~~~ Must Read Books ~~~

I want to start my political education with older writings such as Common Sense and The Federalist Papers. What other writings should I read from the same time period (1700s)?
 
TastyWheat said:
I want to start my political education with older writings such as Common Sense and The Federalist Papers. What other writings should I read from the same time period (1700s)?
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Well, if you read the Federalist Papers, you'd have to read the Anti-Federalist papers thats for sure. :) As for more, I'll have a look around.
 
Conza88 said:
Well, if you read the Federalist Papers, you'd have to read the Anti-Federalist papers thats for sure. :) As for more, I'll have a look around.
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Yes, that's a given. I just want to know the back story to the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and all of that.
 
I really want to read political documents written during the revolutionary time period (preferably written by the founders). Modern day biographies and historical retrospectives are good, just not at the top of my list.
 
TastyWheat said:
I really want to read political documents written during the revolutionary time period (preferably written by the founders). Modern day biographies and historical retrospectives are good, just not at the top of my list.
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Well, you might want to look at letters written between the various founders such as Jefferson to Adams, Washington to Gouverneur Morris, Jefferson to Madison, Hamilton to Madison, etc for example. There are entire books composed of these letters. Many have nothing to do with politics, but on the other hand many do. If you're interested in primary documents of the time, I highly recommend checking these out and there are thousands of them.

Some other sources that come to mind off the top of my head:
-Federalist Papers
-Anti-Federalist Papers
-Common Sense by Tom Paine
-American Crisis by Tom Paine
-Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason
-Objections to this Constitution of Government by George Mason
-Articles of Confederation
-Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republican by Richard Henry Lee
-The Interest of Great Britain Considered by Ben Franklin
-In Defense of Americans by Ben Franklin
-Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania by John Dickinson
-Address on the Abolition of the Bank of North America by Gouverneur Morris
-Letter on the Federal Constitution by Edmund Randolph
-Considerations on the Nature of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament by James Wilson
-The Farmer Refuted - Alexander Hamilton
-A Defence of the Constitution of the United States of America by John Adams

And that's all I can think of right now.
 
SeekLiberty said:
As luck would have it in my constant quest for primary source documents, I ran into this link:

http://home.wi.rr.com/rickgardiner/primarysources.htm

"The following is a massive collection of literature and documents which were most relevant to the colonist's lives in America. if it isn't here, it probably is not available online anywhere."

This must have taken hundreds, if not thousands, of hours work to put together. Very impressive!

For example;

How many are familiar with the first attempt at a union of colonies way before the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union"(11/15/1777) and the "Constitution for the United States of America" (for "a more perfect union" on 9/17/1787)?

One-hundred and thirty-four years before the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union", there was the "New England Articles of Confederation." (1643)

http://personal.pitnet.net/primarysources/1643.html

"The first attempt at a union of colonies, foreshadowing the United States. This document combines several colonies together for the primary purpose of national defense. This is the first document resembling a federal constitution in America."

I hope you enjoy learning from this Library as much as I already am. Our Freedom has some very strong roots. :)

- SL
Truth to Power. Fear NO Truth. Trust Freedom. SPEAK OUT!
​
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@ Tastywheat: LOL.. I think this may be what you were looking for? :D
 
I am not a fan of The Fountainhead. I don't think that book has a fully-contemplated understanding of property rights.

Atlas Shrugged is a good one though. Great illustration of why government is not the solution to our problems. Similarly to Atlas, I would suggest everyone read Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron. It's a short story, rather than a book, but it is another interesting statist-dystopia (there is also a movie... look on Google Video).
 
I see the fountainhead as being more about making a stand, and enlightening the behind the scenes stuff people would call conspiracy theories; when its not - such as the role of unions etc. (using Ellsworth Toohey to demonstrate that) the theme of the novel wasn't about property rights, so thats probably why you:
I don't think that book has a fully-contemplated understanding of property rights.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead

The book's title is a reference to Rand's statement that "man's ego is the fountainhead of human progress".

