Thread: Books

So, some book recommendations have been tossed around on a couple of threads. I thought it might be nice to list conservative books we've read and recommend.

I'll start with one:

Party of Death by Ramesh Ponnuru
This is a book about the abortion crowd, Roe v. Wade, and details a great pro-life argument.

I loved Godless: The Church of Liberalism by Anne Coulter. But her dry, no nonsense wit is fantastic, IMO.

I just bought my dad Glenn Beck's An Inconvenient Book for his birthday Feb. 15th. He promises to let me read it when he's done.

I'm currently looking for Won By Love by Norma McCorvey, Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade. It tells the amazing story of her life, how she was used by the prochoice movement, and overcame drug & alcohol addiction, and lesbianism, when she gave her life over to Jesus.

"Bias" By Bernie Goldberg - listed on the other thread but this is a really great dissection of the media, bias, and how that affects our understanding of our world. Also good ways to AVOID bias and truly understand the material presented. Bernie's great, though not a conservative but in THIS case that lends him more credibility, not less!

"Shadow Warriors" by Kenneth Timmerman - Geez, I am not a conspiracy theorist but he really lays out the case, scarily, for all the sabotage we've seen at HIGH levels of the government creating problems for Bush (and Reagan too, suffered much of the same). Really eye-opening and a fascinating, riveting read.

"Radical Son" by David Horowitz. Just phenomenal book about his life and analysis of politics. He was raised in Berkeley my Marxist parents and worked his butt off for a variety of the worst liberal groups and think-tanks, and yet transformed into what he is today - a committed, intelligent conservative. He hits the whys and wherefores and the real pitfalls of liberal thinking and how to truly judge political ideology for its actual value.

"America Alone"by Mark Steyn. OMGosh this is my TOP recommendation off this list. He hits, brilliantly, upon the past, present, and future of the world and what REALLY decides the crucial ideological struggles we are in today - demography, and how politics affects demography. It was the best five hours I have EVER spent reading a political book in termsof sheer knowledge acquired and the value of that knowledge in artfully and accurately assessing our world politics and what the future may hold, which ideologies we need to support and which spell disaster. He's witty, thorough, and really made me think!

"Presidential Leadership" By James Taranto with help from the Federalist Society and others is a really awesome, DEEP look into US presidents and why some were great, some weren't, and who shaped history to be what it is today. This book is chock full of knowledge with TONS of guest commentary and I found it to be a very intellectual, useful read. Anyone who likes to argue to constitution or why republican presidents are awesome will like this one

"White Guilt" By Shelby Steele and "My Grandfather's Son" by Clarence Thomas are at the very top of my "to read" list from fabulous reviews and stellar interviews. I have loved everything by both Rush and David Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, William F. Buckley (awe, R.I.P ) and pretty much every Krauthammer column I have been fortunate to come across.

My list could go on and on, I LIVE a good book no matter what the topic, but ones that really educate me are indispensable. I'd chuck books off this list to just about anyone without a moment's hesitation!

This is fantastic. I can't really think of any to add, but I want to print this thread out for my next trip to the book store/library!

Here are some books my uber-conservative/libertarian manager has recommended to me recently.

Road to Serfdom – Friedrich Hayek

Deschooling Society – Ivan Ilyich

Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialism – by Hayek

Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman (also “Why Government Is the Problem”)

The Conservative Mind from Burke to Eliot – this is probably the capstone book – a primer of a lot of great thinkers. Definitely drink with coffee.

Taryl - Mark Steyn is awesome.

Molly - I'm currently reading Atlas Shrugged. I think The Fountainhead is a better novel (better read), but with the same philosophy.

Has anyone else here read the latest book by A.J. Jacobs entitled "The Year of Living Biblically?" The author chronicles, for a period of one year, his life as he pays strict adherence to ALL the laws of the Bible with, oftentimes, hilarious consequences.

It's been my experience that most people I've discussed this topic with choose to follow laws from the Old and/or New Testaments that best rampart their personal belief system and discount most of the other (approximately 700) laws. I'll use my friend Kerri as an example. She feels no guilt about spanking her little boy who is nearly three as she feels this is justified with the "spare the rod" teachings in the Old Testament. (I hasten to add that these spankings are both lightly and infrequently administered.) However, she would never, for any reason feel that the death penalty should be administered, irrespective of the circumstances, nor does she adhere to any of the laws of Kashrut (dietary), etc.

In any event, this book is a wondeful read -- funny, insightful and provoking of real thought as to why we believe what we do and how we act upon those beliefs.

Anne Browne

Milton Friedman is great, that is one I left off my list.

Anne Browne, there are specific theological reasons certain parts of the Old Testament are ignored. This is a thread we had dealing with just that on a more appropriate board for that topic: http://www.pregnancy.org/bulletinboa...d.php?t=227270