Libraries and the Development of Civilizations is an essay by the late renowned Malaysian social theorist and professor, Syed Hussein Alatas. His last piece of writing before his passing in 2007, this slim volume contains his thoughts on the library as an institution and the role it plays in developing the minds of people. The reader is given a glimpse into Alatas’ book collection. Given his long career as an academic, the titles he read span a wide range of topics, emphasizing Alatas’ belief in the pivotal role of libraries in building thinking societies through the handing down of knowledge.