This page is an archive containing brief thoughts on books I read.
2022
1. God is Not Great, by Christopher Hitchens
Hitchens is someone with an attitude that is excellent when he is right, and arrogant when he is wrong. Some historical claims in this book have since been disproven, and I find his worldview that he is coming from to be false (a worldview I once held). Worth reading to understand the arguments, but I found them more anti-convincing than convincing.
2. Word Biblical Themes: 1 and 2 Kings, by T. R. Hobbs
A book on the themes found in Kings. The books in this series seem to be unnecessarily long, when they could be much more concise. However, there is some good stuff in here.
3. Everyone’s a Theologian, by R. C. Sproul
January was the month of binging the famous Presbyterian R. C. Sproul. I am not a Presbyterian, but I have come to respect Sproul. His steelmans his opponents and makes decent arguments, even if I ultimately disagree. This is his Systematic Theology book, and is a nice introduction to presbie Theology.
4. Baltimore Catechism One
I bought the whole set, so I started with the first one, even though this is meant for elementary school kids. Its a book that most kids would read in Catholic school, containing certain theological truths simplified. In February I will read the second.
5. Luther and The Reformation, by R. C. Sproul
A short book on Martin Luther, by Sproul. Based on everything I know about Luther, everything here is true and not exaggerated. A short booklet that is both a biography and summary of his views and where he differed from the RCC.
6. On Reasons for Our Faith, by Thomas Aquinas
This was recommended to me by a priest. It is a letter from Aquinas to the Cantor of Antioch on how, when attempting to convert people, it is proper to set aside scripture (for the moment) and first show how doctrine isn’t at least contrary to reason. It is an appeal to everyone’s common reason. This book also contains the encyclical Aeterni Patris.
7. Romans, by R. C. Sproul
8. Acts, by R. C. Sproul
9. 1-2 Peter, by R. C. Sproul
10. Mark, by R. C. Sproul
11. Luke, by R. C. Sproul
12. Matthew, by R. C. Sproul
Six of Sproul’s seven commentary books, which are transcripts of sermons. There is a tremendous amount of good stuff here, even if I think he goes wrong on a few interpretations. He is excellent at speaking to the layman, and steelmanning opposing views, and that’s why I recommend.
13. Are we Together? by R. C. Sproul
Sproul’s criticism of setting aside differences between protestantism and Catholicism. Once again, he accurately (to the best of my knowledge) informs you of the differences. However, I don’t believe his arguments are correct, so I have to disagree with the overall message of the book.
14. 15 Myths, Mistakes and Misrepresentations About The Deuterocanon, by Gary Michuta
Gary Michuta is interesting. There is not a universal agreement on which books comprise the Biblical canon, and Michuta makes a defense for the Deuterocanon as biblically inspired. This was a short book and not a comprehensive defense, but I look forward to reading more of his stuff.
15. 20 Answers: Protestantism, by Jimmy Akin
A catholic book on protestantism. This isn’t a strong refutation or an attack, but more just a brief layout of most main denominations and how they differ in theology. Anything by Akin is worth reading.
16. The Bible is a Catholic Book, by Jimmy Akin
Another fascinating book by Akin, who provides a history of the Bible in the early church, as books were written, spread around, and eventually included into the biblical canon.
17. 20 Answers: The Early Church, by Jim Blackburn
A brief book on the early Christian church. It briefly covers important figures, what they believed, the structure of the church, etc. Also worth reading.
18. Meeting The Protestant Challenge, by Karlo Broussard
This was very interesting to read. I’ve been reading lots of back-and-forth between protestants and Catholics (this month was working through my catholic pile, if that wasn’t clear yet). He addressed claims made by other critics and refutes them. Since then, protestants have responded to this book, and Broussard released a follow-up responding to those responses. I look forward to reading that.
19. Benedictus – Feb 2022
I have started reading the Benedictus cover-to-cover, which is very helpful for the church I started attending in January. It contains lots of good excerpts of writings, side-by-side translations, and need-to-know prayers (that I need to know but haven’t memorized yet). Very helpful.
20. Rome Sweet Rome, by Scott & Kimberly Hahn
This was an absolutely excellent book. It tells the story of Scott Hahn and his wife, and their very difficult but valuable journey from hardcore anti-catholic Presbyterians to hardcore Catholics. I enjoy reading conversion stories (between denominations and to and from Christianity), and this one was the most fascinating yet.
21. Basic Christianity, by John Stott
22. Basic Christianity Bible Study, by John Stott
John Stott was an Anglican that converted many people with this book. It’s exactly as the title says, and I enjoyed it, but can be a bit dry for beginners (I think). My friend’s Bible study went through it, so I read it along with him. This is definitely a good review/Bible study book.
23. 20 Answers- Miracles, by Karlo Broussard
This was a very fascinating little booklet. It talks about what a miracle is and gives quite a few famous examples. I’ve briefly looked into some of them and there doesn’t seem to be much on them, either for or against, but it’s given me a lot to look into.
24. Chief Truths of The Faith (A Course in Religion I), by Fr. John Laux
25. Mass and The Sacraments (A Course in Religion II), by Fr. John Laux
26. Catholic Morality (A Course in Religion III), by Fr. John Laux
27. Catholic Apologetics (A Course in Religion IV), by Fr. John Laux
A four part course in Religion series by John Laux. It’s pretty dry, written as textbooks, but unlike textbooks, they are concise and do not waste time. I found them moderately helpful.
28. Reflections on The Psalms, by C. S. Lewis
Lewis himself states this is not a scholarly work. It is simply his own collection of thoughts on the psalms, meant for the layman. I found it very interesting, though it is probably my least favorite of Lewis’s books.
29. The Anarchist Handbook, ed. by Michael Malice
A collection of essays by a variety of anarchist perspectives. Some of these are absolutely brilliant (Rothbard’s, Friedman’s, and Hasnas), and others I find to be absolute garbage (Kropotkin for sure), with others in between. Very much worth reading.
30. Benedictus- March 2022
I read the March edition cover-to-cover. My Latin is improving.
31. 20 Answers- The Old Testament, by Jimmy Akin
A short book giving a brief overview of the OT. It includes a summarization of each book, as well as some brief history on it, and some brief answers to popular issues, such as how one might look at Gen 1-11. Anything by Akin is worth reading.
32. A Key to The Doctrine of The Eucharist, by Dom Anscar Vonier
A bit of this went over my head, but it was quite helpful in understanding the nuances and details of the Eucharist. It relies heavily on Aquinas, and I like Aquinas.
33. Ten Indictments Against The Modern Church, by Paul Washer
This is a transcript of a speech by Washer. Some of it is ‘fine’, other parts of it I take issue with, such as his garbage criticism that Christianity should reject philosophy.
34. 20 Answers- The Church, by Trent Horn
35. 20 Answers- Prayer, by Hugh Barbour & Sebastian Walshe
36. 20 Answers- The Papacy, by Jim Blackburn
37. 20 Answers- Bible Prophecy, by Jimmy Akin
For Holy Week, I tried to read a Christian book per day. Washer’s was the first, these were the next four. I really enjoy this series. They are short primers on specific topics, providing a basic understanding of doctrine and responding to some common objections if applicable.
38. Where We Got The Bible, by Rt. Rev. Henry G. Graham
This is an older book, and therefore is written a bit more hostile, but is quite good and addresses a common perspective that doesn’t think to question how or why these were compiled together.
39. Calvinism: A Very Short Introduction, by Jon Balserak
I have no idea if this author is a calvinist or not, but either way he did a mostly decent job with this book. I’m annoyed that he didn’t bother asserting a definition initially, but instead explained why he wasn’t going to try and offer a definition. However, the rest of the book does a decent job of explaining doctrines and differing perspectives among calvinists.
40. Benedictus Vol 2 #4 – April 2022
The Benedictus has been massively helpful as a Missal for me in recent months. Highly recommend.
