MUST-READ BOOKS
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Top Twelve Must-Read Books
Alan Jacobs’ How to Think is the most helpful (and short) book I’ve read on thinking clearly and carefully. If you want to learn how to truly think and not be captive to emotions and narratives, you should read this book. Jacobs also helps his readers understand how to communicate clearly and to genuinely understand others, a skill that is gravely lacking in today’s social and political discourse. I use this book in my Intro to Criminal Justice course as well as my Principles of Excellence course, and my students have often commented how they learned so much from this book and genuinely enjoyed reading it. For a few brief excerpts from the book, see here:
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self is arguably the most important book in a generation for understanding the worldviews that are currently shaping Western civilization. Bruce Ashford has said it is “perhaps the most significant analysis and evaluation of Western culture written by a Protestant during the past fifty years.” The book is incredibly thorough and worth the read, but Trueman has also written an abridged version that may be more readable and accessible for some audiences. This shorter version, entitled Strange New World, can be found here:
Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution
When I first learned of John Piper and Desiring God years ago, I initially dismissed them because of perceived theological differences—things I did not understand or even attempt to understand. But after really listening to Piper and reading his books, I developed a depth of understanding of God and the Gospel that changed not only how I view Christianity but how I view all of life. Desiring God shaped my understanding of what it means to love and delight in God, which spilled over into every area of my life. If you are a Christian who has struggled to understand what it means to truly follow Christ, or if you are not a Christian and want to understand what Christianity teaches about why God created the world (and all of us), I encourage you to read this book.
In this book whose title reflects the writings of Solzhenitsyn, Rod Dreher examines our modern cultural moment and presents a sober-minded evaluation of where we are headed. More than that, he encourages readers to learn from the lives of those who suffered at the hands of totalitarian regimes, reminding us to live in light of the truth regardless of the cost.
In a world where nearly every disparity is assumed to result from discrimination, this book by Thomas Sowell offers a much-needed response. As in all his books, Sowell conducts a thorough investigation and presents what the evidence actually shows: while some disparities may be the result of discrimination, the differences among ethnicities, sexes, et al. cannot be explained simply by discrimination, whether direct or indirect. In fact, the evidence reveals a world that is much more complex and shows that many other factors better account for disparities than discrimination. Thaddeus Williams frequently cites this book (and many of Sowell’s other works) in his Confronting Injustice book discussed above.
How many of us can say that we have spent our time wisely? That the lives we are living and the dreams we are pursuing will leave us satisfied when we reach the end? John Piper explores these questions and shows how we can live a life without regret. But we must heed these words now, not later, so that the fleeting days or our lives do not pass before we change our perspective and implement changes that matter—changes that will help us not waste our lives. Finally, Piper argues that “risk is right” and shows how all of life is a risk—there is no decision (or indecision) that is risk free. Knowing this, we want to be prepared to take calculated risks—for the glory of God and for the good of others—knowing that our lives are ultimately not our own.
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