Your essential book list for politics.

[Baruch Menachem]

My boy is 16 and my girl will be 14 too soon to contemplate. They will be voters soon!

I am going to ask them to read three basic books on politics if they read nothing else.

Federalist papers

Machiavellis's Discourses on Livy's Roman History

Road to Serfdom.


What three books would you recommend to a new voter?

 

[Intense]

Reclaiming the American Revolution: The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and Their Legacy [Hardcover]
William Watkins (Author)


Review
"With historical knowledge that one can only wish more could possess, Watkins has brought our attention back to Jefferson's and Madison's constitutional commentary in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798-1800 and their illuminating relation to American history."--Clyde N. Wilson, Professor of History, University of South Carolina
"With Reclaiming the American Revolution, we have a thorough, thoughtful, and important study of a significant subject that has been too long neglected."--Joyce O. Appleby, Professor of History, UCLA; past president of Organization of American Historians and American Historical Association
"William Watkins' important book, Reclaiming the American Revolution, is intriguing and controversial: it is based on much research, and it is full of interest for the questions it raises about federal-state relations."--Robert L. Middlekauf, Preston Hotchkiss Professor of American History, University of California, Berkeley
-- Review
Product Description
Reclaiming the American Revolution examines the struggles for political ascendancy between Federalists and the Republicans in the early days of the American Republic viewed through the lens of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions authored by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Jefferson and Madison saw the Alien and Sedition Acts as a threat to states' rights, as well as indicative of a national government that sought unlimited power. The Resolutions sought to return the nation to the tenets of the Constitution, in which rights for all were protected by checking the power of the national government. Watkins examines the two sides of this important controversy in early American history and demonstrates the Resolutions' relevance to current politics.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-American-Revolution-Kentucky-Resolutions/dp/1403963037]Amazon.com: Reclaiming the American Revolution: The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and Their Legacy (9781403963031): William Watkins: Books[/ame]

 

[blastoff]

Interesting question.

The Federalist for sure but I'll have to think about the others.

 

[uscitizen]

Whichever books explains how our government is supposed to work.
A HS civics book should do fine.
But I would recommend no books written by politicians at all.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

My boy is 16 and my girl will be 14 too soon to contemplate. They will be voters soon!

I am going to ask them to read three basic books on politics if they read nothing else.

Federalist papers

Machiavellis's Discourses on Livy's Roman History

Road to Serfdom.


What three books would you recommend to a new voter?

If they're going to read the Federalist Papers I'd also recommend they read the Anti-Federalist Papers, just so they see the opposite argument and can come to their own conclusion as to who was ultimately right. Hayek's writing is dry and boring, so unless they're predisposed to read, and to read about political economy in particular, they probably won't enjoy The Road to Serfdom. It is a good book to read, however.

 

[uscitizen]

Ype Kevin teach them how govt is supposed to work and then let them decide which path to take on their own. I do not go for trying to program them.

Teach them to think for themselves.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

And that is the most important lesson ever.

 

[Oddball]

My boy is 16 and my girl will be 14 too soon to contemplate. They will be voters soon!

I am going to ask them to read three basic books on politics if they read nothing else.

Federalist papers

Machiavellis's Discourses on Livy's Roman History

Road to Serfdom.


What three books would you recommend to a new voter?

The Road to Serfdom

The Law

Common Sense

 

[Avatar4321]

Notes on the Debates In the Federal Convention fo 1787 Reported by James Madison

its the book of Madisons specific notes that he wrote down each and every day of the convention. What they debated. Why they settled something a certain way.

It will get you knowing the Constitution inside and out.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

My boy is 16 and my girl will be 14 too soon to contemplate. They will be voters soon!

I am going to ask them to read three basic books on politics if they read nothing else.

Federalist papers

Machiavellis's Discourses on Livy's Roman History

Road to Serfdom.


What three books would you recommend to a new voter?

The Road to Serfdom

The Law

Common Sense

"The Law" is a good idea. I'd say "What Is Seen, and What Is Unseen" or "Economics In One Lesson" would be good too.

 

[blu]

communist manifesto

atlas shrugged

on the wealth of nations

 

[DiamondDave]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Liberwocky-What-Liberals-They-Really/dp/0785260579]Amazon.com: Liberwocky: What Liberals Say and What They Really Mean (9780785260578): Victor Gold: Books[/ame]

Liberwocky

The Federalist Papers
and of course.. The Constitution with some in depth discussion on what it really says, not what others interject into it or use to abuse it

 

[Meister]

"The Law"
"Federalist Papers"
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

communist manifesto

atlas shrugged

on the wealth of nations

The Wealth of Nations is a gigantic tome, so I don't know too many 16 or 14 year olds that want to read that. Cantillon's Essay might be better.

 

[Madeline]

This is an excellent question, Baruch! Most of what I might recommend has already been listed....but kudos to you for looking on the son's voting rights as a somber responsibility.

 

[Oddball]

communist manifesto

atlas shrugged

on the wealth of nations

The Wealth of Nations is a gigantic tome, so I don't know too many 16 or 14 year olds that want to read that. Cantillon's Essay might be better.

Try the quasi-cliff notes version:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Nations-Books-Changed-World/dp/0871139499]Amazon.com: On The Wealth of Nations (Books That Changed the World) (9780871139498): P. J. O'Rourke: Books[/ame]

 

[WillowTree]

My boy is 16 and my girl will be 14 too soon to contemplate. They will be voters soon!

I am going to ask them to read three basic books on politics if they read nothing else.

Federalist papers

Machiavellis's Discourses on Livy's Roman History

Road to Serfdom.


What three books would you recommend to a new voter?

Start em off easy. With Pinheads and Patriots.

 

[blu]

communist manifesto

atlas shrugged

on the wealth of nations

The Wealth of Nations is a gigantic tome, so I don't know too many 16 or 14 year olds that want to read that. Cantillon's Essay might be better.

good points, but those three books give widely differing opinions on politics/economics (which are both intertwined greatly anyway) and would give a pretty good overview of things.

 

[blu]

My boy is 16 and my girl will be 14 too soon to contemplate. They will be voters soon!

I am going to ask them to read three basic books on politics if they read nothing else.

Federalist papers

Machiavellis's Discourses on Livy's Roman History

Road to Serfdom.


What three books would you recommend to a new voter?

Start em off easy. With Pinheads and Patriots.

I took you briefly off ignore, b/c I just wanted to prove you would post something short sighted and partisan

 

[WillowTree]

My boy is 16 and my girl will be 14 too soon to contemplate. They will be voters soon!

I am going to ask them to read three basic books on politics if they read nothing else.

Federalist papers

Machiavellis's Discourses on Livy's Roman History

Road to Serfdom.


What three books would you recommend to a new voter?

Start em off easy. With Pinheads and Patriots.

I took you briefly off ignore, b/c I just wanted to prove you would post something short sighted and partisan

You haven't read it have you?