41. An Inquirer’s Guide to the PCA, ed by Dennis Bennett
I’m not considering joining the PCA, but my best friend did, and I read everything he reads. It does its job in giving a basic overview of the PCA in a concise manner, but I was quite surprised to see how much I disagreed with the PCA specifically about what they do and why.
42. The Drama of Salvation, by Jimmy Akin
An absolutely excellent book giving an overview of salvation from a catholic perspective, and addressing where protestantism differs and where it overlaps in a charitable way. Akin is an excellent writer and I highly recommend for anyone.
43. Tradivox Volume 1
The Sophia Institute publishes a series that collects and republishes old catechisms. Volume 1 collects three short catechisms from 16th century London. These are fascinating to read, to see their choice of certain words, and how they are almost entirely similar to today but slightly different in disciplinary matters.
44. The Roman Catholic Controversy, by James White
This is James White’s criticism of Catholicism. Overall, I found that one chapter had interesting points (on praying to saints), that I don’t overall agree with, but I thought were well argued. For the rest of the book, I saw him jumping to conclusions that didn’t follow, or making arguments and not addressing obvious counterarguments. The book is too uncharitable for me to recommend.
45. Benedictus Vol 2 #5
May’s daily Latin missal. I love reading these daily.
46. Early Christian Writings
A collection of epistles and other early Christian writings. Absolute must reads to understand the thought of the early church. The Didache, a Christian manual from the 1st century, as well as the letters of St. Ignatius and 1 Clement, are very helpful to determine what the early church believed.
47. When The Man Comes Around, by Doug Wilson
A commentary on Revelation, taking the Preterist view (that it’s already happened). It’s the first Revelation commentary I’ve read, so I can’t say much on the validity of the interpretation, but I found it at least internally consistent, and intriguing.
48. An Introduction to The Devout Life, by St. Francis de Sales
An amazing collection of letters by St. Francis on leading a devout and virtuous life. De Sales is a brilliant and wise man, and this deserves to be read and re-read.
49. Catholicism and Fundamentalism, by Karl Keating
A book from a few decades ago examining the fundamentalist arguments against Catholicism, and dismantling them. The main content of the book is him addressing crazy conspiracy theories put forth by fundamentalists, rather than any academic theological disagreements. Quite a good book.
50. Benedictus – Vol 2 #6
Another month of reading a Missal cover to cover. My Latin is improving.
51. 20 Answers: Salvation, by Jimmy Akin
Akin’s “the Drama of Salvation” is an excellent thorough book on salvation. This book is much shorter and can be read in a day. Both are worth reading.
52. The Liturgy of The Hours (June 2022)
My first month going through the daily Liturgy of the Hours. Amazing experience!
53. 20 Answers- Apparitions & Revelations, by Michael O’Neill
This was a very interesting, if brief, booklet on a few famous alleged apparitions and private revelations. Definitely plan on looking further into them.
54. St. Anthony’s Chapel
I bought this from St. Anthony’s Chapel in Pittsburgh. The Chapel contains thousands of christian relics. The book is a collection of articles and info about the Chapel and the founder of the Chapel. An interesting place!
55. Why We’re Catholic, by Trent Horn
I found this to be a surprisingly good “intro” book, the kind that might be handed out to people, and does a pretty good job of covering all the basics.
56. AA-1025
This is, supposedly, a rewriting of memoirs by a Soviet communist spy assigned to infiltrate and dismantle the Church from within. I couldn’t find much more on whether it was true or not, but it certainly reads like it was written by a communist, or someone who understands them well.
57. 20 Answers- Witchcraft & The Occult, by Michelle Arnold
58. 20 Answers- Scripture & Tradition, by Jim Blackburn
59. 20 Answers- Jehovah’s Witnesses, by Trent Horn
I am enjoying these 20 Answers booklets. The ones on witchcraft and JWs are not harsh attacks on the subjects. They firmly reject them, but in a way that is an earnest attempt at persuasion. The scripture & tradition one is also a great yet brief overview of the relation between the two, and I found it quite persuasive.
60. Defend America First, by Garet Garrett
I bought this years ago, and I regret not reading this until now. It is a collection of Garrett’s war articles published in the Saturday Evening Post leading up to WWII. If you were told that the war began suddenly with an attack on Pearl Harbor, you would be quite mistaken.
61. A Traditionalist Confronts Fascism, by Julius Evola
Evola is difficult for me to read, because he is so far outside the Overton Window. Some of these articles are quite good, especially the last one critiquing “The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich” and what it gets wrong.
62. 20 Answers- Atheism, by Matt Fradd
Another short booklet that, I think, probably could benefit from being a bit longer, but is written in that Q&A format that can be a helpful resource.
63. How The West Won, by Rodney Stark
I think Stark overstates his case a bit, but this is still an excellent book. Stark is known for his thesis that Christianity is the reason for the rise of the West, it’s achievements, inventions, morality, and science, etc. This book is very thoroughly researched. Stark clearly knows his stuff. I highly recommend.
64. Catholics & Fundamentalists, by Rev. Martin Pable
I don’t recommend. I don’t think it fulfills any niche or teaches much that other books couldn’t do better. His definition of fundamentalism isn’t very good, and honestly, I sympathized more with the fundamentalists, because his criticisms aren’t very good.
65. The Gospel’s Power & Message, by Paul Washer
Despite my differences with Washer, I kinda like him. He is incredibly passionate, and that’s clear from his writing. He’s almost like a modern day stereotypical Baptist preacher, and although I can’t say I benefitted too much from the book, I enjoyed it quite a bit, and his excitement is contagious.
66. Benedictus – Vol 2 #7
Another month of a great Latin Missal.
67. 20 Answers- The Real Jesus, by Trent Horn
I know Trent Horn has written another book of the same title that is much larger. In this booklet, Trent summarizes the general historical conclusions on who Jesus was, then goes through the Minimal facts approach to argue that the resurrection is the only explanation that aligns with the facts.
68. The Liturgy of The Hours (July 2022)
A second month of daily Liturgy of the Hours. Fantastic!
69. Modern Age Vol 63 #3
The main feature was commentary on a recent symposium. Modern Age is always worth reading.
70. The Liturgy of The Hours, August 2022
71. Benedictus – Vol 2 #8
Another month of daily readings and daily prayer. An excellent practice.
72. Holy Bible/Santa Biblia (NLT/NTV)
I started reading a Spanish Bible (NTV) at the beginning of the year, using the NLT as an English reference. It’s not my favorite translation, but this has been insanely helpful to learn how to read Spanish, and to force me to really stop and try to understand each word. I highly recommend as a good way to practice learning a language.
73. Praying The Bible, by Donald S. Whitney
This book offers a helpful guide for people that find prayer boring, by suggesting using scripture as a list/jumping off point to think of topics. Decent book.
74. A Little Book on The Christian Life, by John Calvin
I’m not a Calvinist, but I found this excerpt from Calvin’s Institutes as pretty great and unobjectionable.
75. 20 Answers- Catholic Social Teaching, by Mark Brumley
76. 20 Answers- Eastern Catholicism, by Fr. Daniel Dozier
77. 20 Answers- The New Testament, by Jimmy Akin
78. 20 Answers- Homosexuality, by Jim Blackburn
I really love these 20 Answers series books. They are just barely long enough to cover the basics of a topic. They are the Catholic equivalent to Oxford’s Very Short Introductions.
79. Christianity Face to Face with Islam, by Robert Louis Wilken
80. The Importance of Catholicism in America, by Joseph Bottum
These are the first two of the First Things Reprint Series. Both of them are decent, nothing special, reprinted essays.
81. The Smoke of Satan, by Philip F. Lawler
This is a book on corruption, abuse, and coverups in the church. It can get quite depressing, but the call to action at the end is very much needed and a great way to end the book.
82. Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence, by St. Francis de Sales
83. Consoling Thoughts on Trials of an Interior Life, by St. Francis de Sales
84. Consoling Thoughts on Sickness and Death, by St. Francis de Sales
85. Consoling Thoughts on Eternity, by St. Francis de Sales
St. Francis de Sales is brilliant, and his series of essays called “Consoling Thoughts” is very enjoyable to read, consisting of practical advice for the layman on a variety of difficult issues.
86. Far as The Curse is Found, by Michael D. Williams
An OK Presbyterian book on Covenant Theology. My issues with it are very minor, and overall does a pretty good job of laying out covenant theology. At times I think it’s unnecessarily long, but I enjoyed it.
87. Benedictus- Vol 2 #9
88. The Liturgy of The Hours, September 2022
Another month of daily Liturgy of the Hours and reading through the daily Missal. These have helped me immensely.
89. Fathers of The Church Vol 117: St. Jerome- Commentary on Matthew
St. Jerome is a brilliant writer. The notes to this commentary emphasize that it was rushed and not Jerome’s best work, but it is still fascinating and beneficial to read.
90. Benedictus – Vol 2 #10
Another month of the Benedictus, a fantastic companion.
91. Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman
A book that reads much like generic pop psychology, but contains a lot of practical info in a short time. I recommend.
92. The Liturgy of The Hours, October 2022
Another month of the Liturgy of the Hours thrice daily.
93. Forty Reasons I am a Catholic, by Peter Kreeft
I like Dr. Kreeft a lot, but this book was a bit entertaining, but not much beyond that.
94. The Case for Catholicism, by Trent Horn
An excellent book and the most up-to-date case that responds to recent arguments made in other books I’ve read. Highly recommend.
95. Papa Don’t Pope, by Douglas Wilson
I’m not quite sure to make of this. It is not an attempted refutation or rebuttal to Catholicism, or even really a criticism of it. It is more musings. Sometimes assertions are made that I disagree with, but it’s not a book of argumentation really, so there’s not much to comment on or respond to.
96. Can a Catholic Be a Socialist, by Trent Horn & Catherine R. Pakaluk
A decent book that is about as good as I could expect, relying on Hayek on Austrian economics but not going too deep into the weeds of economic thought.
97. 20 Answers- Judaism, by Michelle Arnold
Another great book in the 20 Answers series that is charitable and concise.
98. Baltimore Catechism 3
‘The’ catechism for RCIA in America. I used this during my ten months of RCIA and read through it cover to cover. Excellent,
99. How to Think About The Economy, by Per Bylund
A fantastic and highly recommended primer to Austrian economics. This is what I will now recommend over Hazlitt’s book as an introduction.
100. Benedictus – Vol 2 #11
101. Liturgy of The Hours – November 2022
Another month of these amazing series.
102. Benedictus- Vol 2 #12
103. Liturgy of The Hours – December 2022
2021
1. The Vision of The Anointed, by Thomas Sowell
One of Sowell’s best books. If you’re not familiar with his concepts of the constrained and unconstrained Visions, read his “A Conflict of Visions”. This book then takes the unconstrained vision and goes through examples of its failure: implement policy to solve problem > policy doesn’t work or makes it worse > continue policy > convince everyone it works. A great book.
2. Monthly Review Vol 72 #4
I believe this is the oldest socialist journal still ongoing, famous for Einstein’s article. Subscribed a while back, got around to reading one. There’s a few interesting bits of history here and there, but largely disappointed. Will probably reading just to keep tabs on what they’re saying.
3. Exodus (Word Biblical Themes), by John I. Durham
A decent book. I thought it unnecessarily difficult to read and understand. But still helped me better understand the Book of Exodus.
4. On The Law in General, by Girolamo Zanchi
A fantastic Scholastic text on natural law. Would recommend as an introductory text to understanding the medieval perspective on law. It’s short and easy to read.
5. The Imposers and The Imposed Upon, by Jeff Deist
A brilliant essay/speech by Jeff Deist given at the Jekyll Island Conference last year. The speech can be found on YouTube. One of the best speeches I’ve ever heard.
6. The Rational Bible: Exodus, by Dennis Prager
A step down from his Genesis commentary. His explanations of the original meaning of the Hebrew words is fascinating, but some of his essays that rely on his plain mainstream worldview makes them boring and/or difficult to trust and/or unhelpful.
7. Liberty in Peril, by Randall Holcombe
A book that could have been better. It is a book that works through American history explaining the unfortunate transition from liberty to democracy. Apparently it was heavily based on an earlier book, but removed the more complicated academic topics to make it easier to read. I think it’s caught in the middle. I would’ve preferred to read the original edition (and plan to), but is still too boring for the layman.
8. Did Jesus Rise From The Dead?, by Gary R. Habermas, Antony G. N. Flew, & Terry L. Miethe
I first heard about this book from Tom Woods. It is a transcript and follow-up of a famous debate on the Resurrection, with Habermas (arguing in the affirmative) winning. It’s a very intriguing debate, though Habermas cites numerous sources and research that I have yet to read, but plan to now.
9. Unmasked, by Andy Ngo
A fantastic book, that I reviewed in my Misconceptions column. (https://beinglibertarian.com/misconceptions-of-antifa-a…/)
10. An Austro-libertarian View, Volume 1, by David Gordon
11. An Austro-libertarian View, Volume 2, by David Gordon
12. An Austro-libertarian View, Volume 3, by David Gordon
David Gordon writes a book review series called “The Mises Review”, and in 2017 those up to that point were published in these three volumes. David Gordon is a living encyclopedia and his book reviews are fantastic. Several in these volumes have negatively reviewed books that I liked when initially reading them, making me rethink them.
13. America First!, by Bill Kauffman
This is an excellent book (with an Introduction by Gore Vidal) about the original America First movement. My understanding of them was surprisingly off before reading this. Kauffman provides short biographies and overviews of the thinking of the variety of influential individuals in the early 20th century movement, that I aligned with more than expected. Highly recommend.
14. Modern Age Vol 63 #1
Daniel Mccarthy is the current editor of Modern Age, and it’s been in good hands. Another great issue.
15. Redemption at Hacksaw Ridge, by Booton Herndon
If you haven’t watched “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016), do it now. It’s an excellent movie of a true story. Then watch “The Conscientious Objector” (2004), the documentary the movie was based on. This book is a biography of Desmond Doss, and provides more information than the movie and documentary. Highly recommend. 1
6. Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life, by Jordan Peterson
Peterson’s sequel to his 12 Rules for Life. I would say the first set are better, but there’s quite a bit of good wisdom (and interesting cases) in this one. Read the first 12, then read this.
17. The Church and The Libertarian, by Chris Ferrara
I’ve been recommended this book a few times. It is a criticism of a few books on the Austrian school and figures I greatly respect. I tried my best to be open-minded. Ferrara’s severely uncharitable and bad-faith approach ruins it for me. He overuses scare quotes, which obscures his points. He is selective and misleading with his sources, and there’s enough straw in this book to make it a fire hazard. This is the worst book-length polemic I have ever read.
18. Christ, Capital & Liberty, by Anthony Flood
This book is a criticism of Ferrara’s book above. Most of his criticisms are quite good (but not all), and he points out a lot of problems with his sources and quotations. The trouble is, he only responds to about half of the book. Its good, but I hoped for better.
19. The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel, by Walter Wangerin Jr.
I received this as a birthday present at least ten years ago, and it’s been sitting on my shelf ever since. I finally got around to reading it. After reading the Bible last year, this certainly helped me better understand some of the narratives, although I imagine accuracy was sacrificed in a few points. But overall, very helpful for me.
20. Austrian Economics: An Introduction, by Steven Horwitz
As an introduction to economics, I would still recommend Hazlitt’s “Economics in One Lesson”. As an introduction to the Austrian school’s ideas, and what separates it from other schools, I would recommend this. It is short and easy to read, although on certain divides within the school, I side with Horwitz’s opponents. Still recommend.
