284: The Roads to Modernity: The British, French, and American Enlightenments by Gertrude Himmelfarb

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

The Roads to Modernity: The British, French, and American Enlightenments

A recent David Brooks column name checks Gertrude Himmelfarb, alluding to the argument she sets out in this book. Reading his column I wondered how many people recognized the name, or realized he was implicitly endorsing this neoconservative argument. In The Roads to Modernity Himmelfarb makes the argument that not all Enlightenment-era philosophy is the same and there are important differences between the liberalism spawned by the European Enlightenment and the liberalism rooted in the British and America enlightenment.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: I've mentioned before that when liberals think about the roots of liberalism they think about the American Revolution and the Enlightenment-era thinking that supported it, whereas when Conservatives invoke the roots of liberalism they're often referring to the French Revolution and the European Enlightenment. Gertrude Himmelfarb (well-known in neoconservative circles) explains that distinction in this book. Himmelfarb is a talented writer, historian, and thinker in her own right, but is also notable for being the mother of Bill Kristol and the wife of Irving Kristol. Perhaps no family has done more to shape neoconservatism than the Himmelfarb-Kristols.

Buy the Kindle version: The Roads to Modernity: The British, French, and American Enlightenments

285: A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror by Larry Schweikart & Michael Allen

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

A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror

This rah-rah history of the United States (and the pre-history of the US starting with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the western hemisphere) is filled with editorial commentary by the authors explaining why the liberal interpretation in wrong. For anyone familiar with US history this story is familiar, but the gleeful liberal-bashing makes this history what it is. That being said, the authors are not completely predictable, finding positive things to say about FDR and Kennedy (for example) and critiques of Eisenhower and Nixon.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: Larry Schweikart has made a career from tweaking liberals. In addition to A Patriot's History he's authored 48 Liberal Lies About American History: (That You Probably Learned in School), Seven Events That Made America America: And Proved That the Founding Fathers Were Right All Along, and What Would the Founders Say?: A Patriot's Answers to America's Most Pressing Problems. He's also a regular on Fox's "Fox and Friends."

Buy the Kindle version: A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror

286: America: The Last Best Hope Volumes I & II by William J. Bennett Box Set

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

America: The Last Best Hope Volumes I & II Box Set

This two volume history of the United States starts with the arrival of Columbus in North America and ends with the Reagan Revolution. Not surprisingly this is a traditional history that promotes the best of US ideas and actions.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: Bill Bennett served as Secretary of Education under Reagan and has helmed a conservative talk radio show since 2004. He is a prolific author, frequently writing about conservative social and political issues.

Buy the Kindle version: America: The Last Best Hope: Volume I and Volume II

287: Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline by Robert Bork

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

Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline

In this book Justice Robert Bork pinpoints the beginning of the American decline. It started in the 1960s with the rise of the New Left, the radical anti-war faction that was roughly to the liberals in the 1960s what the Tea Party is to the conservatives today. (Interestingly, the New Left of the '60s and the Tea Party of the 2010s is approximately the same demographic.) The New Left brought with it the legalization of abortion, Affirmative Action, first amendment defense of pornography, and feminism. Things just haven't been the same since

What this is libertarian/conservative: Want to know what's wrong with liberalism? Robert Bork knows and he doesn't hold back in explaining how it's screwing up the country. Bork was the justice nominated by Ronald Reagan for the Supreme Court, but after a bitter confirmation battle, his nomination was rejected by the Senate. The less conservative Scalia was nominated in his stead. It's hard to get more conservative than Bork.

Buy the Kindle version: Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline

288: The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul

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

The Revolution: A Manifesto

You hear about him, and it seems like everyone has an opinion, but how many have actually read his work? This book by Congressman Ron Paul lays out his libertarian vision for governance. While you may not agree with every point Paul makes, at least he's laying out an argument he'll stand by. No politician is perfectly principled, but Paul seems to stick by his principles more than most. Want to know what those principles are? Read The Revolution: A Manifesto.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: Paul consistently ranks high in Republican straw polls, and has a cadre of dedicated followers. He is probably the highest profile Libertarian in the US.

Buy the Kindle version: The Revolution: A Manifesto

289: The Deniers, Fully Revised: The World-Renowned Scientists Who Stood Up Against Global Warming Hysteria, Political Persecution and Fraud by Lawrence Solomon

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

The Deniers, Fully Revised: The World-Renowned Scientists Who Stood Up Against Global Warming Hysteria, Political Persecution and Fraud

Solomon claims that when he began his research for this book he presumed there was a scientific consensus that humans were the cause of global warming. He wanted to better understand why some scientists might dissent from the prevailing view. After multiple interviews with scientists who disagreed with the standard story about anthropogenic climate change he began to change his mind. This book is a collection of interviews with scientists who think the common wisdom on global warming in wrong.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: Since Al Gore made global warming his signature issue after his 2000 candidacy for the presidency the idea that human behavior is changing the climate has polarized the political landscape. The good thing about science is that it's not supposed to have an ideological bias. Scientists are always trying to prove each other wrong (presumably). Check out this book and see if you think the dissenters might be on to something.

290: God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of 'Academic Freedom' by William F. Buckley, Jr.

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

God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of 'Academic Freedom'

At the tender young age of 25 William Buckley, Jr. wrote a critique of his alma mater. In God and Man at Yale Buckley paints a picture of an overwhelmingly liberal institution and the assumptions that guide it. Most importantly, the role of religion as a beneficial influence on society is almost completely absent from this prestigious university (according to Buckley).

Why this is libertarian/conservative: For decades William Buckley was an iconic figure among US conservatives. His elite pedigree allowed him to go toe to toe with Ivy League liberals, and his editorship of National Review shepherded American conservatism through the turbulent 60s and the Reagan revolution. Much of what Buckley wrote about in this book continues to resonate with conservatives today.