While at an extemp speaking camp, I gleaned a lot of knowledge about good books to read if you want to learn more about politics, the world, and the economy. I'm seriously interested in every one of these books and am trying to read them all son. I thought you might enjoy a list of the books as well - including a short description of the ones I've enjoyed. (* = Read, ** = reading)
- *The World is Flat - T. Friedman - We've probably all heard of this one by now, and for good reason. I was thoroughly impressed and became a true devotee of Friedman after this book. His writing is straightforward and clear, but also fun to read with the many examples he provides. Yes -- I actually enjoyed reading this book. The topic is globalization; why is it occuring? how can one keep up? Why the individual has so much power today. Go for it - this book really is a must-read.
- Longitudes and Attitudes - T. Friedman
- The Lexus and the Olive Tree - T. Friedman
- **From Beruit to Jerusalem - T. Friedman
- Guns, Germs, and Steel; The Fates of Human Societies - Jared Diamond
- Collapse; How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed - Jared Diamond
- Confessions of an Economic Hitman - John Perkins
- Freakonomics; A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything - Steven Levitt
- **World on Fire - Amy Chua - This book really is changing the way I look at a lot of developing nations. Chua's main thesis is that in a developing nation, the combination of democracy and a market-dominant minority can lead to serious trouble. A market dominant minority is essentially a smaller ethnic/religious group inside a country who controlls the majority of the wealth i.e. the Chinese in the Phillipines, the Latifundias in South America...etc...
- The Best Democracy Money Can Buy - Greg Palast
- Globalization and its Discontents - Joseph E. Stiglitz
So go for it! Read something good!
I read Guns, Germs, and Steel in my AP World History class. The only book I honestly read and enjoyed in school.