21. Fascism Viewed From The Right, by Julius Evola
22. Notes on The Third Reich, by Julius Evola
23. A Handbook for Right-Wing Youth, by Julius Evola
I find Evola interesting. His worldview is so radically different from mine (and I reject most of its conclusions), but that’s what makes him so interesting to read. His assessments of fascism, Nazism, and related topics are quite honest, since he does not worry about endorsing this or that. He’s someone so far outside the Overton window that I think reading his work is valuable for that reason alone.
24. Late-Talking Children, by Thomas Sowell
Sowell wrote two books (this is the first) gathering data on children who talk late. I was one myself (though not to the extent that the kids in these studies were), and Sowell is one of the very few to gather data on this. Very interesting to read.
25. Letters to the Young Conservative, by Dinesh D’Souza
A hit-or-miss collection of essays. I don’t think the letter format is helpful, and some of his essays are generic mainstream right nonsense. But some are decent. A meh/10.
26. The Theory of Money and Credit, by Ludwig von Mises
27. Interventionism, by Ludwig von Mises
28. Planning for Freedom, by Ludwig von Mises
29. Omnipotent Government, by Ludwig von Mises
30. Bureaucracy, by Ludwig von Mises
31. Economic Policy, by Ludwig von Mises
32. Notes and Recollections, by Ludwig von Mises
Mises is an absolute must-read. He’s a brilliant thinker and a great man. His “Economic Policy” and “Bureaucracy” are pretty introductory and short. His Notes and Recollections are almost an autobiography. His books are full of wisdom, and although I somewhat differ from him in philosophy (I am not a utilitarian), I cannot recommend him enough.
33. The Case for The Resurrection of Jesus, by Gary R. Habermas and Michael Licona
This is an interesting book. I was recommended a debate between Habermas and Flew on the same topic, and I found out about this book from that. Using only the data that most scholars agree on, he makes a case, and refutes opposing theories. It was very fascinating to read, and simple enough for anyone.
34. Life at The Bottom, by Theodore Dalrymple
I first heard about Theodore Dalrymple (aka Anthony Daniels) from speeches he gave at Hoppe’s Property and Freedom Society meetings. Dalrymple is a brilliant psychiatrist with tons of experience with the underclass, and in this book he writes of a lot of his experiences with patients, and takes an unorthodox view on the underlying causes of these problems.
35. Suicide of The West, by James Burnham
I’ve been meaning to read James Burnham for quite a while, and I have two more of his books on the pile after this. Burnham’s critique of modern (as opposed to classical) liberalism describes it as civilizational suicide. I did notice a few similarities between this and Sowell’s criticism of “The Vision of the Anointed”. It’s definitely worth reading.
36. Faucian Bargain, by Steve Deace & Todd Ezren
A pretty good book and critique of Fauci. The contents are great, but the formatting is pretty abysmal, and the typos undermine the points. I wish more time had been put into fixing this.
37. The Price of Panic, by Jay Richards, William Briggs, & Douglas Axe
One of the best books I’ve read on the absolutely terrible Western response to Covid. The major negative of this book is that it came out mid-2020. I would love to see an updated version or sequel to this written. Besides that, it is thorough and well-argued.
38. Holocaust in The Homeland, by Corinda Pitts Marsh
Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot. Last year, I read “Death in a Promised Land”, by Scott Ellsworth. In the past two weeks I’ve read more books on the riot (with many more books on the topic to go), starting with this one. It appears self-published, and uses fiction to convey the characters of actual Greenwood residents. I learned a bit, but I prefer the nonfiction books.
39. The Ground Breaking, by Scott Ellsworth
Scott Ellsworth is “The” historian of the Tulsa Riot. This is his next book on the riot, covering everything that has happened since his first book until the end of 2020. A must-read on this topic.
40. Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, by World Changing History
An absolutely terrible book. The author either failed high school English, or this is his first attempt at writing English as a second language. There are numerous grammatical errors. The book is quite difficult to read. The bibliography doesn’t cite Ellsworth, Parrish, or the Commission Report (essential texts on the riot). Do not recommend.
41. Images of America: Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District, by Hannibal B. Johnson
This is the first “Images of America” book I’ve read. For someone that wants a more visual approach to learning about Tulsa, this is the way to go. A very short book (since it’s mostly pictures), but well worth reading.
42. Tulsa Race Riot: A Report by the Oklahoma Commission to Study The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921
Regarding the Tulsa Riot, this is essential reading (worth reading between the two Ellsworth books).
43. The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
My first C. S. Lewis book. Short and valuable. It is written as a response to the growing threat of relativism.
44. The Great Divorce, by C. S. Lewis
An amazing book involving a dream journey through Hell, and a series of dialogues with people from Hell revealing why they ended up there.
45. The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
Lewis’s answer to the question as to why suffering exists in a Christian world. I believe he is (largely) successful.
46. The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
The classic book containing the advice of a demon on how to lead a man astray. Very much worth reading.
47. Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis
Lewis’s classic book of apologetics. For someone with very little knowledge on this like myself, I found this very helpful.
48. A Grief Observed, by C. S. Lewis
Written by Lewis after the death of his wife. Certainly recommended for those that have just lost someone.
49. The Four Loves, by C. S. Lewis
Lewis’s book on Love, dividing it twice and then into four categories. Very interesting.
50. Miracles, by C. S. Lewis
Lewis’s book defending Miracles. Again, very helpful for a layman like myself.
51. In Order to Live, by Yeonmi Park
The journey of North Korean woman that suffered quite a lot to escape to freedom. An amazing book. Highly recommended.
52. Genesis (Holman OT Commentary Vol 1), by Kenneth Gangel and Stephen Bramer
53. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Holman OT Commentary Vol 2), by Glen Martin
54. Deuteronomy (Holman OT Commentary Vol 3), by Doug McIntosh
The first three volumes of the Holman Old Testament Commentary series. They are okay. I’ve learned some things from them. I also think there’s a lot of unnecessary filler, and in the Genesis commentary I noticed a few things that I know were wrong. But they’ve been improving with each volume.
55. The 95 Theses and Other Writings, by Martin Luther
This month I aimed to work through more religious books, especially the divided between the various denominations, which means starting with Luther. He makes some interesting arguments, and through this collection his writings become much angrier the later they are written.
56. The Latin Mass Explained, by Msgr. George J. Moorman
Contra Luther, I started reading this highly recommended book on the process of the Latin Mass. I found it very clear and helpful for someone like me that knows very little in this area.
57. Why We’re Protestant, by Nate Pickowicz
This was recommended by protestants as a short manifesto, written only a few years ago. His less than charitable tone hurt his arguments in my view, and I did check his sources and couldn’t quite see how he arrived at his conclusions. Either he is arguing against strawmen, or this short book needs more to it
58. The Rage Against God, by Peter Hitchens
Peter Hitchens is interesting, and I found this book interesting. This book is nothing significant, but consists of Hitchens personal perspectives and recounts of various relevant points on his life regarding his conversion and the secularism of the age. It is a decent book and I found it worthwhile.
59. Rapid Interpretation of EKG’s by Dale Dubin
The standard book for learning EKGs. I found it very helpful. It is simple and straightforward.
60. Hartman’s Complete Guide for The EKG Technician, by Wilma Lynne Clarke
Hartman’s is okay. The first few chapters are unnecessary if you’ve worked a job before. If you’re going to read one book on EKGs, this isn’t it.
61. Modern Age Vol 63 #2
Another decent issue of Modern Age, with several good essays on classic film/TV.
62. EKG Interpretation Made Easy
This one was a disappointment. The section on vectors complicates things rather than simplifies them. And the numerous spelling errors and informal language doesn’t help either. Not recommended.
63. Did Jesus Rise From The Dead?, by William Lane Craig
Someone recommended that I read William Lane Craig, so I bought three of his books. This one is largely a reprint of Chapter 10 of ‘On Guard’ but with more typos. Rather than reading this, just read ‘On Guard’.
64. On Guard, by William Lane Craig
A decent book with decent arguments. I am not convinced by all of them but I found it worth reading.
