1. August Strindberg, The People of Hemsö. Almost no one (non-Swedish?) reads this classic novel anymore, but it stands as one of the most compelling creations of its time. Direct and compelling. Swedes on the island, but will this marriage work? Why is it so dim in our attention? I’ve loved Strindberg for a long time, so why did it take me so late in life?
2. Michael McVicar, Christian Reconstruction: RJ Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism. Another great book that no one told me about, I somehow stumbled upon it while browsing Amazon. You can make Rushdoony sound like a nut, but you can also make him sound like one of the most influential figures in the 20th century history of American conservatism and libertarianism. Would modern home education and the Christian home school movement exist without him? However, he believed in an extreme theocracy. The book also has a lot of material on the Volker Fund, Gary North, FEE, and much more.
3. Dawn Ades and David F. Hermann, Hannah Höch. As part of my effort to look into the Weimar period, I have been reading and browsing this excellent photo book of the works of one of Germany’s most famous duck artists. Here are some pictures.
4. Paul Collier, Left: The New Economy of Neglected Areas. Spoiler: he doesn’t say “tax them so people can leave.” If I had a nickel for every time he distorted the views of Milton Friedman and market economics… We are told that shock therapy failed in Russia, but not that it succeeded in Poland, which followed further and had corrupt private companies. Somehow each chapter in this book is very short. He ends up in the idea of a rational state, but it would have been much easier if he had started there.
5. Marina Münkler, Anbruch der Neuen Zeit: Das Dramatische 16. Jahrhundert. A great analysis of the 16th century, which set the stage for much of what was to follow. Not surprisingly, it has more of a Central European emphasis than most Anglo contemporaries.
Paul Cooper, The Fall of Civilization: Stories of Greatness and Decline combines ancient themes with genius.
Justene Hill Edwards, Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedmen’s Bank is a great contribution to economic and black history.
I have yet to start Jeffrey Ding, Technology and the Rise of Superpowers: How Decentralization Shaped Economic Competition.
Source link