/send-a-book-back-in-time/110044 "2002-05-21T04:06:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![soop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@soop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soop)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/send-a-book-back-in-time/110044/61 "2002-05-31T14:31:32Z")

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If you were going for MOST effect, I would reconmend one of 3 things:

1. Get a killer virus and spread it over the book, send it back to Ancient Rome.

2. Gunpower for dummies, to Rome.

3. Instructions on the contruction of the Atom bomb to Stalin in 1935.

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/send-a-book-back-in-time/110044/62 "2002-06-01T01:42:21Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by soop \*  
> \*\*If you were going for MOST effect, I would reconmend one of 3 things:
> 
> 1. Get a killer virus and spread it over the book, send it back to Ancient Rome.
> 
> 2. Gunpower for dummies, to Rome.
> 
> 3. Instructions on the contruction of the Atom bomb to Stalin in 1935. \*\*

WHY IN GHOD’S NAME WOULD YOU WANT TO DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS?!?!

Also, why don’t you know how to spell “so **a** p”? Only 1 **o**. :wally

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**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/send-a-book-back-in-time/110044/63 "2002-06-01T02:44:46Z")

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I don’t know if it would be the maximum possible benefit to humanity, but I would consider sending copies of Randy Shilts’ “The Band Played On” (an early book about AIDS) to New York, San Francisco, etc. around 1965-1970. Or, better yet, any comprehensive prevention guide to HIV to be sent to every major city in the world.

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**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/send-a-book-back-in-time/110044/64 "2002-06-01T02:51:34Z")

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Oh – and although it would clearly NOT benefit the largest possible number of people, how about sending a book about the 9/11/01 back to 1999 or so? Assuming anyone bothered to pay attention to it.

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