What Our Next President Should Be Reading, pt. 2…

On February 8, I wrote a quick post about the response Bill Moyers received when he asked his readers what they believed our next president should be reading. 

white house by fotogeneric What Our Next President Should Be Reading, pt. 2...
Photo by fotogeneric

Here’s a complilation of the responses:

  • Naomi Klein, THE SHOCK DOCTRINE
  • Howard Zinn, A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
  • Kim Michaels, THE ART OF NON-WAR
  • Jared Diamond, COLLAPSE
  • Chalmers Johnson, BLOWBACK triology
  • Tom Paine, COLLECTED WORKS/COMMON SENSE
  • Al Gore, ASSAULT ON REASON/AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
  • David Cay Johnston, FREE LUNCH
  • George Orwell, 1984/ANIMAL FARM
  • Naomi Wolff, THE END OF AMERICA: LETTERS TO A YOUNG PATRIOT
  • Greg Mortenson, THREE CUPS OF TEA
  • Barbara Ehrenreich, NICKLE AND DIMED
  • Barbara Tuchman, MARCH OF FOLLY
  • Doris Kearns Goodwin, TEAM OF RIVALS
  • David Korten, THE GREAT TURNING
  • John Steinbeck, THE GRAPES OF WRATH
  • Ayn Rand, ATLAS SHRUGGED
  • John Dean, BROKEN GOVERNMENT
  • John Perkins, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HITMAN
  • James Carroll, HOUSE OF WAR
  • Thomas Friedman, THE WORLD IS FLAT
  • Lao Tzu, TE TAO CHING
  • Tim Weiner, LEGACY OF ASHES
  • Dr. Seuss (THE LORAX, HORTON HEARS A WHO, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO, IF I RAN THE ZOO)

Here’s a link to all of the responses on Moyers’s blog.  Moyers himself chose Command of Office: How War, Secrecy, and Deception Transformed the Presidency, from Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush by Stephen Graubard.  I recommend watching the video on his blog to hear why he chose it (and why a few of the above titles were chosen).

white house by ivanomak What Our Next President Should Be Reading, pt. 2...
Photo by IvanoMak

And here’s a reminder of the candidates’s actual responses to Katie Couric’s original question.

I would love to hear what you think — about the above responses or any titles you believe should’ve made the list!

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About Kristen

I have been a high school teacher for 15 years and am ready to embark on a new project! I hope to promote classic literature and help book clubs rediscover these gems.
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