Classic books on politics and economics (your recommendations?)

[Flyback]

As title says. Looking to build a small collection of books on politics. I want to start from some of the more famous classics from the greek era and work up to more modern times.

I don't want modern day party drivel but some of the more classical works throughout history . I'm quite uncultured and want to learn some basis of politics and, with it, economics as they tend to go hand in hand.

So I guess I'm asking for not just political classics but economics as well.

thanks

 

[Fineghal]

Machiavelli is who first springs to mind when I think old school politics. However Aristotle and Plato both had ideal societies as well. Though most of Aristotle's was derived from criticizing Plato's. It'd be more helpful if you were more specific. Theories in politics? As in forms of rule etc.? Or actual political analysis comparable to what we think of today as Political Science?

And as for economics, it's a fairly new thing. I seriously doubt you'd find anything before say the 1700's. If I recall correctly, up until this point Europe was primarily a mercantile system. Basic tenets being that the global amount of trade is fixed and unchanging, emphasis on protectionism etc. Free trade and modern economics only really began in the early mid 1700's or so, when Britain sacrificed its agricultural sector that it might have open markets, and thus export more of its manufacturing goods (comparative advantage).

If you want to get back into the roots of modern economics, read Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations.

 

[cwjerome]

I would also look into anything by Friedrich A Hayek and David Ricardo explains a lot about comparative advantage and free trade.

 

[glenn1]

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations.

The people who recommend this book never mention that it's 1200+ pages

For a good read that won't break your back to carry, I'd suggest "The Road to Serfdom" by F.A. Hayek (if you want it serious) or P.J. O'Rourke's "Eat the Rich" if you want it with a humorous twist.

 

[bdude]

Politics, Aristotle

Ibn Khaldun, The Muqadimmah

Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man

Samuel Huntington, ?The Clash of Civilizations??

Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel

Thomas Friedman, The Lexus and The Olive Tree

Some are easier to read than others, but all have something to say.

 

[XMan]

These are in my stack as we speak:

The Social Contract, Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Second Treatise of Government, John Locke

On Liberty, John Stuart Mill

Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, Thomas E. Woods

Infidel, Ayaan Hirsi Ali

 

[fskimospy]

To better understand modern American politics try The Reasoning Voter by Sam Popkin.

I personally am more interested in the ways in which politics work, and what makes people do what they do. I found it really really interesting and enlightening on how our modern electoral system works (and it's really amazing after reading that book how much more you understand why politicians are doing/saying something then you did before)

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention it was required reading for the election staff of both Karl Rove and James Carville. Love those guys or hate them if they're both making their staff read it to better understand how to win, it's probably got something worthwhile in it.

 

[dphantom]

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand could go on the list.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: eskimospy
To better understand modern American politics try The Reasoning Voter by Sam Popkin.

I personally am more interested in the ways in which politics work, and what makes people do what they do. I found it really really interesting and enlightening on how our modern electoral system works (and it's really amazing after reading that book how much more you understand why politicians are doing/saying something then you did before)

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to mention it was required reading for the election staff of both Karl Rove and James Carville. Love those guys or hate them if they're both making their staff read it to better understand how to win, it's probably got something worthwhile in it.

Hey this might be the first time I ever got something useful out of one of your posts

If you want to read about leadership get yourself a good war book like Band of Brothers. Lots of great examples of good and bad leadership in any book about war.
Rudy's book was a good book about leadership in modern times, shows you why so many of our problems never get solved. To many people trying to pull to many different directions.

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: dphantom
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand could go on the list.

Off topic: While I didn't agree with pretty much anything she said ideology wise as well (ie. condemning unreasonable leftist faith in the common man, but then replacing it with unreasonable faith in the industrial elite)... I think her position does have some merit, and you can make an honest argument for it.