The Fountainhead examines the life of an individualistic 22 year old architect, Howard Roark, who chooses to struggle in obscurity rather than compromise his artistic and personal vision by pandering to the prevailing taste in building design. Howard Roark is a singular force that stands up against the establishment, and in his own unique way, prevails.
 
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The Classics

Trying to delve into some classics here; = the books that the founding fathers / men of the last few centuries read.

Homer - Illiad
Homer - The Odyssey
Dante's Inferno
James Joycce - Ulysses
The Aeneid by Virgil
Tolstoy - War and Peace

Can I get some comments, if anyones read any of these? :)
i.e War and Peace, Iliad etc...

do they pertain to this movement? And would they be enjoyed by a Ron Paul supporter? :D

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I read Lysander Spooner's book....
On March 27th, 2008 atrickpay says:

"No Treason: The Constitution of no Authority". I will never be able to look at the Constitution in the same way again. It was a real tour-de-force read. http://www.lysanderspooner.org/bib_poll.htm
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Think and Grow Rich
On March 27th, 2008 Tory in Texas says:
With Freedom Comes Responsibility

Think and Grow Rich
By: Napoleon Hill

This book was written in the 30's I believe, and it IS NOT a get rich quick book. Moreover, it is about how to apply the power of positive thinking to your life, and quite literally, Think and Grow Rich in all aspects of life. Lots of wisdom in this book, and one that I would recommend to anyone. Good luck!
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Read "The Four Hour Work Week" by Tim Ferris
On March 27th, 2008 Ragnar D says:

This book is all about Liberty. It has the potential to change your life forever.

www.fourhourworkweek.com
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Great Books to Read; If you can find them
Posted February 1st, 2008 by Treg

Between campaigning for Ron Paul, and during those long flights, those long nights, or those long silly democratic debates.... you may wish to start a good book.

About 10 years ago by chance at the airport I heard about this gay man who was open about his aids and his book called: Ain't Nobody's Business If You do, by Peter McWilliams struck me as "Wow! Now thats out there!". But it was recommended by John Stossel and even Sting, so I thought, what the heck and bought it. Flying from Phoenix to Tampa I found it was totally convincing. I gained a whole new insight into the legalization of drugs issue.

So, let me do you a favor too by being your friendly John Stossel and Sting and recommending a bunch of books which might interest you as a young Patriot just learning about libertarianism for the first time. Maybe you will be stuck at an airport and be glad you had an interesting book or two. Here are just a few from my bookcase that may interest you, if you can find them. (if you cannot, let me know & I will see what I can do)

I do not know 100%, but I am sure at one point, Dr. Paul read these books. We have all heard him mention; Blowback, by Chalmers Johnson and many of us have read by now the classic work by the former CIA agent assigned to Bin Laden, Imperial Hubris, by Michael Schuer...... but I can bet these are on his bookshelf too:

1) Libertarianism in One Lesson, by David Bergland. Many of you young Patriots know that Ron Paul ran for president in 1988 on the Libertarian ticket. But do you know who ran in 1984? David Bergland. David has a unique talent to explaining how libertarian principles apply to real world problems. He had a degree in English form UCLA and JD from USC.
2) Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Haziltt. This best seller for years inspired many people to free themselves from conventional economic bromides. Its the shortest and surest way to understand economic principles, without all the math.
3) Terrorism and Tyranny, by James Bovard. Excellent factual reporting. When you are done reading a Bovard book, you shake your head left and right for days. I met a friend who I had not seen in months, he was shaking his head constantly, repeating facts upon facts upon facts. I said, "Bovard's latest book?" and he just nodded "yes". He puts it all together so well you seriously think about becoming a modern day V.
4) The Way to Wealth, by Benjamin Franklin. A small and very clever book, just 30 pages.
5) The Wisdom of Henry Hazlitt. For many of us, Ludwig Von Mises needs some explaining. Mr. Hazlitt is an excellent writer and has taught us all many many things, from philosophy, history to economics, we owe him a very big debt.
