Nothing much of interest today. So I’m going to be self-indulgent and engage a conversation with readers of Race: name some of your favorite books. Here’s my list, lifted from Facebook with a few added:
Aesop’s Fables, The al-Qaeda Reader, America (The Book), America Alone, The Art of War, The Burden of Bad Ideas, Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal, The Case for Democracy, The Case for Israel, The Crisis of Islam, the Dhammapada, The End of Faith, The Enlightenment Reader, Ever Wonder Why?, Everything Is Under Control; Faith, Reason, and the War Against Jihadism; How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must), How to Win Friends and Influence People, In Defense of Elitism, Innumeracy, The Iranian Time Bomb, Islam: the Religion and the People, Islam Unveiled, Islamic Imperialism, Leadership, Letter to a Christian Nation, Meditations, Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict; Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity; The Neocon Reader, Of Paradise and Power, Party of Defeat, A Place at the Table, The Power of Logical Thinking, The Satanic Bible, The Sexual Spectrum, Treason, The Truth About Muhammad, Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left, The Virtue of Selfishness, The Vision of the Anointed, While Europe Slept, World Almanac, World War IV
Wee. Currently I’m reading Suicide of the West by Richard Koch and Chris Smith, and then I’ll be moving onto either Breaking the Real Axis of Evil by Mark Palmer or The Spirit of Democracy by Larry Diamond.
So, indulge a bibliophile: what are you reading? What are your favorite books about politics, culture, religion, foreign policy, etc.?
March 30th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time for liesurely reading lately, as I’ve been consumed by textbooks for my Masters classes and time spent at work. However, here are a few of my favorites (that I can recall off the top of my head):
1. The Vision of the Anointed, by Thomas Sowell (the guy just makes sense)
2. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck (I’ve just always liked his writings)
3. The Revolution: A Manifesto, by Ron Paul (No, I’m not a “Paultard.” I just agree with a good deal of what he says)
4. Hyperspace, by Michio Kaku (kind of a layman’s guide to string theory and other theoretical physics – very interesting for someone as dumb as I am in matters relating to physics)
5. The Last Patriot, by Brad Thor (just a guilty pleasure of fun fiction)
6. How Capitalism Saved America, by Thomas J. DiLorenzo
7. Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left, by David Horowitz
8. The Ten Things You Can’t Say In America, by Larry Elder
9. The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression, by Amity Shlaes
10. Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis
There are quite a few others that I cannot remember at the moment. I’m sure they’ll come to me as soon as I press “Submit Comment.”
March 30th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
My top five (according to Facebook) are: The Prince, Art of War, The Firm, White Fang, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. I do also like Robert Asprey’s biography of Frederick the Great.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Oh boy, first comment!
I just finished reading my senator, Tom Coburn’s 2003 book Breach of Trust. Let me say, this is definitely a must read for anyone who likes or follows politics.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
4. Hyperspace, by Michio Kaku (kind of a layman’s guide to string theory and other theoretical physics – very interesting for someone as dumb as I am in matters relating to physics)
Ooh, thanks for this recommendation. I’ll check it out.
I own, but have not read, Forgotten Man and How Capitalism Saved America.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Leadership by Rudy Guiliani, ahahhaah
March 30th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
#5:
My State and Local Government class in college is making us read “The Prince of the City” about Rudy, it looks like an interesting read.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Alex, you’ve got an awful lot of Objectivist literature on there
Let’s see here…
Well, I’m fairly big into the classics and epic literature. The Iliad, the Aeneid, and Aristotle’s works (Politics and Nicomachean Ethics) are all great. I devour anything I find about the Roman Republic/Empire (recently finished Swords Against the Senate) and am currently looking for a next target in that department.
As far as modern thought, my favorite thinker by far is Machiavelli. His “the Prince” and “Discourses” are both excellent. He also shares my passionate interest in ancient Rome
Also – the Second Treatise of Government, by John Locke
Poetry – Robert Frost
Action/Suspense – Agatha Christie and Tom Clancy novels
Fantasy – Lord of the Rings
Religion – Any holy book
Reading right now: I just finished the Communist Manifesto (I kid you not!) and am reading some foreign literature, Martin Fierro by Jose Hernandez, the Argentine gaucho epic.
