NationStates Jolt Archive

This comes from the suggestion in Paxania's required reading thread to create a must-read list for liberals and libertarians. Since I'm more liberal than libertarian, I figured I'd start this one off, but as a true liberal, I don't want to presume that my list is exclusive--I want input from other liberals. I'm willing to bet that there's some stuff I've missed.

Also, I want it noted that I'll be putting some things on that liberals, and more likely, conservatives will be confused and even surprised by. If you want to know why I've included it, I'll gladly answer, but I'm not going to put reasons with every piece I list.

So here goes:

Anything considered a sacred text--the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, the Qu'ran, the philosophical writings of Confucius and Lao Tzu, you name it--if it's the basis for a religious philosophy, it's probably worth reading.

Poetics, by Aristotle
The Republic, by Plato
Don Quixote
Don Juan by Lord Byron
The Divine Comedy by Dante
Nonzero: the Logic of Human Destiny by Robert Wright
The Bush Dyslexicon by Mark Crispin Miller
What Liberal Media? by Eric Alterman
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley
The speeches and letters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
Anything Douglas Adams ever wrote
The comedies and history plays of William Shakespeare--the dramas largely get covered in high school and college.
The early poetry of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast
My blog. (http://incertus.blogspot.com):D

Awaiting your additions and/or questions.

Y'know I've always thought that the closest any society came to even beginning to implement Platos republic was Nazi Germany, but other than that some nice stuff on your list .

Y'know I've always thought that the closest any society came to even beginning to implement Platos republic was Nazi Germany, but other than that some nice stuff on your list .
Well, I didn't include Plato because I agreed with him--I'd be one of the useless people in his society, because I'm an artist. I included him because it's important to know the psychological underpinnings of those who disagree with you. You have to understand others in order to win them over.

Well, I didn't include Plato because I agreed with him--I'd be one of the useless people in his society, because I'm an artist. I included him because it's important to know the psychological underpinnings of those who disagree with you. You have to understand others in order to win them over.
Tis true, And I suppose now I've thought about it for a few minutes more that peeps really should read Republic, if only to understand what an absolute bastard the (oddly, much admired) Plato was.

I would add "Rush Limbuagh is a big fat idiot" , and Lies, and the lying Liars who tell them"
By Al Franken.

I would add "Rush Limbuagh is a big fat idiot" , and Lies, and the lying Liars who tell them"
By Al Franken.
I was trying to keep from getting too overly partisan, but Lies and the Lying Liars is worth looking at even if it's only for the Ann Coulter footnote joke.

'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card.

There are certain novels that are turning points in how I percieve the world. This is the latest of them. I read it five years ago, and I loved it. The first such book to affect me that way was 'The Black Stallion' by Walter Farley when I was seven.

'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card.

There are certain novels that are turning points in how I percieve the world. This is the latest of them. I read it five years ago, and I loved it. The first such book to affect me that way was 'The Black Stallion' by Walter Farley when I was seven.
That's a really good book. Funny that I love it so much, and yet disagree so vehemently with the author's politics. I have a similar relationship with Heinlein, although I'm a little closer to him than I am to Card.

That's a really good book. Funny that I love it so much, and yet disagree so vehemently with the author's politics. I have a similar relationship with Heinlein, although I'm a little closer to him than I am to Card.

The only Heinlein book I ever read was a little-known book called, 'Citizen of the Galaxy.' Excellent book. I haven't seen it in a book store in years.

#1 100% most vital sci-fi/social commentary book: Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein

Shakespeare, at least some.

The Callahan's Crosstime Saloon Series, by Spider Robinson

See some of the better Anime out there as well.

The Bible, end to end, with a critical eye.

Other religious texts of your choice, end to end, with a critical eye.

Catch 22 Joseph Heller? I like it...

and now I have a link to the blog again!!! Yeah!!!

See some of the better Anime out there as well.

"Wind Named Amnesia" is a damn good anime title, dealing with the nature of humanity. Has an excellent moral to its story.

Spider Robinson--my respect level for you just went up a notch, Gymoor, not that it was ever low. I like the Callahan stories, especially the earliest ones, although I'll never forget the scene from The Callahan Touch where a drunken cluricaune starts singing a punning version of "That's Amore." Completely fucked up my view of that song--I can't think of it without singing "when you swim inna da sea and an eel bites a you knee, that's a moray."

House of Bush, House of Saud, by Craig Unger

The Price of Loyalty, by Ron Suskind

Spider Robinson--my respect level for you just went up a notch, Gymoor, not that it was ever low. I like the Callahan stories, especially the earliest ones, although I'll never forget the scene from The Callahan Touch where a drunken cluricaune starts singing a punning version of "That's Amore." Completely fucked up my view of that song--I can't think of it without singing "when you swim inna da sea and an eel bites a you knee, that's a moray."

That just brought a big smile to my face. That song is now running through my head. Damn you all!

So a termite walks into a bar and says, "Is the bartender here?"