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Quiz about Groundbreaking Books of the 20th Century
Quiz about Groundbreaking Books of the 20th Century

Groundbreaking Books of the 20th Century Quiz


This quiz covers ten influential books of the 20th century, all ten of which have caused us to look at things in a different way than we did previously.

A multiple-choice quiz by chessart. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
chessart
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
295,643
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
2386
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 98 (8/10), Guest 194 (8/10), PurpleComet (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Upton Sinclair's groundbreaking 1906 book, "The Jungle", was primarily about which industry? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The 1920 book "Main Street" focused on the hypocrisy and shallowness of small town life in the U.S. Who was the author of this groundbreaking work? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The 1936 book called "The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money" turned the science of economics on its head by arguing that the government should play an active role in smoothing out the ups and downs of the economy. Who was the author of this groundbreaking work? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. In 1939 John Steinbeck published "The Grapes of Wrath", one of the most widely-discussed books of the century. Which group did this novel portray? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In 1957 Jack Kerouac published a book which recounted his travels across the country with his friend Neal Cassady. What was the name of this book, which defined the "beat generation"? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In 1958 Eugene Burdick and William Lederer published a book which had a profound effect on our understanding of how Americans abroad were viewed. Fill in the missing word in the title of this groundbreaking work, "The _____ American".

Answer: (One Word, four letters)
Question 7 of 10
7. The War on Poverty of the 1960's was undertaken as a direct result of a book called "The Other America", published in 1961. Who was the author of this groundbreaking book? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The genesis of the environmental movement was provided in 1962 by a groundbreaking work by Rachel Carson. Fill in the title of this important book, "Silent _________".
.

Answer: (one word, six letters)
Question 9 of 10
9. Ralph Nader's 1965 book "Unsafe at any Speed" documented numerous problems with design flaws in the automobile industry. However, the book has come to be associated with a particular make of car. What car is that? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. A number of important books contributed to the rapid growth of feminism in the last three decades of the 20th century. Who wrote the 1970 book "The Female Eunuch"? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 98: 8/10
Mar 09 2024 : Guest 194: 8/10
Feb 24 2024 : PurpleComet: 8/10
Feb 14 2024 : creekerjess: 8/10
Feb 06 2024 : Guest 75: 3/10
Jan 28 2024 : Guest 174: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Upton Sinclair's groundbreaking 1906 book, "The Jungle", was primarily about which industry?

Answer: meatpacking

"The Jungle" tells the story of a family of Lithuanian immigrants who came to the U.S. seeking a better life for themselves. Settling in the Chicago area, they went to work in the meatpacking industry and endured all sorts of unsafe conditions. While Sinclair's book was meant to be an exposure of these unsafe working conditions, the main result of the book was the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the handling of food.
2. The 1920 book "Main Street" focused on the hypocrisy and shallowness of small town life in the U.S. Who was the author of this groundbreaking work?

Answer: Sinclair Lewis

The novel is said to be based on Lewis' hometown of Sauk Centre, Minnesota. After the novel came out, Sauk Centre was at first unhappy with how it was depicted. However, the town has since embraced Lewis, and his boyhood home is now open for visitors to tour.

During the 1920s Lewis also published "Babbitt", "Arrowsmith", "Elmer Gantry", and "Dodsworth", resulting in his being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930, the first American to be so honored.
3. The 1936 book called "The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money" turned the science of economics on its head by arguing that the government should play an active role in smoothing out the ups and downs of the economy. Who was the author of this groundbreaking work?

Answer: John Maynard Keynes

"Keynesian Economics" remained controversial for several decades before becoming generally accepted economic theory. With John F. Kennedy's 1962 tax cut to stimulate the economy, it was apparent Keynes' ideas had attained acceptance.

One who never did accept Keynes' theories was Milton Friedman, who consistently advocated an unfettered free market until his death in 2006 at age 94. Friedrich von Hayek was another famous critic of Keynes, while Galbraith was perhaps Keynes' biggest disciple.
4. In 1939 John Steinbeck published "The Grapes of Wrath", one of the most widely-discussed books of the century. Which group did this novel portray?

Answer: Okies

Both "The Grapes of Wrath" and Woody Guthrie's 1943 autobiography, "Bound for Glory", depict the plight of the Okies as they migrated to California in search of a better life.
5. In 1957 Jack Kerouac published a book which recounted his travels across the country with his friend Neal Cassady. What was the name of this book, which defined the "beat generation"?

Answer: On the Road

Hunter S. Thompson wrote "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", William Burroughs wrote "Naked Lunch", and "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" was by Tom Wolfe.
6. In 1958 Eugene Burdick and William Lederer published a book which had a profound effect on our understanding of how Americans abroad were viewed. Fill in the missing word in the title of this groundbreaking work, "The _____ American".

Answer: Ugly

Prior to this book it was customary for ambassadors from the U.S. to have no knowledge or appreciation of the culture or history of countries they were sent to, and no ability to speak the language. In fact, ambassadorships were often granted as political favors by newly-elected Presidents to reward their major campaign contributors. Since then, there has been a much greater sensitivity to respecting other cultures, and a greater use of career foreign service workers as ambassadors.
7. The War on Poverty of the 1960's was undertaken as a direct result of a book called "The Other America", published in 1961. Who was the author of this groundbreaking book?

Answer: Michael Harrington

It is hard to overstate the impact of Harrington's work. At a time when the U.S. was basking in the height of its post-WW2 prosperity, Harrington documented that a quarter of the American populace was living in poverty. A major premise of this book was the notion that these poverty-stricken people were living off the beaten path, so we normally didn't see them. Harrington took the trouble to leave the beaten path and find them, and then he wrote about them.
8. The genesis of the environmental movement was provided in 1962 by a groundbreaking work by Rachel Carson. Fill in the title of this important book, "Silent _________". .

Answer: Spring

Carson was a former marine biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who spent four years meticulously researching the effect of the pesticide DDT on the food chain prior to publishing her book. As a result, her work stood up to scientific analysis, and DDT was eventually banned.
9. Ralph Nader's 1965 book "Unsafe at any Speed" documented numerous problems with design flaws in the automobile industry. However, the book has come to be associated with a particular make of car. What car is that?

Answer: Chevrolet Corvair

The design problems with the Corvair were corrected for the 1964 models; however, Corvair's reputation was hopelessly damaged and production of the Corvair ended in 1969.
10. A number of important books contributed to the rapid growth of feminism in the last three decades of the 20th century. Who wrote the 1970 book "The Female Eunuch"?

Answer: Germaine Greer

Millett wrote "Sexual Politics" and Jong wrote "Fear of Flying", while Steinem established the highly successful "Ms. Magazine", after she had become famous by going undercover as a Playboy bunny and then writing about the experience.
Source: Author chessart

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