_____________________________

Now I do not know if Ron Paul has these books below, so I wish someone would give them to him. He may understand the internet phenomenon better. He may come to distrust the INS as much, if not more, than the IRS. He may be a little more agile a speaker too.
______________________________

6) The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowiecki. I give it 5 stars.
7) The Case for Free Trade and Open Immigration, by Jacob Hornberger. You can find Jacob's essays over at www.fff.org
8) Ron Paul has been a speaker throughout the years here:
http://www.fff.org/confer...
9) The Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking, Dale Carnegie
_____________________________

Now these books I have no idea if Ron Paul read them or not. I list them here because well, they mean something to me. Each in its own way was an intellectual journey of understanding. These are works of fiction, but in fiction we can be told deep truths and see eternal principles at work.
______________________________

10) 1984, by George Orwell. Better than the movie kids...read it.
11) Brave New World, & Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley.
12) Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
13) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K Dick
14) The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand
15) We the Living, by Ayn Rand
16) Uncle Toms Cabin, by
17) Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
18) A Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlen
19) Tai-Pan, by James Clavell --the movie is GREAT !!!
_____________________________________

Now these books affected me at the right time in the right way
_______________________________________

20) Restoring the American Dream, by Robert Ringer
21) WInning Through Intimidation, by Robert Ringer
22) Looking Out for Number One, by Robert Ringer
23) Facets of Liberty: A Libertarian Primer by LK Samuels and more
24) The Vision of the Anointed, by Thomas Sowell
25) The Libertarian Manifesto, by Murray Rothbard
26) Free To Choose, by Milton Friedman
27) Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton Friedman
28) Capitalism the Unknown Ideal, by Ayn Rand
29) For a New Intellectual, by Ayn Rand
30) The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand, by Den Uyl & Rasmussen
31) Individual Rights Reconsidered, by Tibor Machan
________________________________________

Now these last set of books you might THINK that it has nothing to do with Liberty and achieving a free society, but I beg to differ. Science is getting very close to understanding the Nature of Man, and in so doing, science will be able to say something profound on the Political Economy of Man. As you recall, the Founders where scientists, social historians who drew lessons from Rome and England and the wars of Europe and Greece. Today's science is adding to that dialogue, even if modern day libertarians are not listening but instead reading Milton Friedman's Free To Choose and Murray Rothbards Libertarian Manifesto....both excellent books, but the SCIENCE of Man's Political Economy did not stop with the death of these two Greats.
______________________________________

32) The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins
33) The Darwinian Left, by Peter Singer (Scary, the left gives up Marx for Darwin, yet a Darwinian Left is not in the science cards)
34) African Genesis, by Robert Ardrey (Classic vision, excellent writing)
35) The Territorial Imparative, by Robert Ardrey (property rights in animal societies)
36) Mother Nature, by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy (Brilliant book!)
37) The Blank Slate: Modern Denial of Human Nature, by Steven Pinker (Brilliant book, sciences are touching man's Political Economy and this will affect the debate in future years to come)
38) The Runaway Brain, Christopher Wills
39) The Language Instinct, by Steven Pinker
40) How the Mind Works, by Steven Pinker
41) Consilience, by Edward O Wilson
42) The Moral Animal: The new science of evolutionary psychology, by Robet Wright
43) Atheism, the Case Against God, by George Smith (A Classic original work that lasts and lasts throughout the years)
44) The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating, by David M. Buss
45) Moral Minds: How Nature Designed our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong, by Marc D. Hauser
46) The Evolution of Cooperation, by Robert Axelrod
47) The Global Brain, by Howard Bloom
48) New Rules for the New Economy, by Kevin Kelly (wired mag)
49) The Expression of the Emotions in Man & Animals, Charles Darwin (the CLASSIC work that put his theory out there)
50) Nature via Nurture, by Matt Ridley
_____________________________________

And finally there is this book, which I think is in the right direction for Libertarian Scholarship... When science meets libertarian theory, what remains?