65. On Guard Study Guide, by Dennis Fuller and William Lane Craig
A supplement with lots of recommended reading lists that I will use. I think this would’ve been better as an Appendix to the actual book and not as a standalone, but I enjoyed it for the reading lists.
66. 20 Answers- God, by Trent Horn
The entire series was on sale so I bought them. These are short books in apologetics, and I enjoy Trent Horn’s work. Despite being such a small and basic book, I did learn some things, and highly recommend it.
67. Sparkson’s Illustrated Guide to ECG Interpretation, by Jorge Muniz
This is a fantastic introduction to EKGs (possibly better than Dubin’s book. I haven’t decided yet). It includes everything necessary, and the illustrations add to it and help with memorization.
68. EKG/ECG Interpretation, by David Andersson
My least recommended of the EKG books I’ve recently read. It is not good for beginners, the target audience seems to be physicians, and it’s ordered alphabetically, not by complexity of the rhythm. Not recommended.
69. Arrhythmia Recognition, by Tomas Garcia and Daniel Garcia
The most complex EKG book I’ve read. It is designed just like any boring college textbook, and that hurts it. For beginners, Dubin’s or Sparkson’s is much better. However, I learned so much more from this book because it goes so in-depth, and it includes an incredible number of actual EKGs to get a feel for what rhythms will look like when you actually see them.
70. 20 Answers- The End Times, by Jimmy Akin
I bought the entire 20 Answers series because it was on sale. They are short, and very helpful for getting the gist of the topic each is devoted to. This one, on Revelation and common interpretations of it, was very fascinating.
71. Defending The Undefendable, by Walter Block
72. Defending The Undefendable II, by Walter Block
Walter Block is a brilliant man, and this series (volume 3 in progress I hear) will challenge the vast majority of its readers. I largely agree with most of them, but the point of many of Dr. Block’s writings is that he will often take a line of thinking and follow it to its logical conclusion, regardless of what that might be. I highly recommend anything by Dr. Block.
73. Joshua (Holman OT Commentary Vol 4), by Kenneth O. Gangel
This is the first commentary series I’ve ever read, and each one is harder to get through. I can’t compare it to others, but I can say I’m disappointed that I’m learning so little for how long these books are. There seems to be a lot of unnecessary content.
74. Images of America: St. Augustine, by Maggi Smith Hall
I visited St. Augustine this year, and it is one of my favorite cities in America (it is also the oldest). This book includes a lot of images and fascinating history of the city, and I learned quite a bit from it.
75. 20 Answers- Faith & Reason, by Christopher Kaczor
A short book that deals with the false “faith and reason as opposites” view that is common nowadays. I am enjoying this series for not wasting my time and packing a lot of information into a book that can be read in a day.
76. Free is Beautiful, by Randy England
Ever since I read Tom Woods’ book “The Church and The Market”, I have followed the debate that spawned from it, and this one of the more recent books that attempts to address it. As a second edition, I think it tries to do too much. It tries to pack a lot in for a book that I believe is more intended for a beginner audience. It might have done better to recommend sources that would lead people where he wants them, rather than packing it all into a single book, which can become too lengthy for some people. But overall, a good book.
77. 20 Answers- The Reformation, by Steve Weidenkopf
I’ve been reading a lot on the Reformation lately, from various perspectives, and I doubt I’ll finish anytime soon. This packs a lot of information into a short book, and covers many of the important figures. It is written from a Catholic perspective (and I’ve tried my best to balance my reading of the two perspectives) but I appreciate that the author doesn’t try to dismiss the corruption, but instead acknowledges it and moves on to pointing out attempts at reform and the consequences during the Reformation (including Calvin’s Geneva). It will be interesting to read further and see what is slander and what is legitimate.
78. The Great Heresies, by Hilaire Belloc
Belloc is an interesting author. His take on the major Christian heresies are fascinating and incredibly informative. Any book that begins by taking a moment to define its terms and clarify the subject, as this one does, is on the right track. Worth reading.
79. 20 Answers- Faith & Works, by Jimmy Akin
This subject is still not entirely clear to me, but I found this book making the claim that the protestant and catholic views are not as distant as one would assume. A helpful booklet.
80. 20 Answers- The Bible, by Trent Horn
I discovered Trent Horn a few months ago, and am enjoying his writings. He is fantastic at conveying complex issues to the layman.
81. Liberalism is a Sin, by Fr. Felix Sarda y Salvany
I’m not sure what to say about this book. I regret not putting it aside before learning much more about the political climate that this book was produced in. By “liberalism” he seems to mean secularism. In that sense I don’t so much disagree with the thesis, although for such a short book it felt unnecessarily long. A response to this was written soon after, and I hope to read that next.
82. Why There is No God, by Armin Navabi
The interesting thing about this book is that I largely agree with most of it. It takes 20 arguments and tries to refute them, and he succeeds for the majority of them. The trouble is, he’s refuting common arguments that are pretty awful, and he doesn’t tackle the more academic and stronger arguments. I don’t think he is attacking strawmen, but wish he could have gone further in depth on some that I don’t believe he fully refuted.
83. Anarcho-Blackness, by Marquis Bey
To be honest, I don’t think there’s anything of value here (beyond knowing the enemy). The ideology is nonsense and deserves to be dismissed as such.
84. Gold, Peace, and Prosperity, by Ron Paul
A good primer on gold and economics. I recommend.
85. Paths to Satan, by Martin McGreggor
My recent dive into theology includes trying to understand Satanism as well. This book was written by a theistic Satanist attempting to give a basic introduction to Satanism. I found it helpful in telling me what I need to know in such a short book, but the high-school level writing and numerous spelling errors were annoying.
86. 20 Answers- Angels & Demons, by Fr. Mike Driscoll
This was a very fascinating short book on the Christian understanding of angels and demons. Needless to say, this is a better source than popular TV shows.
87. 20 Answers- Bible Difficulties, by Jimmy Akin
I’ve read a few attempts to clear up seeming biblical contradictions. So far, this one has been the best, and the only one that hasn’t made me think the author is really reaching to excuse an obvious contradiction. Good stuff!
88. Theory and History, by Ludwig von Mises
Yet another amazing book by the great Mises. This, along with ‘A Theory of Money and Credit’, ‘Socialism’ and ‘Human Action’ are must reads.
89. (Mis)interpreting Genesis, by Ben Stanhope
This was a very fascinating book to read. Stanhope, relying on his knowledge of Hebrew and ancient near-east culture, criticizes the Creation Museum’s interpretation of Genesis, offering his own interpretation. He argues that Leviathan, for example, is not an actual being, but the Bible’s way of taking a jab at nearby cultures that worshipped a chaos dragon diety that bears close resemblance to Leviathan. Highly recommend.
90. 20 Answers- Mary, by Tim Staples
For my 2021 dive into theology, this was the first book I read of a defense of the Catholic view of Mary. Since this book is all I know on that debate, all I can say is that I found it convincing.
91. The Conservative, by H. P. Lovecraft
Lovecraft was primarily known for his Cthulu Mythos and other horror stories, but he also published an amateur magazine of poetry and politics. This book republished every issue. Although I don’t know enough about poetry to say anything about his poetry, I can say his politics were rather nutty, and the complete opposite of where I would align in the early 20th century. Still, very fascinating to read.
92. The Five Solas of The Reformation, by Douglas Van Horn
If I wish to understand which “side” is correct within Christianity, I need to understand the solas. This book contains one sermon for each of the five solas. I cannot say I found them convincing, but they provided me with more information on them that I thought was helpful.
93. Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem
Apparently “Systematic Theology” is a popular title so I bought about nine different books with this title. This one is the largest and most popular, from a Reformed perspective (but the author does an excellent job at explaining the views of each denomination. I have learned so much from this book, and found it extremely valuable.
