zookrider
Member
I was perusing Jeff Coopers commentaries, and being impressed as usual by the mans vast stores of knowledge, I was driven to start a list of books that every man should read and have in his library. As I started to ponder the matter I was reminded of Voltaire when he said "A multitude of books have made us ignorant." Indeed, normal Gaussian distribution would indicate that the vast majority of books published simply are not worth reading. Since a man only has one life to live and one mind to enrich, it would seem folly to fill ones time ingesting drivel. Only the best will do.
Since a man who goes through the world armed had better be able to bring sound judgment to bear at all times, it would seem to me that such a man had better have a firm knowledge of himself and what he believes, moral clarity, and a sense of the larger picture and his place in it. Only knowledge, wisdom and introspection will provide these things.
On to the point, what books would you recommend as absolutely essential to for the modern, educated, American man. Topics I believe to be worthy of inclusion include history (both US and world), philosophy (primarily western, though I'm open to suggestion), literature, religion, field craft (weapons, martial arts, survival, etc), military, and biographies of great men (and women).
A few of my candidates for inclusion:
The Bible
On Liberty - Mills
Basic Economics: A Citizens Guide to the Economy - Sowell
The Art of War - Sun Zi
The Art of the Rifle - Cooper
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do - Lee
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Twain
Moby Dick - Melville
The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, and Jay
More Guns, Less Crime - Lott
Patriots - Rawles
All suggestions are welcome, I simply ask that if it is a book whose presence resides outside of common knowledge, please add a quick note explaining why you believe it merits inclusion amongst those others on this list. Also, if anybody believes that any of the books I mentioned are not worthy of inclusion, or can suggest a superior alternative, let him speak, or type as the case may be.
Tally Ho...
Since a man who goes through the world armed had better be able to bring sound judgment to bear at all times, it would seem to me that such a man had better have a firm knowledge of himself and what he believes, moral clarity, and a sense of the larger picture and his place in it. Only knowledge, wisdom and introspection will provide these things.
On to the point, what books would you recommend as absolutely essential to for the modern, educated, American man. Topics I believe to be worthy of inclusion include history (both US and world), philosophy (primarily western, though I'm open to suggestion), literature, religion, field craft (weapons, martial arts, survival, etc), military, and biographies of great men (and women).
A few of my candidates for inclusion:
The Bible
On Liberty - Mills
Basic Economics: A Citizens Guide to the Economy - Sowell
The Art of War - Sun Zi
The Art of the Rifle - Cooper
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do - Lee
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Twain
Moby Dick - Melville
The Federalist Papers - Hamilton, Madison, and Jay
More Guns, Less Crime - Lott
Patriots - Rawles
All suggestions are welcome, I simply ask that if it is a book whose presence resides outside of common knowledge, please add a quick note explaining why you believe it merits inclusion amongst those others on this list. Also, if anybody believes that any of the books I mentioned are not worthy of inclusion, or can suggest a superior alternative, let him speak, or type as the case may be.
Tally Ho...
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I read it from a soldiers perspective. YMMV)
