Essential Reading
Here is a annotated bibliography of what I consider to be the must-read articles and books.
Landsburg, Steven. ”Xenophobia and Politics: Why Protectionism is a lot like Racism.” March 28, 2005. Forbes.com
This article is, in my opinion, one of the most important articles ever written. Some might consider this to be hyperbole, but it’s not. I consider it to be a formative part of my economic and libertarian education. In this Landsburg explains why protectionism is irrational and mean. As he states, “It is just plain ugly to care more about total strangers in Detroit than about total strangers in Juarez.” Though, in the end, I might take “a lot like” out of the byline, the logic is impeccable.
Landsburg, Steven. Fair Play: What Your Child Can Teach You About Economics, Values, and the Meaning of Life. New York: Free Press, 1997.
The middle volume of Landsburg’s three pop-econ books. This work contains Landsburg’s patented wit and logic but it adds the element of comparing economic reasoning to children and the way they’re raised. Most importantly Landsburg explains that, social welfare and the forced taxation that comes along with it, does not follow. When one child has more toys than another we teach the child that sharing the the right thing to do. We do not forcibly remove the toys and redistribute them. Conversely, however, the government does just that.
Bothwell, Robert, Ian Drummond and John English. Canada 1900-1945. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1987.
This is the single, best survey of Canadian history in the first half of the twentieth century. The three authors bring knowledge in different areas–foreign policy, economic history and politics, respectively. As such this work covers a lot of ground, though, being a survey, nothing exhaustively. Importantly, Drummond brings a very good overview of the economic situation (though perhaps too Keynesian) and English’s lucid prose allows for a pleasant read throughout the book. For a primer on the subject, Canada 1900-1945 is top.
Morris, Edmund. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. New York: Modern Library, 2001.
Morris, Edmund. Theodore Rex. New York: Modern Library, 2002.
The first two of a planned three volume biography of America’s twenty-sixth president. These biographies are excellent in scope, style and engagement. Morris writes vividly of Roosevelt from his time as a young man into the boisterous man he became. Throughly researched and remarkably readable at 920 and 772 pages. This, of course, is not to be interpreted as a ringing endorsement of Roosevelt’s ideology and his use of power. On the contrary, as Jim Powell’s Bully Boy explains, Roosevelt was keen to spread American power across the world in jingoistic zeal. Nevertheless, Roosevelt remains the most interesting president the United States has ever had and he is, therefore, my favorite.