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Carla

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I often find myself in the position of wanting a good resource on a particular topic, but not knowing where to start looking. I thought it might be useful to have a kind of "go-to" thread where one can request or post recommendations about good resources on a variety of topics. So, I'll go first.

I'd like to read a basic overview of American history. I'm most interested in the early history of the United States (and the American colonies) through the end of the 19th century, but some information on the 20th century would be good, too. I'd prefer a single volume, but I realize that it's a pretty broad topic. I would appreciate clear, straightforward prose, and anti-American authors need not apply.

I'd also like a book on time management, preferably directed toward a youngish working audience (i.e., not students, and not parents).

Anyone else?

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I've heard good things about "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

by Stephen R. Covey, from a couple of people, but haven't read through the entire book myself. It has some time management tips.

I don't have an American History book recommendation. I actually bought a textbook from Second Renaissance Books many years ago but forgot the name.

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I'd like to read a basic overview of American history. I'm most interested in the early history of the United States (and the American colonies) through the end of the 19th century, but some information on the 20th century would be good, too. I'd prefer a single volume, but I realize that it's a pretty broad topic. I would appreciate clear, straightforward prose, and anti-American authors need not apply.

I'd also like a book on time management, preferably directed toward a youngish working audience (i.e., not students, and not parents).

Anyone else?

For the history, I'd recommend Edward Eggleston's A History of the United States and Its People. It only goes up to 1890, but other than that it's a great match. If you're willing to spend a bit more money and move beyond books, Eric Daniels has been giving mini-courses on United States history at Objectivist conferences for several years now. I believe he's up to 3 out of a planned five. Look them up at the Ayn Rand Bookstore.

I seem to recall that Ed Locke wrote a book on time management, but the title eludes me.

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I've heard good things about "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

by Stephen R. Covey, from a couple of people, but haven't read through the entire book myself. It has some time management tips.

I've heard good things about that one, too, actually. Maybe I'll finally take a look at it.

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For the history, I'd recommend Edward Eggleston's A History of the United States and Its People.  It only goes up to 1890, but other than that it's a great match.  If you're willing to spend a bit more money and move beyond books, Eric Daniels has been giving mini-courses on United States history at Objectivist conferences for several years now.  I believe he's up to 3 out of a planned five.  Look them up at the Ayn Rand Bookstore.

I seem to recall that Ed Locke wrote a book on time management, but the title eludes me.

Thanks for the recommendation, khaight. I will look into it. I've also heard good things about Paul Johnson's A History of the American People. Can anyone second that idea?

I've read Locke's Study Methods and Motivation, but I'm not a student anymore, so I'm looking for something more general/less geared toward students.

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Thanks for the recommendation, khaight. I will look into it. I've also heard good things about Paul Johnson's A History of the American People. Can anyone second that idea?

I can.

Can't really give too many reasons. I have a problem reading history-I forget it all by the time I'm done. Too many characters. I only remember that it was overall very fair (paints a very proper portrait of America)and chocked full of important details. Also, unlike a lot of history texts, his style and the way he approaches the material make it a very easy read. No detours down quirky roads of popular psychobabble.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I liked History of the Twentieth Century: Concise Edition. It covers the entire world from Jan 1, 1900 to Dec 31 1999. It briefly hits on major events, many of which I had never heard of before. Of course I went to a public school so that was not suprising. I found the comparison and contrast of USA and the rise of the USSR and socialist China interesting. It does a good job in showing, through objective facts how as America thrived under capitalism hundreds of millions died as a direct result of socialism and communism. However, I only made it to the early seventies before I put the book down for the last time. I already knew much of that history and it was no longer new information to me.

It was interesting to see the recent military history of those who call us imperialists. <_<

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I've heard good things about "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

by Stephen R. Covey, from a couple of people, but haven't read through the entire book myself. It has some time management tips.

I read part of the book and had to take the coarse at work; some of it is kind of disturbing. Not really good material.

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  • 1 month later...

A historical-fiction book I enjoyed very much was 1632 by Eric Flint. In it a small town of modern Americans are transported to the middle of Germany during the 30 Years War. Although the author has only a faint grasp of the philosophical essentials differentiating the Americans from the Europeans, he captures perfectly the American sense of life and its awesome power.

