Posted on 08/25/2009 9:17:58 PM PDT by Laserman
Need recommendations for a Reading List for a Liberal to learn about Conservative values and positions on issues.
It’s great and an easy read—first written in 1981 by W.Cleon Skousen—and now a new paperback edition —foreward by Glenn Beck—The Five Thousand Year Leap.
A few of my favorites...
“American Scripture” - The Declaration of Independence
“The Business of May Next: James Madison and the Founding”
“Miracle at Philadelphia”
“The Road to Serfdom”
“Tyranny and Liberty”
Excellent formula!
Thanks..., it’s my belief that this is the only way that we’re gonna get this country turned around. Short of that — i.e., dealing in “politics” — won’t do it...
I would agree with some other posters:
Liberty and Tyranny, by Mark Levin
Liberal Fascism, by Jonah Goldberg
Those two are an excellent start. More red meat like the Friedman stuff and Federalist Papers can wait until they’re properly de-programmed.
Agreed.
Divine intervention.
Quite an accomplishment in itself. I live in CT now in the middle of blue country and work in an office that must be at least 85% liberal.
I can't convince one single liberal to read Glen Beck's 'Common Sense'. The see the name on the cover and hand it back, refusing to even consider there might be a single kernel of truth inside.
Social Policy:
Robert Bork: Slouching Towards Gomorrah
Racial Issues:
Thomas Sowell: Black Rednecks and White Liberals
Shelby Steele: White Guilt
Socialism/Communism/Fascism:
Gary Allen: None Dare Call it Conspiracy
John T. Flynn: The Road Ahead; As We Go Marching; The Roosevelt Myth; The Decline of the American Republic
Jonah Goldberg: Liberal Fascism
Mark Levin: Liberty and Tyranny
Patrick Buchanan: Death of the West
W. Cleon Skousen: The Naked Communist
George Orwell: 1984; Animal Farm; Homage to Catalonia
Max Eastman: Reflections on the Failure of Socialism
History:
Schweikart and Allen's A Patriot's History
W. Cleon Skousen: The 5000 Year Leap; The Making of America
Education:
Allan Bloom: The Closing of the American Mind
Thomas Sowell: Inside American Education
WOT:
Mark Steyn: America Alone
Brigitte Gabriel: Because they Hate
Nonie Darwish: Now they Call me Infidel
Lothrop Stoddard: The New World of Islam
Melanie Phillips: Londonistan
David Horowitz: Unholy Alliance
Bernard Lewis: The Crisis of Islam
Western Civilization (assaults upon, death of)
Tony Blankley: The West's Last Chance
George Wiegel: The Cube and the Cathedral
Judicial Activism:
Robert Bork: Coercing Virtue
Mark Levin: Men in Black
Phyllis Schlafly: The Supremacists
Global Warming:
Roy Spencer: Climate Confusion
Bjorg Lomborg: The Skeptical Environmentalist
Singer and Avery's: Unstoppable Global Warming
Michel Crichton: State of Fear
Socialized Medicine:
Sally Pipes: Top 10 Myths of America Health Care
John Goodman (et al.): Lives at Risk
Dr. Jane Orient: Your Doctor is Not In
Misc:
Russell Kirk: The Conservative Mind
G.K. Chesterton: Eugenics and Other Evils; What's Wrong with the World
That's just a quick scan of one rack in my study.
But, that said, I doubt your liberal friend is truly interested in understanding the depth, extent, and profundity of thought that goes into the Conservative perspective. Most that I have met and engaged with are liberal precisely because they “feel” issues rather than think about and research them. You can toss all the economic statistics you want at them regarding the failure of the welfare state and how it destroys the lives of those it was supposedly established to protect, but at the end of the day, their “feelings” will drive them to flip the lever at the poll to extend benefits, not cut them with tough-love.
What you ought to do is find out in which area of study he is most likely to be receptive to the conservative view (this is usually economics, because everyone wants to be able to keep their earnings and their property). After your friend understands the conservative view of economics, he/she may start to understand that Politics, Economics, and Liberty are three legs of a sort of tripod (in the Attic Greek sense of the term) and that this tripod holds up the trophy of Civilization. If any one of those legs grows too long, the entire tripod falls over. A balanced society is one in which each of those three legs respects the others and therefore willingly restrains itself that each has the ability to actively subdue the others if they try to grow too long.
Thank you to all for the suggestions!
dittos
How about THE HOLY BIBLE?
willingly restrains itself that each =
willingly restrains itself and one in which each
Excellent list.
I have been probing to see where there might be an opening. This man is a college “communications” professor. He is a high school friend who was on the debate team with me. Used to be level headed as a teen, but lost it along the way.
Start with Allan Bloom’s “Closing of the American Mind.”
When I was pursuing my Master’s in English Lit. (unfinished) it opened doors with many people, even hard-left professors, when I used it to counter their leftist views.
Hopefully, since your friend is in education, he would show an interest in the decline of academe. Of course, he may have already read it and immunized himself to its argument.
Oops.
Sorry for the formatting. Not HTML savvy.
David Horowitz’s autobiography, “Radical Son.” Very readable, excellent writing, gripping story. I could not put it down.
Please try and get your friend to read “The Abolition of Man” by C.S. Lewis. It is not (iirc) a religious book. It is a book about the soul-less future we are now living in. It also has the advantage of being very short, it’s hardly more than a pamphlet. It is also by C.S. who is very readable.
This is one of the few books that I wanted to give around to everyone, people on the street, etc. when I read it.
Another goody, fiction so subtle, is “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey. The daughter of time is TRUTH, but the book really demonstrates how lies can become almost permanent, historically. So, maybe not the best title. It isn’t really a conservative book, but it is a great lesson in bullshit, and isn’t that what the left is all about.
I’d also join in with those recommending “Free to Chose”, a very good book. Also readable. You don’t want to scare people off.
The Little Red Hen should be a good start to cure liberals of all ages. If they cry about the injustice of the hen keeping all the bread she worked to make, then beat them with a copy of Atlas Shugged until they see the light. :-).
A book I haven't seen listed is "The Law" by Bastiat. Combine that with anything by Thomas Sowell and they will be well on their way.
Start light but powerful with “THE LAW” by Fredric Bastiat. It’s only about 75 pages long and should be required reading by every American.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.