As far as plot and everything went though I thought that was one of the worst novels I've ever read in my entire life. All the characters were exactly the same, all the conflict was contrived, and there were 60+ page speeches with no breaks, reiterating the same points ad nauseum. I try to never skip pages in books, but I couldn't help myself on this one.

 

[poohbear]

modern writers:

chalmers johnson is great for contemporary american Geopolitics ("sorrow's of empire"), shed's light on alot of shady things american governments have done in the past which contributed to american problems overseas. he's liberal if that bothers u, but a great book nonetheless.

Nial ferguson's "Colossus the price of america's empire" is also excellent understanding of modern geopolitics, he's british conservative and an unapolgetic imperialist, so its very interesting to read his take on why america should become an empire (and why it wont), and he speaks of many of the root causes of modern political problems. brutally honest historian that does'nt shy away from documenting atrocities committed by britain despite claiming that overall empire was good.

"The road from Beirut to Jerusalem" by Thomas Friedman (a jewish journalist for the NY times but he still remains very fair when speaking of arabs) really gives a human face to the arab israeli problems in the middle east, doesnt just portray both sides as nut cases bent on killing each other. good book that's well written and actually quite entertaining for the Beirut scenes.

oh, and anything by Noam Chomsky.

things u MUST read overtime on politics in general: John locke's Two Treatises of Government & Letters Concerning Toleration, Montesquieu's work on Separtion of Powers, jean-jacque Rousseau's "Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men", & john stuart mill's "on liberty".

PS they make u read plato's "republic" about 10 times in university (almost every politics course i took we HAD to read it), but quite frankly it's dry & some of the stuff is ridiculously impractical, but its considered the grand daddy of political thinking.

 

[cwjerome]

Originally posted by: poohbear

Nial ferguson's "Colossus the price of america's empire" is also excellent understanding of modern geopolitics, he's british conservative and an unapolgetic imperialist, so its very interesting to read his take on why america should become an empire (and why it wont), and he speaks of many of the root causes of modern political problems. brutally honest historian that does'nt shy away from documenting atrocities committed by britain despite claiming that overall empire was good.

Although not exactly an economic treatise, Colossus is a great book.

 

[ViRGE]

Milton Friedman - Capitalism & Freedom

 

[Fineghal]

Originally posted by: glenn1

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations.

The people who recommend this book never mention that it's 1200+ pages

I'll tell you a secret, I've never actually read it. I just remember both Econ and Poli Sci proffs. referencing the book a lot. Especially modern politics actually.

 

[Craig234]

An important and great book:

Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann

Try Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States".

 

[Genx87]

Adam Smith - Wealth of Nations

 

[dphantom]

Originally posted by: eskimospy

Originally posted by: dphantom
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand could go on the list.

Off topic: While I didn't agree with pretty much anything she said ideology wise as well (ie. condemning unreasonable leftist faith in the common man, but then replacing it with unreasonable faith in the industrial elite)... I think her position does have some merit, and you can make an honest argument for it.

As far as plot and everything went though I thought that was one of the worst novels I've ever read in my entire life. All the characters were exactly the same, all the conflict was contrived, and there were 60+ page speeches with no breaks, reiterating the same points ad nauseum. I try to never skip pages in books, but I couldn't help myself on this one.

Agreed, I was going more from a philosophical viewpoint.

Back on topic, here are a couple more I have used and practice today.

Hersey, Paul and Kenneth H. Blanchard. Management of Organizational Behavior, 7th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1996.

The 30 Management Principles of the U.S. Marines

The last may seem military specific but it has real applicability to many other areas of business, industry; for profit and not for profit.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I suggest Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and perhaps most importantly, Atlas Shrugged.

 

[johnnobts]

Anything by John Locke

Adam Smith: "Wealth of Nations"

Modern: "The Way Things Ought to Be," by Peace Prize nominee R. Limbaugh

 

[piasabird]

The Art of War, cant recall author. I think it was written in Polish or some other language. It is sometimes required reading at some universities.

