[AnotherCat]

Have had a chance to check out some of the so called "authors" that chose the books, and what found is probably not surprising considering the rag The Guardian is.

Turns out that many have political agendas and just chose books that suited their feminist, communist, or environmental activist view of the world.

Explains some of the choices, the obscurity of some, and the omission of perhaps better suited choices based on broad knowledge of literature, science, economics, etc. rather than on ideology.

EDIT: @pwalker8: I certainly agree, at least among the most very important.