94. Systematic Theology, by Thomas P. Rausch
This takes an entirely different approach from the other book of the same title, and is written by a Jesuit. It talks of different theological perspectives within Catholicism (Augustinian/Thomist/neoscholastic, for instance). It does not dive too deep, but I learned a decent amount from it.
95. 20 Answers- Conversion, by Shaun McAfee
This book explains the process for conversion to Catholicism. If that’s where I end up, it will be very helpful! If not, then it was at least interesting to read.
96. An Anti-state Christmas, by Tom MullenAn alright book. It’s a few dollars, so you get what you pay for. Blah formatting, but can be read in like two hours. Certainly thought provoking for most people.
97. Buenas Noches, Luna, por Margaret Wise Brown
Un regalo de mi amigo. Quiero leer más libros de español para practicar, y este fue mi primero libro de español que leí. Quiero leer toda la Santa Biblia en 2022.
98. Strange Planet, by Nathan Pyle
These are great comic strips. If you haven’t yet, you should look it up. Also a gift from my friend.
99. The Machiavellians, by James Burnham
This is one of those “must read” books nowadays. I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as many would, because I have already hear so much about what’s in this book from people that have read it. If you’re not familiar with the contents of this book, read it.
100. The Bible (RSV2CE)
My second year reading the Bible. This year I didn’t so much “read” it as listen to the Bible in a Year podcast. I highly recommend! For 2022, I plan to read it once again, in Spanish.
2020
1. Vitoria: Political Writing
I read Francisco de Vitoria’s work as research for a paper (recently submitted to a journal) on the School of Salamanca, of which he is the key founder. For most people, this will be dry and boring. It’s written in the Scholastic method, and contains mostly theological questions and his significant essay defending the rights of the American Indians in the 16th century. Though I found it very fascinating, and those interested in moral philosophy will definitely appreciate this.
2. Confessions, by Saint Augustine
St. Augustine is an incredibly important figure, and his ‘Confessions’ is an autobiography mixed with philosophy in the form of a prayer. I need to read more of his work.
3. Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction, by Nigel Warburton
I recently discovered Oxford’s “Very Short Introductions” series, and they’re just long enough that they can give you quite a bit of info, but short enough that you can read it in a day. Warburton doesn’t try to take the middle ground, but instead tries to argue each position to explain the different perspectives. Very well written.
4. Black Rednecks and White Liberals, by Thomas Sowell
Thomas Sowell is an excellent writer, and his books are just packed full of references and studies. I recommend “Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality” as the first to read, and this goes further in depth on specific instances in history of disparities.
5. Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature and Other Essays, by Murray Rothbard
Rothbard is one of my favorite authors. This is a collection of his essays focusing more on cultural commentary, starting with a rebuttal of egalitarianism.
6. Conservatism: An Invitation to a Great Tradition, by Roger Scruton
Since Roger Scruton passed away, I ordered ten of his books and am making my way through them. I like this book as an introduction. It gives very brief overviews of many thinkers that he considers part of the conservative tradition (though his definition is quite broad, including Thomas Jefferson). It’s provided me a list of names to research and read their works.
7. Beauty: A Very Short Introduction, by Roger Scruton
I know barely anything about Aesthetics, so I can’t really compare this to other works, though I found it easy to understand and surprisingly in-depth for a short introduction. This is a philosophical approach to beauty, something that I doubt most people have heard (including myself up until two weeks ago).
8. Confessions of a Heretic, by Roger Scruton
I’m actually surprised with how little I disagreed with these essays. Scruton is so well read and so charitable in his writing that I find that even when I do disagree, it’s over such a small thing that overall it doesn’t matter much.
9. How to be a Conservative, by Roger Scruton
I think this could do with a better title. It’s a series of essays such as “The Truth in Liberalism” and “The Truth in Socialism”, etc. He’s incredibly charitable in these essays, though in some he is far more critical than in others. It’s an interesting series analyzing different ideologies.
10. The Soul of The World, by Roger Scruton
11. On Human Nature, by Roger Scruton
These two I found more difficult to read. They’re collections of essays that are far more philosophical/spiritual than what I normally read. They gave me a greater appreciation for Scruton’s aesthetic perspective. I plan on probably rereading these in a few years time.
12. The Independent Review Vol 23 #3 The Road to Cronyism
13. The Independent Review Vol 21 #1 Fleecing The Young
14. The Independent Review Vol 21 #4 Is Hamilton Cool Now?
15. The Independent Review Vol 21 #2 Foreign Interventionism
I’ve been subscribed to this quarterly journal for many years but have let them mostly pile up and gather dust, so I finally read through four of them. Three of these includes several essays addressing a specific topic from different perspectives (though generally lib-right). It’s a hit-or-miss for the most part. Some of these essays I found rather pointless and boring, and others were quite valuable. Then again, I suppose that describes most journals.
16. A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
I want to read more Hoppe in the future. I think his arguments are logically sound, and though I understand what he was arguing and appreciate that he defines his terms early on, I still think that “interventionism” would have been a more understandable (and more productive) term instead of “socialism”, since many would probably argue with his definitions rather than the actual substance.
17. Modern Age Vol 62 #1
Modern Age is the only journal I read as soon as it comes out. They’re short and range in topics from politics to poetry to movie reviews, and ideologically spans the broader “right”. And it’s edited by Daniel Mccarthy.
18. Fools, Frauds, and Firebrands, by Roger Scruton
I’m surprised this book wasn’t more recommended when postmodernism was the topic of the day a few years ago. It’s the best critique of New Left thinkers I’ve ever read. He steelmans the opposing view and gives credit where due, in the typical Scruton style.
19. The Enlightenment: A Very Short Introduction by J. M. Robertson
I like these short introduction series. 100 pages is a decent length, but I feel there was a lot left out of this introduction that could’ve been at least lightly touched upon. But maybe I was unfairly expecting something more in-depth out of “A Very Short Introduction”.
20. Where We Are: The State of Britain Now, by Roger Scruton
Another book that could use a better name. The title and first chapter imply it will focus on England post-Brexit, but it is more generally a praise of Anglican civilization. Still much worth reading, despite the title.
21. Kant: A Very Short Introduction, by Roger Scruton
22. Spinoza: A Very Short Introduction, by Roger Scruton
Two short introductions by Scruton on two figures I knew little about, and now know a bit more about. I can’t really address the validity of his interpretation, but he seems to give a general idea of complicated writings to a novice like myself.
23. The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History, by Tom Woods
I have mixed feelings on this series. I read it because I respect and trust many of the authors (especially Tom Woods, the author of this one, the first in the series), but while that title may have been cool in 2004, it’s lame now. It’s a general overview of American history that includes a lot of facts that are generally unknown or ignored (ex: the Verona files), but because it covers so much in so few pages, it’s more of an introduction. It’s essentially a history book written for Boomers.
24. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, by James Fitzjames Stephen
This is an early critique of John Stuart Mill’s writings on liberty, equality, and fraternity. Stephen is, like Mill, a utilitarian, and therefore the critique is from that perspective. I am not a utilitarian, though found myself usually agreeing with Stephen but other times siding with Mill. I found Stephen’s writing style bland and a bit boring to read, but he does clearly try to steelman Mill’s arguments when responding to them.
25. Fall of the Roman Republic, by Plutarch
This is the second book I’ve read by Plutarch. I hate to admit, I struggle to remain interested in his biographies. Perhaps it’s the translation, or maybe it’s just me. The people he covers are definitely fascinating. Pick one and see if it holds your interest.
26. Fortunate Son, by John Fogerty
John Fogerty is one of my favorite musicians. The book is his own story of his life (with chunks written by his wife, to provide a different perspective). I found it very easy to read. He covers interesting parts of his career, but doesn’t dwell on anything I thought was unnecessarily added.
27. The Big Short, by Michael Lewis
I’ve heard very good things about this book explaining the 2008 financial crisis (another good one is ‘Meltdown’, by Tom Woods, that covers the more economic side of it). This book focuses less on the economic explanations and more on some of the important investors navigating through the financial market. Read in combination with ‘Meltdown’ will provide a decent understanding of what led to the 2008 crisis.
