What Books Should I Ask for "Under the Tree"?

So, if I want to have a better grasp of what America is or what it is to be an American (and, I have come to the conclusion that Dungeon discussion is really about people's interest in understanding what it means to be American rather than any particular politics, religion, etc...think about it), what book should I ask for as a gift this holiday?

I'll start with one:

The New Rome: The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America by Cullen Murphy (2008).

Book Info

 

Too Fat to Fish by Artie Lang

More Information Than You Require by John Hodgman

 

Alexis de Tocqueville--> Democracy in America

 

Motorcycle Electrical Systems, Troubleshooting and Repair, Tracy Martin

 

Somebody's gotta say it - Neil Boortz

 

Is Boortz's The Terrible Truth about Liberals a constructive critique that provides me with a way of analyzing liberalism in America? Serious question here.

 

A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present by Howard Zinn

 

Read some books about how this country has survived. There are plenty of great factual war books about WWI, II, VN and Korea.

Blind Man's Bluff will give you an idea of how men risked their lives to help win the Cold War.

:up:

There will be some books about how the country fell but they will be in Chinese.

 

Can't go wrong with Hodgman.

You will never look at the world the same way again.

 

American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips.

Aint exactly a feel-good story though. Matter-fact, go with RCJohn's suggestion, great read there.

 

More Guns, Less Crime by John R. Lott

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/More-Guns-Less-Crime/John-R-Lott/e/9780226493640/?itm=1

:up:

 

Does it make people look at the world like you?



Sorry, had to.

 

A better grasp of America?

Life of Tom Horn, Government Scout and Interpreter, Written by Himself

 

I've actually heard of that book and was told it's a good one. :up:

 

Andrew Trevitt's book on suspension set-up... He could use the money due to being a quadraplegic from an accident a month ago. Spread the word to sell it and keep him in your prayers.

 

Ted, White & Blue- Ted Nugent.
You may not agree with Ted, but the book is a good read.

 

no. boortz is somebody with whom you have to already agree to get through one of his books without feeling it was a waste of time. not that he doesn't have an argument and present it, but my son has all sorts of arguments too, and his are usually better than boortz's.

I just finished the way of the world by ron suskind. not a great book, but worth reading. maybe 7 out of 10.

 

I've just got that book. Been reading it on planes. I did not know he was a quadraplegic?

Book is good read. IMHO

 

_The Limits of Power_ by Andrew Bacevich http://us.macmillan.com/thelimitsofpower

Anything by John Bogle http://books.google.com/books?as_au...oup&resnum=8&ct=title&cad=author-navigational

I second the recommendation for _American Theocracy_ by Kevin Phillips.

Anything by William Faulkner or Virginia Woolf.

For a perspective of the world outside America, you must read _Midnight's Children_ by Salman Rushdie. It's the best book written in English since Ulysses.

 

Yo!

(email Pat, he's making some changes)

Oh yeah, one more thing: Blow me!