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To start off, I would like to suggest freepers consider:
The Future of Freedom, Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad By Fareed Zakaria (ISBN0-393-04764-4) and

The Mystery of Capital, Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else by Hernando De Soto (ISBN-0-46501614-6)

I have slected these two relatively new books to begin with to show that the classics of conservatism aren't the only things worth reading. These two are great bookends to looking at conservative principles and how they apply to the rest of the world. The reflection on our own culture and government are thereby subtle reflections that any reader can profit from, not just those of us who think on that subject every day. Has anyone else come across them?
1 posted on 06/09/2003 7:47:33 AM PDT by KC Burke
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To: cornelis; x; amom; William McKinley; logos; fod
occasional contributions would be appreciated
2 posted on 06/09/2003 7:50:20 AM PDT by KC Burke
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To: KC Burke
I will stick in a couple of recommendations of old books which should be re-read, given our current knowledge of recent history.

Standing Firm by Dan Quayle.

I recommend this to go back and read, even if you have not done so. Quayle mis-read some people, and unfortunately the record is there in black and white. I supported Quayle before he withdrew from the presidential race, and I have no axe to grind. This is an instructive book on how one's opinion of leaders is shaped by events.

Barbara Bush: A Memoir by Barbara Bush.

This is an easy read, but it has some interesting detail, and should be read in preparation for Reflections, by Barbara Bush, which is coming out in October. Reflections will cover the time since they left the White House until their son was elected. Coincidentally, those years are the Clinton years, and advance word is that Mrs. Bush is pulling no punches. Heheheh.

3 posted on 06/09/2003 8:30:04 AM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: KC Burke
GReat Thread!

Just got done reading The TAlisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. I recently "discovered" King novels, especially all that are connected to The Dark Tower series. Talisman was a bit slow and had little to do with The Dark Tower, however I am told the sequel, Black House has more DT info...

Currently I reading Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins...

Waiting not so patiently for the Next Harry Potter....

4 posted on 06/09/2003 8:42:36 AM PDT by Portnoy (No complaints here....as long as I'm fly fishing.)
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To: KC Burke
Pier Gynt.
7 posted on 06/09/2003 11:43:29 AM PDT by bannie (The government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul.)
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To: KC Burke
My current reading is
Dereliction of Duty by Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson (carrier of the nuclear football) If you liked Gary Aldrich's book you'll enjoy Dereliction of Duty.

Slander by Ann Coluter. Love her wit! She can pack more into a sentence than most can put into an entire chapter. Quite enjoyable reading.

One of my all time favorites is the 12 volume set "Brann and the Iconoclast". The Iconoclast was a newspaper out of Waco Texas in the late 1800s. Brann was the writer/editor. The writing is wonderful and gives a peek into politics and business of America and worldwide. Brann's subscription base was over 10,000 internationally. As a side line but woven thoughout the articles of the newspaper was Brann's ongoing disagreement with some of the powers at Baylor University. He stood up for the honor of a young girl, 14 years old(from Brazil I believe it was). She was brought from her home by missionaries with the promise to her mother of her being educated and taught to become a missionary. Instead she was put to work in the kitchen where she caught the eye of a young man who shall we say did not hesitate to make his advances. When she became pregnant their treatment of her was beyond disgraceful. Brann wanted justice for the girl whose reputation and life had been terribly ruined and never hesitated in calling out the guilty party in his writing. Needless to say there were those at Baylor who insisted he was wrong and their desire for his silence on this issue clouded their ability to think. This dispute grew so heated at one point Brann was kidnapped by some of the students. Another time an attempt to tar and feather him failed when one of the young men left the bucket of tar under a bridge. Needless to say Brann spared no words describing these adventures.
After loosing his life in a gunfight in the streets of Waco regarding this same Baylor situation his wife had the newspaper printed and bound in book form which makes up the 12 volumes.
For a real view and a taste of the flavor of the West this is a great read.

13 posted on 06/09/2003 9:57:16 PM PDT by amom (sheeze I do go on and on sometimes. Hey Burke. Hugs all around.)
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To: KC Burke
Statecraft by Margaret Thatcher

Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger

The Prize by Daniel Yergin

14 posted on 06/10/2003 1:31:38 AM PDT by Skywalk
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To: KC Burke
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

I love nonfiction books which make me slap my head and go, "Jeez, this guy can write!" The Tipping Point is about social trends, and how introduced small factors can work profound processional effects on outcomes. There are analogs in mathematics, which also apply to human events of all sorts and at all levels, in which even miniscule changes result in immense differences in outcome. An essentially optimistic and entertaining read.

17 posted on 06/10/2003 7:20:37 AM PDT by warchild9
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To: KC Burke

18 posted on 06/10/2003 7:21:05 AM PDT by Consort
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To: KC Burke
I always recommend Witness, the autobiography of Whitaker Chambers. He was a communist spy in the late 20's and early 30's before breaking with communism and becoming a Christian. He hid from the communists for a while before coming back into public life and eventually becoming an editor at Time/Life. He was a government witness against Alger Hiss at the Hiss perjury trial. I named my website Witness for the Right in honor of Mr. Chambers.

I mentioned a couple of nonfiction books on the other thread, but I'll mention some fiction here. I enjoy the writing of Dean Koontz a great deal. I don't know what his poitical views are, but I think he is generally very respectful towards the conservative view. I like the fact that when he talks about history's all-time killers, he mentions Stalin in the same sentence with Hitler. I think it's good to remind people of the evils of communism. I review one of the more political of his books at Book Review: Dark Rivers of the Heart.

I'll mention others as I think of them.

32 posted on 06/14/2003 8:46:17 PM PDT by WFTR (Liberty isn't for cowards)
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To: KC Burke
I'm reading, The Devil and the White City about the making of the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago and a serial killer who was operating near the fair. It is really interesting. I am about halfway through.

This wasn't just a huge undertaking for the city of Chicago, but for the entire United States. There was a worlds fair in Paris a few years before and the French thought that this was the end all be all of worlds fairs and that the US could never have one as brilliant. Stupid French.

The story of the serial killer is equally as interesting. He operated a house of horrors just down the street from the fair. It's a very bizarre story. People around him just kept disappearing and he would just weave these stories that were believable enough to keep people from calling the police.

39 posted on 06/19/2003 10:57:52 AM PDT by retrokitten
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To: ntnychik
Another thread you'd like.
53 posted on 06/24/2003 9:30:18 PM PDT by potlatch
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