Plan to read: Rousseau’s literature, the next thing I grab on Rome, Don Quixote de la Mancha
March 30th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I own a collection of Frost poetry.
An awful lot of Objectivist literature? Haha, I never denied that I enjoy Ayn Rand’s works. Doesn’t make you “an Objectivist,” as mac kept asserting.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Frost is hands down my favorite poet.
As to Objectivism, I think he realized the mistake. And I know, because I’ve read most of them myself
Really, Objectivism colors people’s political beliefs. I was more of a believer at one point until I realized there was some 10% I’d never reconcile with, so I left it at a level of respect, agreeing with many of its conclusions, and moved on. But I’ve never lost the mildly libertarian tint I left with.
It was definitely the joint forces of Objectivism and economics that I was exposed to in high school that turned me into a passionate political thinker.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Yeah, I essentially agree with you. For me, Objectivism isn’t pragmatic enough — Rand hated Reagan and Friedman, for Christ’s sake — and its proposition that the value of art is objective is preposterous. Objectivism is essentially classical liberal thought: reason, individualism, capitalism, the rejection of relativism and faith.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
I’m horrible at reading whole books (blogger’s attention span disorder). I do have a bunch of good political literature my shelf, but most are either partially read, used as reference material, or still waiting (pick up a bunch of stuff at conferences and that’s what happens).
However, there are a few I like that have held my attention (with Amazon links:
“Animal Farm” by George Orwell
“Snowball’s Chance” by John Reed (spoof sequel to the above)
“Illustrisimi” By Pope John Paul I (no, that is not a typo – I meant John Paul the FIRST – and for the record, I’m not even Catholic, so it’s a good read)
AND ONE YOU REALLY SHOULD READ-
“Clearing the Air” by Becky Norton Dunlop
Great account of environmental political struggles agaist the Clinton-Gore Administration (Especially relevant now as a lot of it is devoted to her scuffles with then-EPA Administrator Carol Browner – Mrs. Dunlop was Virginia’s Sec. of Natural Resources under George Allen). Fantastic expose.
(On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Clearing-Air-Virginia-Improved-Despite/dp/0970548508/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238459989&sr=1-6)
March 30th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
You guys need some pointless reading mixed in with such serious works of literature. I recently finished Atlas Shrugged (which I started 20 years ago in high school), then read a U.S. Acres comic book before sliding into The Odyssey.
I hated reading back in high school and college, so I’m trying to catch up on all the good works I should have read back then. After the Odyssey I have an old Garfield book that I’ll skim through before beginning Mitchner’s Alaska.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I’ve read a lot of fiction lately.
How Like a God, Brenda W. Clough
The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell
March 30th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
12,
I do pointless a lot – just figured I’d only list the relevant. But if you want good pointless add “The Big Book of Jewish Humor”
March 30th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Top 6:
1 (by far). The Crossing- Cormac McCarthy
…
2. American Pastoral- Philip Roth
3. Blood Meridian- Cormac McCarthy
4. Call of the Wild- Jack London
5. Into the Wild- Jon Krakauer
6. Child of God- Cormac McCarthy
Also favorites, though by no means all of them (But not in any order):
Into Thin Air- Jon Krakauer,
Gone Tomorrow- P.F. Kluge,
Outer Dark- Cormac McCarthy,
Cities of the Plain- Cormac McCarthy,
Under the Banner of Heaven- Jon Krakauer,
Dark Shadows Falling- Joe Simpson,
Eddie and the Cruisers- P.F. Kluge (yes, the movie was based on this book, but the book is serious lit. and differs greatly from the vastly inferior screen version),
Indignation- Philip Roth,
Castle in the Forest- Norman Mailer,
Wise Blood- Flannery O’Connor,
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre- B. Traven,
Twilight- William Gay (not the sparkling vampire ‘Twilight.’ Same title, different author),
Finn- John Klinch
Suttree- Cormac McCarthy
March 30th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Alex,
Yeah, if I’m a disciple of the ideology of any one political thinker, it’s definitely John Locke, who is as classically liberal as they come. He’s also conservative by today’s standards, as he places plenty of faith in the ability of good, honorable people to live freely in society, virtually assuming that should be the case.