Sadly, he continued after the first book with more as a "series", but the further books begin to read as though they were written by a committee, which they WERE . . . he established a discussion forum online and included a lot of material from other authors, including characters and entire plot points. What was a very clear and concise vision of an America that persisted undefeated even in another time, surrounded by masses of implacable enemies disintegrated into a hundred Naturalist character "vignettes".

1632 is very, very good, though.

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I liked THE BIRTH OF PLENTY by Andrew Bernstein. It's a historical Economics book, which highlights what has caused the creation of abundance (Capitalism) and debunks the myths of wealth creation (that wealth can be created by imperialism, natural resources, etc)

Another book I have heard great things about is HOW CAPITALISM SAVED AMERICA by Thomas Dilorenzo. He is currently all the rage among Libertarians, but I do find most of his work to be rather enlightening. I have yet to read that one though.

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  • 1 month later...
I'd like to read a basic overview of American history. I'm most interested in the early history of the United States (and the American colonies) through the end of the 19th century, but some information on the 20th century would be good, too. I'd prefer a single volume, but I realize that it's a pretty broad topic. I would appreciate clear, straightforward prose, and anti-American authors need not apply.

I second the second about Paul Johnson's A History of the American People. Great overview from a conservative writer.

I also second the advice to avoid the Marxist America-basher, Howard Zinn. In fact, it's generally good to avoid anything with "People's" in its title, from books to award shows. :thumbsup:

I highly recommend an engrossing, entertaining non-fiction history book by William Lee Miller: Arguing About Slavery. It's an amazing read, with great writing, about John Quincy Adams's battle in the House of Representatives against the mystically-driven, pro-slavery demagogues and their anti-American "gag rule." One of the darkest episodes in American history, indeed. John Quincy Adams is one of the most interesting men in American history to me, because he was fervently rational for his time, was scaldingly plain-spoken and matter-of-fact, and did not do things for popularity or votes. He was put through hell in this ordeal, but stood his ground, and this book dramatically chronicles his ordeal.

The insults and ridicule he endured in the name of liberty is heartrending. Miller quotes a great deal from the transcripts of the debates, and they read like a courtroom drama. Great book.

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  • 1 month later...

Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault

One Amazon reviewer wrote:

My only gripe is that the adventure story does not end with a happy ending - although Ayn Rand and the Objectivist antidote to this intellectual poison are implicitly present on every page, where I expected their explicit appearance at the conclusion Stephen delivers only the truism that "what is still needed is a refutation of these [post-modern] historical premises, and an identification and defense of the alternatives to them." Here would have been an obvious opportunity to send the reader to cleaner Objectivist pastures elsewhere in which this work is being done.

Edited by hernan
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  • 2 weeks later...

I recently bought Covey's '7 Habits' on audiobook from audible, and was really disappointed. In fact, I couldn't even manage to finish the first hour. He gets your hopes up at first by saying that there exist universal principles of success, then lets you back down by saying these come from God. Later, he talks about figuring out how to counsel his son by resorting to prayer. He also goes into some Kantian discussion about how our perceptions and reality are hopelessly seperate.

Maybe there are some useful things in the book, but I was too dismayed by the beginning to consider it worth my time.

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I just finished listening to an audio recording of 'The Making of Modern Economics' by Mark Skousen from audible.com, and I highly recommend it. It is a history of economics starting with Adam Smith, and goes through the major economists afterwards with the theme of their effect on Smith's system of capitalism. It has a strong bias toward laissez-faire and isn't shy about criticizing the socialists and Keynesians. I learned a lot about economics from this book, which also serves as a good introduction to general principles of economics.

The only problem with buying it at audible.com (a service that I also highly recommend) is that if you don't use one of their special offers, the book costs over $60. I took their deal of 12 audiobooks for $120, which at $10 apiece is probably the cheapest place for audiobooks anywhere.

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For another terrific historical book, I reccomend Freethinkers: A history of American Secularism. It details the secular history of the united states, from the foundations of the U.S constitution from Jeffersonian Virginia, to 19th century characters such as the nigh forgotten Ingersoll, to the rise of Catholicism and the ACLU. It is a very revealing book, and offers a refreshingly different viewpoint of American history.

and it begins with a great quote: "The most formidable weapon against errors of any kind is reason" ~ Thomas Paine

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