When you discuss politics, the study of war and what leads up to war and how war is conducted is very much a part of politics as it is democracy. Also the move from kingdoms to commonwealths and democratic states is a worthy study.

Also I learned a lot in a course I took about Business and the Legal Environment. The study of how the United States was shaped from a legal business point of view is very interesting. It is interesting because it is a study of the constitution and the struggle between the rights of the workers and the people and the development of legal rights of the corporation and the business legal environment. Business law in the USA is very complex and has slowly been established and evolved over time.

Books on politics in general seem to be very boring to me. I think you can lear more from reading the Bible. This is my personal take on it.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: piasabird
The Art of War, cant recall author. I think it was written in Polish or some other language. It is sometimes required reading at some universities.

When you discuss politics, the study of war and what leads up to war and how war is conducted is very much a part of politics as it is democracy. Also the move from kingdoms to commonwealths and democratic states is a worthy study.

Also I learned a lot in a course I took about Business and the Legal Environment. The study of how the United States was shaped from a legal business point of view is very interesting. It is interesting because it is a study of the constitution and the struggle between the rights of the workers and the people and the development of legal rights of the corporation and the business legal environment. Business law in the USA is very complex and has slowly been established and evolved over time.

Books on politics in general seem to be very boring to me. I think you can lear more from reading the Bible. This is my personal take on it.

Perhaps you are talking about Sun Tzu, a Chinese leader written in the 6th century BC.
Full of great quotes such as

So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will win hundred times in hundred battles. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you win one and lose the next. If you do not know yourself or your enemy, you will always lose.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: johnnobts
Anything by John Locke

Adam Smith: "Wealth of Nations"

Modern: "The Way Things Ought to Be," by Peace Prize nominee R. Limbaugh

Limbaugh is not a nominee and never was. The right-wing law firm that put that out is not allowed to nominate. It was a phony publicity stunt to attack a man who earned it, Al Gore.

They're adolescent enemies of the public interest, fighting against the effort to reduce the climate change problem. Congrats on being on their wrong side against the US.

 

[miketheidiot]

The non-short, relatively on topic list, in somthing near cronologic order:

Plato - The Republic, perhaps The Laws or On Virtue
Aristotle - Politics
Sun Tzu - Art of War
Suetonius - The Lives of the Twelve Caesers
Tacitus - *Histories, Annals
Thomas Aquinas- (i can't recall)
Machiavelli - The Prince
Thomas Hobbes - Leviathan
Rene Descartes - Principles of Philosophy
Leibniz, Spinoza - nothing specific, but good to have an idea of what their ideas were.
John Locke - Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina, *Treatises on Government
Hume - A Treatise on Human Nature
Rousseau - *The Social Contract
Kant - another guy that might be good to know about but nothing specific to read.
Adam Smith - An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (like the book, the title is much longer than people let on, I recommend cliff notes )
Hamilton, Madison, Jay - The Federalist Papers
Thomas Paine - *Common Sense, Rights of Man, *Age of Reason, The Crisis Papers
Thomas Jefferson - Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Declaration of Independence
Alexis de Tocqueville - *Democracy in America.
Thomas Robert Malthus - *An Essay on the Principle of Population
Marx/Engles - *The Communist Manifesto, Das Kapital
Nietzsche - The Will to Power (arranged by his sister post mortem, influencial with nazis)
Ricardo - Principles of Political Economy and taxation
Keynes - General theory of Employment, Interest and Money
Hayek - Road to Serfdom
Bertrand Russell - Wrote alot of stuff, pick something. "why i am not a christian" might be a good choice
Milton Freidman - Monetary History of the United States, Captialism And Freedom


I obviously missed alot (john stuart mill just popped to mind) but there are some good and some mediocre suggestions in here, and clearly still alot missing. * indicates a recomendation.

EDIT: Caeser, Marcus Arelious (sp?), more keep coming. could end up with a real long list if i wanted to.