By Jeff Daiell
You know shopping in person this coming Friday will be an exercise in masochism. But you also know that you have friends who like to read, and who like to think. So give yourself the gift of crowd-avoidance by going on-line and shopping for these gifts for the friend whose library doesn't (yet) have everything:
The Law, by Frederic Bastiat. This is probably the best introduction to the philosophy of a free society. Written in simple language, it lays down the case for political individualism calmly but resolutely.
Cliches Of Politics, by the Foundation for Economic Education. An excellent skewering of Big Government myths – and one which is not just for already-convinced: this volume will open the eyes of those advocates of political control who sincerely believe that Government is on the side of the less fortunate.
Economics In One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt. A good primer on the basics by an expert.
Healing Our World In An Age Of Aggression, by Dr. Mary Ruwart. Shows how, and why, we can eliminate aggression, from the individual level to the international level. Good for folks Left, Right, or Center.
The Anti-Federalist Papers, by various authors. Readers will see some of today's problems in the forecasts and warnings contained herein.
When Money Dies, by Adam Fergusson. Shows how inflation devastated post-World War I Germany. With annual deficits continuing to top $800 billion, and the total debt over $21.77 trillion, this volume actually deserves the over-used compliment, “must-read”.
The Ominous Parallels, by Leonard Peikoff. Peikoff shows the common ancestor of National Socialism and much of today's left-wing ideology. Yes, I said left-wing. Read this analysis to find out why I said it.
War Is A Racket, by Major General Smedley D. Butler, U. S. M. C. (retired). Two-time Medal Of Honor recipient Butler shows how U. S. foreign policy is based on what is good for Big Business -- at the expense of the rest of us.
Reflections on the Failure of Socialism, by Max Eastman. This book details how he grew disillusioned with the socialism he championed in his younger days.
Retreat From the Finland Station, by Kenneth Murphy. A survey of the eventual realization of many supporters of the Soviet Revolution that you can't have Marx without Stalin.
Almost President, by Scott Farris. Most of the book deals with failed presidential campaigns, but the ending details how the Republican Party came under the sway of the same corporate elites who run the Democratic Party.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, by Peter Matthiessen. Shows how dreary and oppressive life is on Indian reservations, which seems to be the model toward which the two Beltway parties are herding us.
This Perfect Day, by Ira Levin; 1984 by George Orwell; We by Yevgeny Zamyatin; Anthem by Ayn Rand; Alongside Night by J. Neil Schulman. - These four novels show what life will be like should the advocates of statism, collectivism, and primitivism prevail.
The Probability Broach, by L. Neil Smith. I list this separately from the four dystopian novels above because it presents the contrast between the peace, progress, and prosperity that comes with a free society and the violence, stagnation, and impoverishment that is the inevitable result of statism.
From Roundheel To Revolutionary, by Jeff Daiell. Follow Linda as she becomes a champion of Human Rights. I know the author; he's a man of great intellect, charm, wit, and humility. <wink>
Jeff Daiell is Proprietor of Jeff Daiell Communications and a long-time political activist. He has a wife, three children, and four grand-children, and assures us that all eight are perfect.