March 30th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Great list Alex, many of which I must read now based on the titles and that you read them. Of those you listed, I have read these: Aesop’s Fables, , America Alone, The Art of War, The Crisis of Islam, While Europe Slept, World War IV
I was especially impressed with Bruce Bowyer’s While Europe Slept.
more later
24 is coming on
March 30th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
#4 Alex,
Yeah, it was a good read, although I’m sure many who actually know something about physics will argue with what Kaku has to say. I just thought it was really cool, and I’m a fan of theoretical physics (well, the parts of it I can actually wrap my head around, which isn’t much. heh).
#7 MPC,
Thanks for the recommendation of Swords Against the Senate. I’ve also enjoyed a lot of books dealing with the Roman Republic/Empire and have been searching for another one to read.
#15 Tommy Oliver,
That’s a lot of Cormac McCarthy. Are you a nihilist?
) Also, what did you think of the movie adaptation of No Country For Old Men? Did you see it?
March 30th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Battlefield Earth- L. Ron Hubbard
March 30th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Shane,
No, not at all. McCarthy’s work isn’t so much either. I’ve studied it carefully, and subscribe to his ideas of man’s ceaseless and destructive appetite to control or kill that which exists freely in the natural world.
More later…
March 30th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
My favorite all time is Goldwater’s Conscience of a Conservative…..
March 30th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
#1-The Bible
#2-The Greatest Book On Dispensational Truth in the World by Clarence Larkin
#3-The Book of Revelation by Clarence Larkin(commentary and explanation of the entire book)
#4-The Book of Daniel by Clarence Larkin(also a commentary)
#5-The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ by Clarence Larkin
#6-The Book of Enoch
#7-The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the Apocolypse(non-fiction and a must read in understanding the secrets of the ancient world as related to the bible)
#8-The Magicians Nephew by C.S. Lewis
#9-The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
#10-Unleashing the Beast by Perry Stone
Yeah, every single book in my favorites is religious and more specifically christian in some way. Why no political books in my favorites? Because the bible is real, and holds all the wisdom that is necessary for understanding our purpose in this age. I read political books, and they just seem to parce ideologies for the sake of advancing the cause of a party or a person….rather than the cause of the almighty God.
March 30th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
I’ll go into more detail when I get a few free minutes, but on the movie version of NCFOM, I thought it was a great adaption. Excellent, really. I’ve been a huge fan of Tommy Lee Jones’ recent work.
That being said, NCFOM, All the Pretty Horses, and even the Road are pretty much McCarthy-lite. Great reads, but don’t rank with his best work. They get most of the accolades because they are the ones that don’t take a lot of effort to decipher.
March 30th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
#20 Tommy Oliver
I must admit, my only experience with McCarthy is No Country For Old Men, and even *that* was limited, as I only saw the movie (never read the book). I figured I may have been wrong about the “nihilism” angle; it was mainly formed on what I read from self-described critics who were writing about the movie. I’ve heard about The Crossing – that’s another one I’ll have to put on my “to do” list. I suppose it’s time for me to actually read a few of his books and form my own opinion rather than relying on a critic’s view of an adapted movie screenplay. That would probably make the most sense.
)
March 30th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
19 made me lol so hard!
17 – World War IV was what transformed my political thinking! Norman Podhoretz reminded me of the importance of the fight against Islamofacism and I’ve never looked back.
March 30th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
The Puppy Who Lost His Way… just kidding
Power, Faith and Fantasy- Michael B. Oren (Fantastic read about US-Middle East history)
Red Storm Rising- Tom Clancy
Team of Rivals- Doris Kearns Goodwin
Exodus- Leon Uris
March 30th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Alex,
Thought you’d find that one funny.
Shane,
The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain, are the only two books in recent memory that made me cry out loud, and that was only 90 pages into a 500 page book. I would read the entire Border Trilogy, in order. The last two will knock you completely on your rear end. Reading McCarthy, especially early works, is like being sideswiped by a two ton beam that went spiraling out of control while 200 feet in the air.
To be honest, I could probably rank my favorite books with my top six or seven being all McCarthy, followed by the rest, but I went for a little variety. Outer Dark, Child of God, Suttree, Blood Meridian, All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plain are masterpieces, pure and simple.
