Political books?

[dcstrange87]

So, now that I'm a graduate and still looking for a non part-time job I've had a lot of time to do some non required reading. I have been on a political book kick lately and was wondering if you all had some recommendations for some interesting reads in that subject?

I'm very liberal but down to read anything that can bring up some good points and is thought provoking.

[pjaicomo]

The Myth of the Rational Voter by Bryan Caplan (or just read his blog or Marginal Revolution run by Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok). They are all George Mason economists who do a lot of interesting work.

Generally more conservative if you had to assign an ideology, although most of their work is just descriptive, not normative.

[jerseydave77]

If you are looking for a liberally oriented place to start the check out Seven Stories Press. Good company run by decent people.

[mcm1610]

If you have any interest in foreign policy and/or understanding the Middle East, read The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr. Great, incredibly informative book. You'll come out of it knowing more about Islam than 95% of the non-Muslim population.

[mclz]

The Communist Manifesto

[mcm1610]

I tend to not really like political books in general, though, because it's all posturing and very quickly out of date anyway. For political readings, just figure out google reader and start following blogs like Ezra Klein. You'll be up to date and find out more of the non-headline political news more rapidly.

[mcm1610]

The Communist Manifesto

I don't know what the OP intended, but I wouldn't call that a political book, but a philosophy book.

Political to me implies actual policy rather than ideals.

[dcstrange87]

The Communist Manifesto

I don't know what the OP intended, but I wouldn't call that a political book, but a philosophy book.

Political to me implies actual policy rather than ideals.

Exactly. No offense to the suggestion, of course. Now, if it was a book on communism and why it worked in some countries and not in others or a book on the policies behind the Cold War from both sides, then I might be interested.

[fixedfrequencies]

The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein

[mcm1610]

I heard good things about that one, but didn't read it.

Honestly, a good way to find some books is to just check out the talk-show circuits. Daily Show, Colbert Report..I'm sure if you head into the serious ones (or the psuedo-serious ones) you'll find a lot more.. O'Reilly, the guy who got beat up in Egypt (I can't think of his name at the moment... silvery hair even though he's younger looking), etc.

One I meant to pick up was Philip Dray - There's Power In a Union, but I never did. This summer, though.

[melvinscam]

every book by geln beck and ann coulter

[al]

Noam Chomksy's work can be a bit dense but the books published of him in conversation with others tend to flow a bit better. Perilous Power by Chomsky and Gilbert Achcar is a pretty interesting book about the Middle East and American foreign policy.

[dynamitekid]

Have you read Freakonomics?

[hipsterasfolk]

The General Theory.

FYI: Liberal Economies enact conservative policy regarding markets.