Need 6 political books to read for class and I need some recommendations....

[ScottFern]

I have an independent study course to take for next fall but I am allowed to start my readings this month. I need to pick six books to read and write papers on for this course. I need recommendations on really good poli sci books that will keep my attention and will actually want to finish.

1) What's the Matter with Kansas? - recommended by professor.
2) Ann Coulter book?
3) Michael Moore book?
4) International relations book?????
5) ????
6) ??????

Thanks for the help guys

 

[SViscusi]

Al Frankin - Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right
Richard A. Viguerie - America's Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and Alternative Media to Take Power
George Lakoff - Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives

Don't even bother with Moore or Coulter, too many lies.

 

[Spencer278]

I would go with Americia the book

 

[ScottFern]

When it comes to political books I am not sure who is telling the truth to be honest ??? I would like a balance of material, not all right bashing and not all left bashing.

 

[imported_Tango]

Paul Kennedy - Rise and Fall of the Great Powers
It's an hard book, but I loved every page of it.

 

[Mursilis]

All the Trouble in the World by P.J. O'Rourke
Funny as heck, but also informative.

 

[ScottFern]

Moral Politics : How Liberals and Conservatives Think - George Lakoff...............this looks really good.

 

[HombrePequeno]

America: The Book seems to be a pretty popular political book.

Also if you want balanced material, I'm not sure I'd read from authors like Ann Coulter and Micheal Moore. I guess if you want to read both extremes and try to figure out where the middle is, that'd be fine...

 

[nageov3t]

America: The Book

both political and funny as hell.

 

[conjur]

Really good poli-sci books and you mention Coulter and Moore?

Chain of Command - Seymour Hersh
The Price of Loyalty - Ron Suskind
Plan of Attack - Bob Woodward
The Clash of Fundamentalisms - Tariq Ali
Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think - George Lakoff
God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It - Jim Wallis
It's My Party Too: The Battle for the Heart of the GOP and the Future of America - Christine Todd Whitman
The Prince - Niccola Machiavelli
Utopia - Thomas More

 

[cwjerome]

Really depends a lot.
Here's some good and EASY non-academic reads:

"What's So Great About America", "The Virtue Of Prosperity", and "Letters To A Young Conservative" all by Dinesh D'Souza

"Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal" by Ayn Rand

"Give Me A Break" by John Stossel

"Common Sense Economics" (3 authors)

"Hard America Soft America" by Michael Barone

"Do-Gooders" by Mona Charen (at least interesting)

"The War Against Boys" by Christina Hoff Sommers

 

[ScottFern]

Thats why I am asking, and my Professor said we could read 1 Moore book and 1 Coulter book if we wanted too. Thats why I mention it.

 

[conjur]

Save your brain cells and ignore books from extremist loud mouths.

 

[ScottFern]

Thomas Friedman any good?

 

[aka1nas]

I second conjur's reccomendation of The Prince and I would also add The Leviathan by Hobbes to the list. Both are somehwat fundamental to modern political thought.

 

[ScottFern]

Against All Enemies : Inside America's War on Terror by Richard Clarke ???????????????

What's So Great About America by Dinesh D'Souza seems really good as well.

 

[cwjerome]

The Prince and Leviathon are too obscure and academic. You might as well throw in Locke's The Second Treatise of Government, Mill's On Liberty, Smith's Wealth of Nations among others. Nah, he needs topical, easy reads.

I'd say Milton Friedman's "Free to Choose" is an excellent book, although his ideas have been expanded upon more recently by other authors.

If you want a good look at Terror, skip "Against All Enemies : Inside America's War on Terror" and read "Preachers of Hate by Kenneth Timmerman.

 

[ScottFern]

I would like to read a book about the battle with conservatives/liberals, 2 international relations dealing with terrorism or any international issue that deals with the U.S. and then a Dinesh D'Souza book most likely.

Yes, I don't want to read any political theory books, thats not really what I am looking for here, and besides we covered those in my other classes.

 

[aka1nas]

I agree that the Leviathan might be too academic and, above all, long. The Prince however, is a fairly short read and would lay a good foundation for more modern stuff. A Poli sci professor once told me that Ashcroft is said to always keep a copy of it on him. I wouldn't say that it's completely outmoded and ignored by modern politicians

 

[Infohawk]

I too suggest you look into some of the classics. Ann Coulter and Michael Moore don't write poli sci books, as Conjur pointed out. I also wouldn't consider the other recent books to be polisci per se but more of current events and not very scholarly.

How predictable that cwjerome would consider Leviathan to be obscure and academic and suggest some garbage from John Stossel. Completely ridiculous. If you want to consider yourself to be an educated person, you should be familiar with Leviathan and Hobbes, for example. And what is this about these books being academic? Isn't this for a class? LOL.

 

[cwjerome]

Originally posted by: Infohawk
I too suggest you look into some of the classics. Ann Coulter and Michael Moore don't write poli sci books, as Conjur pointed out. I also wouldn't consider the other recent books to be polisci per se but more of current events and not very scholarly.

How predictable that cwjerome would consider Leviathan to be obscure and academic and suggest some garbage from John Stossel. Completely ridiculous. If you want to consider yourself to be an educated person, you should be familiar with Leviathan and Hobbes, for example. And what is this about these books being academic? Isn't this for a class? LOL.

I think ScottFern agrees with me (or I am in tune to what he needs) because like he said, this isn't about deep political theory by classical thinkers. This appears to be more about issues and beliefs in today's politics. Jesus, even the prof said Moore and Coulter were allowed (not that I would recommend either). Once again you show yourself to be an idiot by trying to insult me.

 

[ScottFern]

Infohawk - Ok, let me try to explain this to you because your obviously to dense to understand what I have already said. Yes, I know these academic political theory books are classics and thats great, but thats not what I am looking for in this assignment. I am looking for more contemporary political issue books. My professor is the one who suggested possibly reading Moore or Coulter, so whats with these irrelevant questions about is this for a class?

Lets stop the threadcrapping and keep making suggestions for political commentary type books.

 

[ScottFern]

cwjerome and I are on the same page.

 

[daveshel]

Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail

 

[ScottFern]

Originally posted by: daveshel
Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail

My professor would love that his forte is campaigns and elections.