The Crossing is my favorite, and that goes for many of his serious scholars. It should be noted that Blood Meridian is probably his “greatest,” as it was ranked the 2nd greatest work of the last 30 years by the NYT, and usually is ranked among the top 5 works of the 20th century. See the following passage:
Hell of a way to describe the white man’s trade of native scalps during the 1800’s.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Ayn Rand had her good points as a political theorist, but as a novelist she sucked. Atlas Shrugged was among the worst books I ever forced myself to plow through (this was back in high school — today I wouldn’t bother to torture myself).
I love anything by P. G. Wodehouse.
Among the best books I ever read, to help establish an understanding of the Mideast, was A Peace to End All Peace (which also wins the Best Title Ever award).
I second the nomination of Conscience of a Conservative. I have been thinking that I’ll stop calling myself a libertarian because I’m tired of making the distinctions between what I believe and the doctrines of the LP, and go back to my roots by calling myself a Goldwater Republican.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Joel Rosenberg’s new book currently #7 on NYTimes list
Inside the Revolution
How the followers of Jihad, Jefferson and Jesus are battling to dominate the middle east and transform the world.
http://www.joelrosenberg.com/
March 30th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
#19, LOL! hahaha!!!
The Kite Runner. Semi-political/historical, but mostly a story about human misery.
March 30th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Breaking the Real Axis of Evil is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Palmer should be SecState
March 30th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
BobH,
Join me and many others as a member of the Federalist Society.
March 30th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
.
http://www.fed-soc.org/
March 30th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
i also want to second jamison’s comment. For political reads, Coburn’s Breach of Trust is essential reading, and I hate non fiction political books, for the most part.
March 31st, 2009 at 8:51 am
Hmm….let’s see. I’m currently reading Civil Procedure by Yeazell, Administrative Law by Mashaw, Criminal Procedure by Dressler and Thomas, and Property by Smith, Larson, Nagle, and Kidwell…..Wait, these are the WORST books I’ve ever read!!
I enjoyed The Fountainhead, The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis, Walden, The Tempting of America by Robert Bork, Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin and John Adams by David McCullough.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:22 am
Currently reading The Bible as part of this 90 day read through the Bible program through my church.
Favorite books -
Fiction – American Gods by Neil Gaiman, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engel, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (my wife got me to read it, and it’s really good but really weird)
Non-Fiction – Give Me a Break by John Stossel, A National Party No More by Zell Miller, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
March 31st, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Tommy/Kristofer; I have visited their site a few times but never joined — I’ll give it another look.
March 31st, 2009 at 2:29 pm
My favorite books, vaguely ranked in order of more favorite to less favorite:
“Atlas Shrugged” – Ayn Rand
“What Has Government Done To Our Money?” – Murray Rothbard
“America’s Great Depression” – Murray Rothbard
“That Which Is Seen and That Which Is Not Seen” – Frederic Bastiat
“The Case Against The Fed” – Murray Rothbard
“Economics In One Lesson” – Henry Hazlitt
“The Road to Serfdom” – F.A. Hayek
“Man, Economy, and State (with Power and Market)” – Murray Rothbard (ranking it here for now, since I’m only half-way through it)
“Human Action” – Ludwig von Mises
“The Revolution: A Manifesto” – Ron Paul
“Democracy: The God That Failed” – Hans-Hermann Hoppe
“A Foreign Policy of Freedom” – Ron Paul
“Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism” – Robert Pape
“The Case for Gold” – Murray Rothbard
“The Foundations of Morality” – Henry Hazlitt
“The Ethics of Liberty” – Murray Rothbard
“Common Sense” – Thomas Paine
“The God Delusion” – Richard Dawkins
“The Al Qaeda Reader” – Raymond Ibrahim
“Imperial Hubris” – Michael Scheuer
“The Coming Generational Storm” – Laurence Kotlikoff
“Blowback” – Chalmers Johnson
Also, I haven’t been able to purchase these yet, but I’ve heard from everyone I know who’s read them that they’re terrific, and I assume they’d be on my list as well: “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism” – Robert Murphy, and “Meltdown” – Thomas Woods