I suppose I’m tagged, too (look to the right, there). I’m going to have some trouble, as favorites would overlap with those that have meaning, etc. But here it goes. I don’t think any of it will surprise anyone who reads MooreThoughts on a regular basis

Five favorite books (in no particular order):

1. President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime (Lou Cannon) – it humanizes a great man, I think is fair, and is very well-documented.
2. Diplomacy (Henry Kissinger) – the ultimate chronicle of working dynamics in world history. Kissinger was a diplomat, but understood the limits of diplomacy and what made diplomacy effective. It also convinces me that Otton von Bismarck was an absolute genious.
3. The Prince (Niccolo Machiavelli)- because there are a lot of real people who think this way.
4. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) – Okay, this one might surprise a few of you. I just like the story, and Bronte has a compelling style.
5. 1984 (George Orwell) – Perhaps the most overused comparison in the media today (every time I hear “big brother” to describe an aspect of US government policy I want to slap somebody), Orwell was amazingly prescient about what ultimate totalitarianism actually would be. I also include some other pertinent non-fiction under this particular topic, such as any essay written by Vaclav Havel and The Stasi Files by Barbara Miller.

Five Books with Particular Meaning to Me:

1. The Wealth of Nations (Adam Smith) – capitalism has made sure fewer people starved, and more people have had more than any economic system known to man. And it’s all Smith’s fault.
2. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) – I like to term myself a Christian objectivist (figure that one out – and no, please…no hate comments from full blooded objectivists who would term this state of affairs impossible. I already know!)
3. Leviathan (Thomas Hobbs) – One cannot understate the insight of Hobbs, and with the growing power of the state, and the evident surrender to socialism in Europe, Hobb’s seminal work appears to be timeless.
4. How to Win Friends & Influence People (Dale Carnegie) – Being a natural introvert, Carnegie’s work helped with my growth and evolution at an early age.
5. Democracy in America (Alexis de Tocqueville) – I think this one speaks for itself.

Three Books I’d Like to Read

1. 1776 (David McCullough) – McCullough is engaging and well-documented. His work on Adams was excellent.
2. Catastrophe : Risk and Response (Richard Posner) – Because, well, Judge Posner is perhaps the most prolific writer of all time and the judge I most admire (chief in the 7th Circuit) being of the law and economics school of thought. This is a different tact from what he normally does.
3. The Fall of the Roman Empire : A New History of Rome and the Barbarians (Peter Heather) The concept that Rome fell because it empowered its enemies seems particularly relevant to modern times. I’m not sure I agree with Heather’s thesis, but I’ll have to read it first to figure it out.

So there you have it…I guess I need to tag some folks. I’m going to tag some of my fellow Senate 2006 bloggers (if they’ll allow it). JB, Rick and MH423 at Van Fans, Charles Badger and Jo at Van Wagon, and Mr. Evans and Addison over at Conservatives for Corker.