____________________________________

Darwinian Politics: The Evolutionary Origin of Freedom, by Paul H. Rubin

Treg / Tempe, AZ
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:) Going to trawl though, since my last update and nicen-up the 1st page soon. :D
 
Gold: The Once and Future Money, by Nathan Lewis

This book is amazing, it makes perfect sense of monetary and fisical policy. Most of todays economist have forgotten how the gold standard worked, they have forgotten what money is. They dont understand why monetary crises's happen or how to solve them. Todays economists dont know (modern) classical economics because they have been led astray by confused keynesism and monetarism. This book axplains the history of money, the reasons for all the past economic crisis over the world over the past hunder years or so, and the foolish attempts by governments to solve them, usually just making things worse. It's both sad and funny that these crisis's could have been solved or avoided so easily if the economists and politicians had not been so foolish. They still are very foolish. The solution is so simple. Stable money and low taxes equals growth. Instead, during depressions taxes are usually raised and currencies are inflated making things so much worse. This book is especially important now that the fed and congress are foolishly trying to solve a crisis they dont understand. Read it and you might even make some money betting against fed interventions.
 
http://www.fee.org/library/default.asp?c=books

Marxism Unmasked: From Delusion to Destruction NEW!
By Ludwig von Mises http://www.fee.org/pdf/books/marxismUnmasked.pdf

The Free market and Its Enemies http://www.fee.org/pdf/books/Free_Market_and_Its_Enemies_The.pdf
By Ludwig von Mises

The Freedom Philosophy
Edited by Paul L. Poirot
This anthology includes 14 essays on the political, economic, and moral foundations of a free society. These classic writings by Leonard E. Read, Frank Chodorov, Benjamin Rogge, F. A. Harper, among others, demonstrate the superiority of individual choice and capitalism over any forms of collectivism.

Critique of Interventionism
By Ludwig von Mises
 
I picked up a random book at the half-price book store recently, and I'm loving it.

It is called Decision in Philadelphia, and it is an exceptionally well-researched, if slightly idealized, historical account of the Constitutional Convention. It has really enlightened me about some of the Framers that we know less about, as well as how some of the compromises in the Constitution came to be.
 
The Body Electric
Electromagnetism And The Foundation Of Life
By Robert Becker, Gary Selden


The Body Electric tells the fascinating story of our bioelectric selves. Robert O. Becker, a pioneer in the filed of regeneration and its relationship to electrical currents in living things, challenges the established mechanistic understanding of the body. He found clues to the healing process in the long-discarded theory that electricity is vital to life. But as exciting as Becker's discoveries are, pointing to the day when human limbs, spinal cords, and organs may be regenerated after they have been damaged, equally fascinating is the story of Becker's struggle to do such original work. The Body Electric explores new pathways in our understanding of evolution, acupuncture, psychic phenomena, and healing.
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Scientific book, hard read, but tells the fascinating story of the medical establishment's worship of drugs at the expense of real scientific research. It explains how bone marrow cells ALWAYS regenerate into embryonic cells to fix a broken bone, and how the nerve currents control this healing response. It makes the debate over stem cell research moot, as anyone can get embryonic cells from their own body whenever they want.

It exposes how federal control of research dollars limits scientific research to that approved by drug cartels.

Since the entire healing response of the body is controlled by nerve currents, or pain, or the current of injury, it follows that use of pain medication or alcohol/drug abuse will result in overall body deterioration. A fact backed up by research in other places showing how destructive even over the counter pain medicine is to healing and overall well being.

My friend has an implant in his foot now putting a healing current through the bone to stimulate it's regenerative response exactly as this book described, so this is very real stuff that is being put to use to heal limbs that could otherwise be amputated.
 
I reccommend "I want the Earth Plus 5%". It's a short story on how fiat currency got started, and a very interesting read.

It's very similar to the movie "Money as Debt", but not quite as in-depth, and it takes on a story-telling tone. Still, very good read, not very long, and freely available online.

I Want the Earth Plus 5%


P.S.: I could have sworn this was already listed here. I heard about it through RPR, but when I mentioned it to Conza he never heard of it and told me to put it up.
 
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