Books recommendation needed

Hello

Last week, I involuntarily discovered Tibor Machan’s book Objectivity from the library of the college. I didn’t anticipated that I can find books of such kind in C=h=i=n=a. This excited me searching more books of this kind. So do you have any recommendation of good books about liberty, c=a=p=i=talism and the like? You may give me a book list (including the authors), I’d like to see what can be found in C=h=i=n=a.

Post 1

Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 3:50am

Isabel Paterson, God of the Machine 1943 - Rand found this one of the bet books ever written, snd I and many herer agree.

Also, I don't know how much history you want to read or can read or can find but these books by Will Durant are great histories of the West, these three volumes are the best:

The Life of Greece (Vol. II)
Caesar and Christ (Vol. III)
The Age of Faith (Vol. IV)

The later volumes are also good.

There are so many good titles, many other people here can make good recommendations. Are you reading theses works in the original English? Could we ship you any books (which would be rather cheap if you can read used old English book) to you in China without getting you in trouble?

Ted
(Edited by Ted Keer
on 7/14, 3:55am)

Post 2

Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 8:52am

I don't meet too many people familiar with Will Durant's works just for the fact that they are older books. My Dad actually has the first printing of his epic "The Story of Civilization". Even though he was a socialist his writing is par excellent. Kudos Ted, I second that recommendation.

Post 3

Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 11:14am

Ignorance vs Bliss

Caesar and Christ will shock most people who think of the ancients as primitive. Not only did they know the world was a sphere and measure it rather accurately using trigonometry, the Stoic and Epicurian schools approached Randian wisdom - they were popular secular "religions" that had replaced the Olympian Gods for the upper classes and the educated. In many ways, their culture was more advanced than ours. The peccadillos of Clinton and vacillation of Bush seem trivial in comparison to Tiberius and Claudius. Human nature has not changed and we are not better than they.

Also, consider the perspective these works give on such matters as homosexuality. That has been with us since we were bonobos, it was no hindrance for Julius nor Trajan. The modern day "gay" movement so disgusts me as if queens are anything new or that lisping left-wing lechery is the only proper expression of one's sexuality.

Far too many people rely on a few soundbites of acontextual history and misunderstood science and then think that with a little Rand they are experts on the human condition. If you cannot answer:

Who was Archimedes, who killed him, and why?
What is the younger Dryas?
Who are the Pela(s)gians?
Who were Patroclus, Aeolus, Antinoos and Hephaestion?
Who is Attis, and what is his modern analog?
Who first sailed around Africa, and what's the proof?
What is conferratio, compare rome, India & the US?
Why are there two tides a day, if the moon is on one side of the earth?
What is the political and linguistic origin of ostracism?
What is phlogiston, aether and the four humours?
What is a florin and a guilder?
What is the significance of L'anse aux Meadows?

Then trying to jump into philosophy because you've some read Rand is like trying to do brain surgery since you were always good at that Milton-Bradley game where you used tweezers to take out the funny bone.

Ted

Post 4

Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 3:01pm

While Durant's books aren't really about capitalism, as Femino was requesting they are great general recommendations. I've had them on my shelf for years, but as of today I've only had time to get through "Our Oriental Heritage" and "The Life of Greece". The Story of Civilization is an amazing accomplishment. This is especially true in relation to the current era in which liberal arts academics are mostly narrow specialists. The "super scholars" like Durant and Adler don't seem to exist anymore.

- Jason

Post 5

Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 8:58pm

Well, after reading Ted's last post, I realize I am not qualified to offer an opinion...but... Femino, if you want to learn about Capitalism, the best place to start is Henry Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson". After that, you may want to move onto anything by Ludwig von Mises, particularly "Human Action", and in a little less economic and more liberty mode "Omnipotent Government".

Ted, I fail to see how not knowing a florin and a guilder are denominations of money, makes one disqualified to study philosophy.

Post 6

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 4:41am

Far too many people rely on a few soundbites of acontextual history and misunderstood science and then think that with a little Rand they are experts on the human condition. (Ted Keer...bold and italics mine.)

Well, after reading Ted's last post, I realize I am not qualified to offer an opinion...(Bob Enright)

I don't mind this sentiment. Ted's "Fallacy of Sufficiency" post was, perhaps, my favorite thing I've ever read on this site. EVER. If I could have sanctioned it a million times, I would have.

"The Fallacy of Sufficiency" http://rebirthofreason.com/Forum/GeneralForum/1069.shtml#4

And no one should feel "unqualified" if they can't pass Ted's quiz...unless they are aiming to be "experts on the human condition." Then perhaps they should heed Ted's words.

(See, I'm okay because I only claim to be an expert on Erica's condition, not that of the whole of humanity.) :-D

Post 7

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 9:46am

I, for one understand the general concepts of economics, sport, electronics, and so fourth. But I couldn't quote a baseball statistic to save my life. I do know enough to refer someone who wants advice on those issues elsewhere.

As for Durant, his is the best, cheapest, readable comprehensive history of Western Civilization. The Greek and Roman disdain for labor, the Roman economic collapse, and the rise of the feudal system in the West are all background information that anyone studying economics should know. Indeed, until the 19th century discoveries, especially evolution - biological history, medicine was an art, not a science. One could simply study nephrology, but would you want to go to a nephrologist who wasn't educated in the cellular basis of life, or germ theory?

I figured others here would mention Hazlitt, Hayek, etc.

I found my own niche market and offered a value that I had that was unlikely to find much competition.

As for the Florin and the Guilder, every high school graduate should have some familiarity with these terms. How many do?

