Suggested Reading
There are many books to choose from covering the topics of
politics and civic involvement. Here are a few suggestions to get you
started.
The Federalist Papers
By Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay
This classic of American political theory, first published in 1788,
defends the Constitution and explains the complexities of a constitutional
government based on the inherent rights of man.
Common Sense
By Thomas Paine
"These are the times that try men's souls,"
begins Thomas Paine's first Crisis paper, the impassioned pamphlet that
helped ignite the American Revolution. Published in Philadelphia in
January of 1776, Common Sense sold 150,000 copies almost immediately.
A powerful piece of propaganda, it attacked the idea of a hereditary
monarchy, dismissed the chance for reconciliation with England, and
outlined the economic benefits of independence while espousing equality
of rights among citizens. Paine fanned a flame that was already burning,
but many historians argue that his work unified dissenting voices and
persuaded patriots that the American Revolution was not only necessary,
but an epochal step in world history.
The Prince
By Niccolo Machiavelli
When Lorenzo de' Medici seized control of the Florentine
Republic in 1512, he summarily fired the Secretary to the Second Chancery
of the Signoria and set in motion a fundamental change in the way we
think about politics. The person who held the aforementioned office
with the tongue-twisting title was none other than Niccolò Machiavelli,
who, suddenly finding himself out of a job after 14 years of patriotic
service, followed the career trajectory of many modern politicians into
punditry. Unable to become an on-air political analyst for a television
network, he only wrote a book. But what a book The Prince is.
Its essential contribution to modern political thought lies in Machiavelli's
assertion of the then revolutionary idea that theological and moral
imperatives have no place in the political arena. "It must be understood,"
Machiavelli avers, "that a prince ... cannot observe all of those
virtues for which men are reputed good, because it is often necessary
to act against mercy, against faith, against humanity, against frankness,
against religion, in order to preserve the state." With just a
little imagination, readers can discern parallels between a 16th-century
principality and a 20th-century presidency. --Tim Hogan
Democracy in America
by Alexis De Tocqueville, Richard D. Heffner (Editor)
As Alexis de Tocqueville traveled through the young
United States, he wrote in his introduction to the first volume of Democracy
in America, "the more clearly I saw equality of conditions
as the creative element from which each particular fact derived, and
all my observations constantly returned to this nodal point." And
there is an abundance of observations to be found here, with chapters
that consider everything from "judicial power in the United States
and its effect on political society" to "why the Americans
erect some pretty monuments and others that are very grand."
Why does Tocqueville remain one of the most insightful analysts of American
society? Certainly there is the comprehensive nature of his project,
but one must also take into account the brilliance of his prose, with
just the right balance of elegance and clarity. Democracy in America
is as accessible to the modern reader as the work of any contemporary
journalist, political scientist, or sociologist--and in many cases more
so. It is an essential volume for anybody concerned with American history.
Atlas Shrugged
by Ayn Rand
With this acclaimed work and its immortal query, "Who
is John Galt?", Ayn Rand found the perfect artistic form to express
her vision of existence. Atlas Shrugged made Rand not only one
of the most popular novelists of the century, but one of its most influential
thinkers.
Atlas Shrugged is the astounding story
of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world--and did.
Tremendous in scope, breathtaking in its suspense, Atlas Shrugged
stretches the boundaries further than any book you have ever read. It
is a mystery, not about the murder of a man's body, but about the murder--and
rebirth--of man's spirit.
Atlas Shrugged is the "second most
influential book for Americans today" after the Bible, according
to a joint survey conducted by the Library of Congress and the Book
of the Month Club.
The Children's Book of America
by William J. Bennett (Editor), Michael Hague (Illustrator)
Where did America come from? What does it mean to
be an American? What makes America great?
No volume will provide more compelling and inspiring answers to our
children's questions than William Bennett and Michael Hague's marvelous
new treasury, The Children's Book of America. Filled with history
and folktales, songs and poems, heroes and everyday Americans, this
indispensable book is a classic collection of great Americana, accompanied
by wonderful paintings that bring to life in rich detail the story of
our nation's heritage.
Like its bestselling predecessors, The Children's Book of Virtues
and The Children's Book of Heroes, this beautifully illustrated
collaboration will provide children with a marvelous introduction to
such virtues as compassion, perseverance, ingenuity, and hard work.
As William Bennett and Michael Hague show, these traits have shaped
American history and lie at the heart of our national character.
Martin Luther King has a dream -- and racial justice in America will
never be the same. Walt Whitman listens -- and weaves poetry from the
lilting music of Americans at their labors. A great Indian chief mourns
-- and the path to his wife's side opens up the Grand Canyon.
From tales of national heroes like Abigail Adams and Robert E. Lee,
to stories of adventure and ingenuity such as Lewis and Clark's explorations
and Thomas Edison's inventions, to songs and poems about American life
like "Home on the Range" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,"
The Children's Book of America is a marvelous celebration of
our nation's history and spirit for the youngest Americans.
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