Not trying to start any debates, but my dad and I have differing political views, and last year he got me a book from a Fox News commentator, I think as an olive branch (i will say one of the more liberal comintators). I did read it and this year I was thinking of doing the same for him, something to dip his toes into the liberal side of the isle. I don't want to come in too strong or have it be seen as instigating, so any good non-fiction/biography/memoirs for something like this???
by sleepingandsunsets
15 Comments
Depending on how passionately conservative he is maybe:
The Separation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang
Read the excerpt online and see how it would be received.
I’m reading Coming Up Short by Robert Reich right now and really enjoying it. It doesn’t feel too academic because it’s a memoir but also mixes in a lot of history.
Abundance by Klein
I think one of Thomas Piketty’s books might interest him intellectually and wouldn’t be too directly confrontational.
My late dad, a (small town) banker by profession, thought Piketty had something important to say.
Becoming- Michelle Obama. While she talks about politics and events I didn’t ever find it to be preachy or instigating. Much more day-to-day
I deeply recommend the *Essais* of Michel de Montaigne. He was mayor of Bordeaux, France, in the late 16th century, witnessing the turmoil of religious battles amongst Catholics and Protestants – he developed his own philosophy of tolerance and acceptance, focussing on his own mindest whilst exploring other countries and customs. Traveling through France, modern day Belgium, Germany and Italy – for medical reasons, he discovers European diversity as himself.
The book “I’m right and you’re an idiot” is a great book for folks to engage with the idea of when/how to debate.
“Too dumb for democracy?” By David Moscrop is also good.
[removed]
You might give a look at Jonathan Haidt’s *The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion.* Politically, I’m far left of the politically centrist perspective in the book, but I could see where it might be a useful, interesting read for your dad. Hope this helps!
Maybe The Color of Law? It’s about the history of residential segregation across the country. A fair amount of it focuses on bad actors in “liberal” cities like Chicago and NY. It’s academic, not polemical, and I, with no background whatsoever in law or real estate, found it very easy to understand and follow. I think your dad could receive as a “how did we get here?” thing that leaves the door open for different ideas about how to move forward.
Everything is Tuberculosis, by John Green. It’s an examination of the history of, successes, and failures of this disease. It focuses on one patient that John met and became friends with in Sierra Leone. It’s a compassionate book about people and the need to deliver resources because this disease is curable but there’s little will to do so. And it undercuts so much of conservative philosophy about life in a subtle but very real way.
Rise of the Warrior Cop by Radley Balko. Chilling stuff, and Balko has drifted farther left as the right embraced fascism but IIRC he self identified as libertarian when he wrote it.
**The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country by Laton McCartney** might be a good one. It’s about a 100-year-old scandal, so it’s not directly confrontational, but it deals with so many of the exact issues we’re still facing.
I appreciate this post a lot.
TheC of Trump. Fascinating look at the history of brainwashing and cult “tactics” used and applied