Eleven Books That Stimulate Thinking

Eleven Books That Stimulate Thinking

 by Ken West

Some books have the power to fundamentally broaden your thinking and potentially change your life. Here are eleven non-fiction books that have this power. None can be accepted on faith. All must be read with an active mind.  (There are, of course, many other books that could qualify for such a  list. Feel free to offer your suggestions. They may become the subject of another post.) Let's begin. 

1. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhan.  If you want to know the future of communication, learning, and work, this amazing book published in 1964, can open up new windows of understanding. 
2. The Second Treatise of Government by John Locke.  The Founding Fathers of the United States knew this book intimately. Locke's ideas helped build our nation, and could help restore it to greatness.
3. Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand.  She is one of the greatest thinkers and champions of Capitalism in modern times. This is a collection of some key essays on the subject. 
4. The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs. Why do some cities thrive and others decline? Read this seminal work, and you'll have an answer.
5. The Ominous Parallels: The End of Freedom in America by Leonard Peikoff. Despite its subtitle, this insightful book will not only show you where and how the United States went off course, but more importantly, how we can correct it. 
6. The God of the Machine by Isabel Paterson. What if you could understand the essential nature of the United States by analyzing it as if it were a machine? Paterson does this and much more.
7. Orality & Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word by Walter J. Ong. This opens a window to the world of "orality," the time before writing was invented and humans only had the spoken word to communicate. Ong's research has special relevance to those who speak for a living.
8. The Romantic Manifesto by Ayn Rand. What is art and what is it for? What makes great literature great? How is one's sense of life relevant to art? Find out. Read Rand's revolutionary answers.
9. A Criminal History of Mankind by Colin Wilson.  What if you wanted to understand the history and  psychology of human violence and criminality?  What if you had a incredibly articulate and knowledgeable professor on this subject at your beck and call? You do, if you can get your hands on this rare and amazing book.  
10. Human Action by Ludwig von Mises. What is the science of choice that you've most likely never heard of? And, what's its relation to economics? Von Mises is one of the best advocates for Capitalism in the world (next to Ayn Rand). He approaches this subject with the broadest possible panorama as "human action." 
11. The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand. Imagine that you discover a revolutionary and powerful way to understand ethics. Utilizing this discovery, you would be able to see and understand what is going wrong in the world today, and, more importantly, what to do about it. If you read and study Rand's works, you'll be that discoverer. 

I encourage you to comment with your ideas, corrections, and constructive suggestions for future posts. Feel free to share this this article and blog with your friends and colleagues. 

Ken West is the author of Get What You Want, a workbook to help get focused fast on what’s most important to you—then do something about it right away. (Or perhaps "Write Away.") It’s available worldwide on Amazon.com and other outstanding online book dealers.  http://www.amazon.com/Get-What-You-Want-Reactivate/dp/0982577702