Ted

Erica, thanks

(Edited by Ted Keer
on 7/15, 9:49am)

(Edited by Ted Keer
on 7/15, 6:47pm)

Post 8

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 2:20pm

I don't think Ted intended that his questions were to be a quiz but I'll answer one that maybe some other members don't know, or haven't thought about..

Why are there two tides a day, if the moon is on one side of the earth?

A water molecule on the far side of the earth from the moon is subject to less gravity from the moon than is the mass of the earth itself. The earth is in orbit around the moon just as the moon is in orbit around the earth (although the common point of rotation is within the sphere of the earth.) This molecule wants to go into an orbit around the moon that is farther from the moon and thus tries to bulge radially outward, creating a tide.

As an aside, the earth is continually flexing under the action of the moon's gravitation because different parts of the volume of the earth have different forces acting on them. I've never heard a discussion on this but the flexing must amount to quite a few feet. Surely the sophisticated GPSs must take this into account.

As a further aside, is there anywhere else where there is weightlessness other than in orbit or in a parabolic airplane dive?

Sam

(Edited by Sam Erica on 7/15, 2:22pm)

Post 9

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 7:04pm

Regarding Durant's first volume, Our Oriental Heritage, much of it is dated, due to much archaeological and other research since it was written, but it is correct in generalities.

And, of course, the Renaissance (V) is quite valuable.

I most strongly suggest Caesar and Christ (III) and the Age of Faith (IV).

Also, F. asked for recommendations on books about capitalism, liberty, and related topics. As for Capitalism, is not Reisman's book the state of the art? Can someone comment on it?

Durant's books continuously go into reprint, they are often available on the discount shelves at most large bookstores, and can be gotten used very cheap.

Ted

Post 10

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 7:37pm

Durant no Socialist

"Even though [Durant] was a socialist his writing is par excellent...I second that recommendation." - Erik

Durant was a libertarian capitalist. I thought your remark that he was a socialist sounded off. I first read him after he was mentioned in one of Heinlein's books. (I think Farnham's Freehold.) Bob Novak the reporter just endorsed Will & Ariel in an interview on CSPAN2 at the same moment he explained why he voted for Reagan over Ford in the 1976 election.

Ted

Post 11

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 7:58pm

As far as high school graduates having a familiarity with the florin and guilder, it would be far down on my list. First, let's see if we can't get them familiar with the U.S. Constitution.

Ted, Reisman's "Capitalism" is an excellent book. Though, I find "Human Action" a better introduction to Laissez-Faire capitalism. In my opinion, "Capitalism" would be a better follow up text.

As a side note, it was "Capitalism" that led me to Rand. After years of having a copy of "Fountainhead" sitting on my bookshelf, Reisman referred so many times to Rand, that I finally set down his book, and grabbed "Fountainhead" to see what all the fuss was about.

Post 12

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 8:27pm

"Capitalism" is THE recommendation in answer to the question posted above, but I know that Femino is already familiar with this book based upon some of this poster's previous posts. I'm pretty sure Femino is also familiar with Mises, Hayek, etc.

- Jason

Post 13

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 8:35pm

Not by Rand Alone

My point is that one can't have a liberal society without liberally educated citizens. And the doctrine of sola scriptura as it is followed by certain Objectivists (and m^slims and Christian fundamentalists and cultists of every stripe) towards Rand's works is a prescription for disaster, personally, for Objectivism, and for humanity.

Bob, why the obsession over Florin and Guilder? Haven't you ever seen the Princess Bride?

And yet strangely, you are silent on Antinoos and the Younger Dryas?

Ted

Post 14

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 2:13pm

Ted, it ain't my obsession. You're the one who feels everyone needs to know this.

And, no I haven't seen the Princess Bride.

As to my silence on Antinoos and the Younger Dryas...Who?

Post 15

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 4:56pm

I've got Durant's collection...and haven't finished it yet (so many other book [yeah, and movie] interruptions!) Suffice to say, given the 1st ones I have finished, I second the motion of their worthwhileness in time spent; same goes double for Hazlit's Economics in One Lesson.

Cripes, Sam! Haven't seen (nor, I gather, read) The Princess Bride? Stop depriving yourself ! It's a 'do-not-miss', either way! Loved 'em. --- Also, mucho thanx for the simple explanation about 'the Far Side' tide; never did understand all other 'explanations' given on that.

LLAP
J:D

Post 16

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 5:04pm

     Forgot something: the thread's request.

     If one's interested in contemporary thought on cosmology (relativity, QM, particle-physics, and implications by all re, well, cosmology), Michio Kaku's books are worth checking out. (For those into QM mainly [touching on cosmology], nobody beats Stephen Hawking's 'laymen's books.)

     Re 'epistemology', Douglas R. Hofstadter's books have a worthwhile place, though they may not seem ostensibly so; same for Bart Kosko's.

LLAP
J:D

(Edited by John Dailey on 7/16, 5:13pm)

Post 17

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 5:43pm

How many fingers do you have, Bob?

Jesus, Enright, can't you tell when you're being kidded? Florin and Guilder were the warring countries in the movie The Princess Bride, and I'll bet everyone here whose seen that movie will highly recommend it. My questions were never a challenge to you personally.

My name is Inigo Montoya, prepare to die!

Post 18

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 6:02pm

Sorry Ted, but not having seen the movie, to me a florin and a guilder were denominations of money. Erego, I wouldn't get your joke.

Was your quiz as a pre-requisite to philosophy a joke as well?

Post 19

Monday, July 16, 2007 - 6:19pm