28. The Independent Review Vol 22 #1 Is Egalitarianism Fair?
29. The Independent Review Vol 22 #2 The 100th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution
See #12-15. Some of the essays on egalitarianism were interesting, as were some on the history of the Russian revolution. Like the others, hit-or-miss.
30. Benjamin Franklin (Lives and Legacies), by Edwin S. Gausted
A “meh” biography. Short and entertaining, but like most biographies of famous great figures, tends to emphasize the good and leave out the bad. I am generally a fan of Franklin, but there are a few not-so-good things left out.
31. Postmodernism: A Very Short Introduction, by Christopher Butler
A fair yet critical explanation of postmodernism. I was surprised to see that this book focused more on the cultural ramifications of postmodernism, which actually helps when read alongside Scruton’s philosophical critique (see #18). The only nonbiased analysis I’ve so far was ‘Postmodernism for Beginners’, which I would recommend in place of this if you were looking for a purely nonbiased look. Regardless I still recommend this.
32. Real Dissent, by Tom Woods
I’m a big fan of the historian Tom Woods, and this book is a series of articles and essays from him, a significant number of them being responses to other people. There are quite a few gems in here, and I highly doubt anyone could read this without learning a few things.
33. Freedom and The Law, by Bruno Leoni
An absolutely fantastic book. It’s a collection of essays, the first of which takes the time to discuss what people actually mean by “freedom” and the problem with loss of meaning in translation. The later essays are a critique of a democratic system in favor of a market system.
34. Against The Left, by Lewellyn Rockwell
Mostly a compilation of writings by Rothbard and other right-libertarians on egalitarianism and social issues. It’s a good collection, but I don’t like the formatting. No citations or bibliography, and a few typos.
35. The Independent Review Vol 22 #3: Debating Immigration
See #12-#15. This journal was fairer to the immigration debate than other classical liberal journals have been, though I would’ve liked a paper that addressed the cultural factors better.
36. The Complete Libertarian Forum 1968-1984, edited by Murray Rothbard
I’ve been slowly reading through this for about three years. It’s not something I’d recommend for the average person, but for those who really interested in history, reading collections like this is a great way of getting commentary on past events back when they actually happened. Probably the best source on the Rothbard-Koch antagonism (from Rothbard’s perspective) and the ideological breakup at YAF in the late sixties.
37. A Treatise on Money, by Luis de Molina
I used this as a source for a paper I wrote on late Scholastic economic thought, and just finished it recently. It’s worth reading for research on that topic.
38. Men in Black, by Mark Levin
Decent. I’m skeptical of Levin’s arguments at times, and early on he lists some scandals by former SCOTUS justices that seem more like hitpieces than anything. But it does get better later on and is overall decent.
39. In Defense of Freedom and Related Essays, by Frank Meyer
I’m sympathetic to Meyer, but not entirely in agreement. He’s very harsh in some essays, which makes me wonder if he did more harm than good in his goal. This is a must-read for anyone commenting on his thought, and it’ll show why “fusionism” is such an awful term (not his own).
40. The Present Age, by Robert Nisbet
I’m disappointed that so few people know about Robert Nisbet. This book is a fantastic critique of modern war, bureaucracy, and culture. He reminds me of an Old Rightist far more than a neocon.
41. Give Us Liberty, by Dick Armey and Matt Kibbe
Basically a tea party manifesto. I never really knew much about them, and this seems like a good source to figure out where they were coming from (but was obviously written to promote FreedomWorks). Good source material.
42. The Holy Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction by Joaquin Whaley
It’s hard to cram that much history into such a small book. Reads more like a textbook than the other books in the VSI series.
43. Billionaire at The Barricades, by Laura Ingraham
Reads like a sequel to #41. It’s a good look into a more paleocon perspective of 2016, but it tends to veer off topic at times to being a biography, and could be better without the occasional low-effort jabs at other perspectives (either put in the effort or cut it out).
44. Socialism (& ‘Planned Chaos’) by Ludwig von Mises
A significant and fantastic classic by Mises. It’s a firm rebuttal of every type of socialism of his time. This book is written also as a defense of liberalism (of the 1920s Vienna type) as an alternative to socialism. Whether you share Mises’ worldview or not, even the socialists of the time admitted his arguments were sound.
45. Churchill: The Prophetic Statesman, by James C. Humes
Not a full biography, but commentary of a series of predictions by Churchill. Mostly good material. Some of his points are really reaching (“he made arguments by Mises before Mises”) and at times he seems to paint Churchill as infallible. But ‘mostly’ good book.
46. The Revolutionary Writings of Alexander Hamilton
An interesting series of essays that show Hamilton’s more anti-state side in his early life. Good to read in combination with a book critical of Hamilton.
47. The Right Side of History, by Ben Shapiro
Better than other books I’ve read by Shapiro. For people that already agree with him, it’s a decent starting point of western thought for the layman, and will introduce a few thinker that should be looked into further. Could be better, but will probably get a few people to read philosophy.
48. Modern Age, Volume 62 #2
See #17
49. The Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science, by Ludwig von Mises
The last book by Mises. After reading his earlier works, there’s a clear rightward shift in his thinking. It’s a good overview of his criticism of other economic methodology.
50. The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality, by Ludwig von Mises
Mises’ characterization of the Anti-capitalistic mentality. I think with material like this, it is better to read actual Anti-capitalists, rather than an interpretation, but anything by Mises is worth reading.
51. The Creation of The Presidency, 1775-1789 by Charles C. Thach, Jr.
A study on the influences and buildup that led to the creation of the US Presidency. A shorter book, easy to read, and seen as the definitive work of its kind.
52. The Independent Review Vol 22 #4 Cooperation and The Blockchain
53. The Independent Review Vol 20 #4 Will Cryptocurrencies Take Over?
54. The Independent Review Vol 20 #3 The Future of The Economy
See #12-#15. After these, I’m honestly sick of reading journals.
55. Raising The Roof, by Jacob Rees-Mogg and Radomir Tylecote
I’ll be honest, I only bought this because it had Rees-Mogg’s name on it. Good series of essays by IEA on Britain’s housing crisis and how to solve it from a free-market viewpoint.
56. Liberalism, by Ludwig von Mises
A must-read source on classical liberalism. Sadly, modern American liberalism is the furthest thing from it.
57. Noli Me Tangere, by José Rizal
A fantastic classic. Looking forward to reading more by Rizal.
58. Principles of Economics, by Carl Menger
The legendary treatise by the founder of the Austrian school. The translator puts tremendous effort through footnotes into clarifying Menger’s meaning. A must-read.
59. Conservatives Without Conscience, by John Dean
Chapter 1 is a good essay on the trouble of defining conservatism. The rest really isn’t worth reading.
60. School of Thought: 101 Great Liberal Thinkers, by Eamonn Butler
After reading #55, I bought this IEA book mentioned at the end. A great list of thinkers that I will use as a reading list. However, I wish the commentary on thinkers was more averaged. Some (that don’t really need it) received pages and pages, while others (especially the older thinkers) barely receive a paragraph.
61. Augustine: A Very Short Introduction, by Henry Chadwick
Augustine was an incredible thinker, and this is worthwhile reading alongside his Confessions.
62. Democracy: The God That Failed, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Easily one of the greatest books I’ve ever read. A bit pricy, so I put off buying it for years. This is an absolute must-read and will challenge what you believe.
63. Bad Arguments, by Killian Hobbs
A great compilation of short essays on argumentation coming out in a few days. I expect this book will no doubt help me when reviewing my articles before submission.
64. Fugitive Essays, by Frank Chodorov
It’s a shame that so few people know about Chodorov. He was a passionate writer and this collection of his essays was such an enjoyable read.
65. A Concise History of The Common Law, by Theodore Plucknett
I suppose 800 pages is concise for a topic like this. Not beginner level, but very readable and very informative.
