My sister and I decided it would be good to pick a couple books and swap. She's a Socialist (a believer in Democratic Socialism) and I'm something else, leaning towards Libertarian. I figured it would be a good idea to start a thread where people could recommend good books on various political and economic schools of thought. It would also be cool if you could classify the book as introductory, moderate or advanced, or some such. I'm personally looking for good starter books on the subject it discusses, and then work my way towards more advanced works.

Haven't read it, but am buying it next paycheck: The Machinery of Freedom looks to be an interesting exposition on ACism.

It doesn't really pertain to a particular political train of thought, but if there's one book I think everyone should read it's A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. It's definitely not government-friendly, but it's jam-packed with stuff that both ACists and socialists will be intrigued by. It's very long, but it reads pretty well.

I'm also very much enjoying Ron Paul's book, though it doesn't read that well (basically just his speeches to Congress with a little added context here and there).

I have tried starting similar threads myself but they never get going: deduce from that what you will = people don't read here!

Bakunin's God and State was the first political book I read and I'm very thankful for it.

Bakunin was a Libertarian Socialist so works out nicely!

I also think if you're gonna get into it for real, you should start with a foundation. Pretty much any book on formal logic and/or logical fallacies should get you thinking critically. Then I'd add some Socrates/Plato philosophy, especially The Republic. Mix in some Sartre/Camus, maybe some Thoreau. I'd finish it off with some Eastern Zen, focusing on Taoism. If you can do all that, I think you'll bring a much greater objectivity to the table and you'll be able to decipher the true content of a writer, without buying into their various logical fallacies.

Whatever you do, don't read Descartes or Nietzsche. That **** is a waste of time. Descartes will actually get you thinking backwards.

Reading Nietzsche is not a waster of time! But anway OP is really looking for political books from what I could decipher as opposed to strictly philosophy.

I never liked Nietzsche.

I have a hard time just suggesting books without adding that little ditty. Even good information is usually wrapped in some writer bias. If you don't have a good foundation to work from, good information gets put through a bad filter and you tend to have people that simply look for the information that satisfies their previous bias.

I'm a bit all over the place politically, but there's one thing I really do think consistently. To make a better world we need better-informed, critical thinkers.

Borodog has recommended this before and I picked it up and loved it. How Capitalism Saved America....
http://www.amazon.com/How-Capitalism...8096371&sr=1-1

Does not compute...

Explain, because those two statements make perfect sense to me.

Even if I agree with bits of Nietzsche, it doesn't mean I have to like his style or thought process. Yes, he was definitely a critical thinker, I just don't like some of the conclusions he came to. As compared to the other philosophers I listed, I would much rather read them.

Don't be such a nit.

I would like to just quote this without adding anything but THE MAN WON'T LET ME.

It's just that Nietzsche was basically one of the first philosophers to explicitly say the things you said and they help form the core of his message. Not that I'm accusing you of it, but he's one of the most widely misread and misunderstood philosophers. Of course, if you don't like his style, that's understandable.

any specific suggestions you recommend? i was looking at nonsense by robert gula, but it seemed pricey for a 175 page book

link

I've only read part of this book, but I think it would be very good to convert someone from socialism to libertarianism. Probably moderate complexity

I got my information from the textbook I used for Formal Logic in college alongside various internet articles on logical fallacies.

These look good though...

Crimes Against Logic
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071446435?...JKK10K9P4F1EA&

A Concise Introduction to Logic
http://www.amazon.com/Concise-Introd.../dp/0534520065

And this is a good page for a quick but effective description of the logical fallacies. http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html

thanks for the suggestion bobman, buying it now along with Boro's rec of Rothbard's Man, Economy, and State.

The two seem like they'd be a great set to give to somebody. A consumable intro coupled with a detailed analysis.

I think the embrace of socialism comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of economic principles. For starters I'd recommend:

Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell
Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt

Sowell even shows how even Marx and Lennin understood economics much better than most socialists/communists today.

Lol, I knew someone would mention Rothbard. I read his 'making economic sense' and its really bad imo. It just doesnt hold up to even the slightest scrutiny. I was screaming at him after every line, very frustrating read.

Lay out your criticisms.

no

I'm stunned people aren't being persuaded to see things through your socialist quasi-anarchy lens. But from what I've gathered, it looks like ad hominem is your end game, not philosophical/political discussion.

firstly, my responce was a joke; I would hazzard a guess that PVN may have even got a chuckle out of it. Any excuse for you to display your intellectual prowess in using the term 'ad hominem' though I guess, albeit incorrectly.

secondly, I do not see politics through a socialist anarchist lens, so I highly doubt i've persuaded anyone else to.

thirdly, I don't think I have ever resorted to ad hominem so I don't see what your basing it on other than said post and if so unfairly.

lets make an official rothbard thread where zaster can make his criticisms( I have plenty as well)

gogogogo

Im too lazy to write the post myself, I want zaster to do it, once zaster does it and some libertarians reply thats the part I get in the mix.
(I want X to be done but I want someone else to do X, i know, i know)