280: Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater

(During the month of September I'm recommending conservative titles with which every well-read progressive should be familiar.)

Conscience of a Conservative

From the publisher's description:

"The Conscience of a Conservative reignited the American conservative movement and made Barry Goldwater a political star. It influenced countless conservatives in the United States, and helped lay the foundation for the Reagan Revolution in 1980. It covers topics such as education, labor unions and policies, civil rights, agricultural policy and farm subsidies, social welfare programs, and income taxation. This significant book lays out the conservative position both politically and economically that would come to dominate the Conservative Movement in American."

Why this is libertarian/conservative: One of the signature works of the late 20th century conservative movement. This slim volume inspired a generation with its depiction of conservative values. Liberals Paul Krugman and Paul Wellstone have both written books titled Conscience of a Liberal, alluding to the Goldwater book, and Zell Miller and David Brock have included variations of the title in the subtitles of their work; testimonials to its deep and widespread influence.

Buy the Kindle version: The Conscience of a Conservative