66. The Vanishing Tradition: Perspectives on American Conservatism, ed. by Paul Gottfried
A collection of essays, most of them critical of neoconservatism, from a variety of perspectives (not all of which I entirely agree with, but good essays nonetheless).
67. White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo
I wrote a review of this here (https://beinglibertarian.com/misconceptions-of-white…/). An absolutely trash worldview, but a good entry-level book into understanding such an atrocious perspective.
68. From Aristocracy to Monarchy to Democracy, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
A short essay that serves as a worthwhile addition to Hoppe’s “Democracy: The God That Failed” (#62 on this list).
69. The 120 Days of Sodom, by the Marquis de Sade
Don’t read this. Just don’t.
70. The Federalist Papers, by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
A necessary read, but honestly I found quite a bit of disagreement with quite a few of the arguments. I found Madison and Jay to be better writers than Hamilton, but maybe that’s just my bias against Hamilton.
71. The Henry Fords of Healthcare, by Nima Sanandaji
A short but good book from IEA covering a few new Healthcare entrepreneurs in the East.
72. Economic Science and The Austrian Method, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
A defense of Austrian school methodology by Hans-Hoppe. Similar to Mises’ “Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science”, but shorter and (I believe) easier to read and comprehend. Hoppe is often so rigidly logical that’s its hard to have any disagreements.
73. Social Democracy, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe
A miniature book excepted from his “A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism” (earlier on this list). Enjoyable to reread, but I believe likely harder to understand without reading the first few chapters of his book.
74. Modern Age Vol 62 #3
An issue with two great essays on a new direction from conservatism. I align more with the second, that being Daniel Mccarthy’s essay on “Tory Anarchists”. Definitely worth a read.
75. Intellectuals and Society, by Thomas Sowell
This felt like a compendium of all of Sowell’s earlier works (though it isn’t literally that). He covers and builds on many relates topics that he’s already devoted entire books to. If you had to read a single book by Sowell to get an idea of his work, make it this one.
76. The Independent Review Volume 23 #4 The Futrue of Philanthropy
A decent volume on private philanthropy, with varying perspectives and disagreements. I appreciate these volumes that cover a topic but the essay authors clearly disagree.
77. Anatomy of The Crash, ed. by Tho Bishop
A new collection of articles from the Mises Institute dealing with the Coronavirus crash. Some of them are too difficult for the layman, and I found several typos throughout the book, but they are quite good articles, especially the last section on neoliberalism.
78. Epistemological Problems of Economics, by Ludwig von Mises
A book that felt much like Mises ‘The Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science’, though it came first and is longer. It largely consists of defending the Austrian method from specific ideological opponents. It includes a good defense of methodological individualism.
79. Death in a Promised Land, by Scott Ellsworth
A very well-researched book on the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. The author heavily consults a variety of original sources and often times includes in the footnotes his reasoning for conclusions given a disagreement among sources. Worth reading.
80. Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction, by Fergus Kerr
The book is almost entirely a quick analysis of many highlights of Aquinas’s great work, the Summa Theologica, in addition to a short biography. Worth reading, noting that the Summa is the focus of the book.
81. The Disaster Artist, by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell
I only recently got around to watching The Room, and then immediately bought this when I learned about its existence. Many might remember the movie adaptation in 2017, but if you’re looking for accuracy regarding what actually happened, the book is way better and includes a lot more than the movie.
82. The Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky
This is part of a collection of books I found at a thrift shop. The title is a bit misleading, since it really only includes a biographical introduction (which was quite good), and a translation of Crime and Punishment. If you haven’t read Crime and Punishment yet, you should.
83. The Defenders of Liberty: Human Nature, Individualism, and Property Rights, by Neema Parvini
Definitely one of the best books I’ve read, and it’s by one of my favorite thinkers today. It is largely an argument for combining classical liberalism with the realist power politics views of Machiavelli, Pareto, etc. The book reviews a great number of classical liberal thinkers and, at some points, revises some errors with our perception of their thought. It is a must-read for any research on classical liberalism.
84. City of God, by Saint Augustine
A very influential classic. There’s quite a lot to it, but there is a tremendous amount of philosophy here that had a major impact on the world. The first time I referenced it was when I discovered that a few paragraphs in Book 16 arguably set the stage for the creation of Austrian economics.
85. The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism, by John Zmirak
I’m not a catholic, but I set out to read any of the “Politically Incorrect Guide” series that I find. It’s a series of amazing writings by amazing thinkers, but repackaged for the layman. This one is probably my least favorite thus far. It’s not bad, but it reads like a collection of essays (because it is) and at times tangents quite a bit away from what I would expect to be in this book. It doesn’t seem to fit as a book in this series.
86. Reflections on The Failure of Socialism, by Max Eastman
Eastman was a former communist that changed his mind, and in this short book he writes about what changed his mind and the issues he has with Marxism. I highly recommend it, because of his insights and experiences as a Marxist. He explains his perspective clearly and concisely.
87. The Rational Bible: Genesis, by Dennis Prager
I’m currently working my way through The Bible, and therefore many different commentaries as well. This one seemed the best to start out with, and, assuming everything he states is true, you can learn quite a bit from it, and it is very easy to read. My issues with it are in his tangents, where he begins talking about modern day issues, and there I have quite a bit of disagreement with him, which calls into question the rest of the commentary that I don’t know enough to comment on.
88. On Law and Power, by Johannes Althusius
The first book I’ve ever read where the introductory pages are more than half the book. This is part of a series by the Acton Institute, of reviving and translating short but influential writings from the medieval era. They’re doing valuable work with this series.
89. The Republic, by Plato
Not much to say about this book that hasn’t already been said (currently reading Cambridge’s companion to it). Worth reading. I especially appreciated the footnotes in the Penguin classics edition. They provide context and commentary on translation that helped me to understand it.
90. Plato: A Very Short Introduction, by Julia Annas
A short but valuable book that provided some background on Plato and cleared up a few misconceptions I had about him.
91. Modern Age Vol 62 #4
This issue includes a fantastic book review by the great David Gordon (those are always worth reading), but a rather disappointing book review of ‘The Marginal Revolutionaries’ that stated a few falsehoods regarding the history of economic thought. David Gordon’s review of that same book (in an earlier issue of ‘The Austrian’) is much better.
92. Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction, by Jonathan Barnes
Aristotle had a lot to say about a lot of things, and I appreciate how well this book sifts through it all while still being short. A very good introduction.
93. The Independent Review Vol 24 #2: Indian Elites Looking West?
Some decent essays in this issue, but nothing that particularly stands out (although I found the essay on fracking interesting).
94. Liberty and Civilization: The Western Heritage, edited by Roger Scruton
A brilliant collection of essays from different perspectives on varying aspects of the tradition of liberty in the west.
95. Eisenhower: A Life, by Paul Johnson
Biased, like all biographies, but this one is packed full of interesting details despite being rather short. Not a fan of Ike, but this was a good biography.
96. Advice to a Desolate France, by Sebastian Castellio
A fascinating piece of history from the 16th century. It is a plea for religious tolerance and deescalation of the conflict between French protestants and Catholics.
97. The Independent Review Vol 24 #4: Mavericks and Their Classics Today
A collection of essays, each one reviewing a famous economist with a classic text. One of the better issues of this journal.
98. The Old Testament: A Very Short Introduction, by Michael Coogan
I appreciate how much the author focuses on the variety of different texts and types of text in the OT. His thinking seems very modern (I don’t mean to suggest that’s either good or bad in this case). I learned quite a bit.
99. Marxism and The Manipulation of Man, by Ludwig von Mises
A lecture on Marxism republished as a small book. Everything by Mises is worth reading, and he takes time to refute some bad arguments/accusations from his own “side”.
100. The Bible
Not much I can really comment beyond just pointing out that it’s one of the most influential texts to ever exist, and therefore should be read by everyone regardless of religion.