127 – 40 Must-Read Conservative Books – Part 2
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Release Date: 03/21/2023
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
The housing market today is in an increasingly unsustainable paradox: younger Americans need houses to be more affordable so that they can become homeowners. Meanwhile, homeowners and the entire U.S. economy need houses to rise in price to make them a secure and profitable investment. Thus, we are trapped between making homeownership increasingly difficult or sinking the economy. Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by president of Strong Towns Chuck Marohn to discuss his latest book: . About Chuck Marohn From Charles Marohn (known as “Chuck” to friends and...
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What if the surest way to reduce the harmful effects of self-serving politicians in Washington D.C. is to have more of them? Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is Jeff Mayhugh to explain how the artificial “cap” the nation put on the number of representatives in the U.S. House almost a century ago has made government less representative and responsive. Returning to the Founding Father’s understanding of how people might best be represented by their leaders will require a lot of hard work, but it has the potential to benefit all Americans all across the political divide....
info_outlineSaving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
What if the real division in America isn’t between Republicans and Democrats, Red States vs Blue States, or liberals and conservatives but between the American people and a small group of the political elite whose function is to divide the rest of us? Tony Woodlief joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to discuss how we may not be as divided as we think and how federalism holds the solution to many of the policy battles of the moment. About Tony Woodlief Excerpts from Tony’s bio in the and on his : Tony Woodlief is State Policy Network’s Senior Executive Vice...
info_outlineSaving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
The 2024 presidential election witnessed a historic number of independent voters—more independents voted than Democrats and they came close to surpassing Republicans. It would seem that now is the time for those who are dissatisfied with both parties to dismantle the two-party duopoly of American government. And yet, the Republican and Democratic parties collectively control all branches of governments at all levels. Why is that? What would it mean for Americans to embrace an “independent” politics and how likely is that to occur? What do independent voters...
info_outlineSaving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Former president Chester A. Arthur is probably best remembered for his mutton chops and as a trivia question. But he did play a surprising role as a reformer when the nation was in the grips of political corruption. And the story of how he found the courage to do so holds some lessons for how we might interact with political power today in hopes of a better tomorrow. Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is Destry Edwards to discuss his new documentary , and how a single citizen can have an outsized effect on our political system. About Destry Edwards Destry...
info_outlineSaving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
In this era of information overload it’s easy to join the ranks of the too online, filtering our every thought through the latest thing Trump tweeted or how the resistance is reacting. And it’s just as easy to check out entirely and pretend like the news doesn’t matter or, if it does, it’ll have to be someone else’s problem for now. Are there healthier ways to approach the news? How can we maintain sanity in a seemingly endless supply of hot takes and outrage-of-the-moments? Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is joined by Avi Woolf, JB Shreve, and Blake Fischer as they discuss...
info_outlineSaving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
James Burnham was one of the most significant intellectual influences on the conservative movement of the twentieth century. As an anti-Communist hardliner, his views on dealing with the Soviet menace head on ultimately shaped US foreign policy in the Reagan administration. And his work at William F. Buckley’s National Review gave the fledgling magazine its foreign policy heft. Throughout his long public career, there emerged two James Burnhams: one who provided the early scaffolding to neoconservative ideas and the other who inspired paleoconservatives. Saving...
info_outlineSaving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
In his perpetual quest to mildly trigger his Straussian pals, Josh invites fellow Millennial and Burkean conservative Greg Collins on to discuss how Leo Strauss misconstrued Edmund Burke’s political views and lasting impact. Also discussed are Burke’s complex views on natural rights, manners, reform, revolution, social contract theory, classical liberalism, and Rousseau. Fair warning, dear listener, this one gets nerdy in a hurry! About Greg Collins From The Kirk Center Dr. Gregory Collins is one of the most celebrated Burke scholars of the rising generation. He is a...
info_outlineSaving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
The Right has long had a thing or two to say about the importance of the family and its role in national stability and prosperity. But there are sharp divisions regarding what political implications can be drawn from this idea, and what policies should be pursued to protect and strengthen families. Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis welcomes economist Clara Piano to the show to talk about the government’s role in pro-natal and pro-family policies, the ideal population size, the challenges of under/over-population, ethical consumerism, and what some of today’s Right have in...
info_outlineSaving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Is civil discourse even possible across the political divide when that divide seems so insurmountable? How do we maintain or even strengthen relationships when we don’t see politics the same? The latest Saving Elephants roundtable brings together panelists who all have experience in communicating across the divide: (former Acton Institute podcast host), (), Will Wright and Josh Burtram (), Elizabeth Doll (), and Calvin Moore ().
info_outlineThe conservative tradition embodies centuries of accumulated wisdom from some of the brightest and most inspiring thinkers you’ll find. Yet for the young conservative eager to learn more about this tradition, choosing which books to read can be a daunting task.
Most online lists of top conservative books contain familiar titles of classic tomes that inspire and challenge readers to this day. Yet far too often such lists also include authors such as Charlie Kirk, Ann Coulter, Sebastian Gorka, Dinesh D’Souza, Dan Bongino, and Mike Lindell who, while they may be gifted at inflicting liberal tears, have nothing of value to say on behalf of their supposed conservative convictions. There is so much more to conservatism than owning the libs and brandishing firearms in your social media profile picture. What’s more, many lists are inflated with works on libertarian, patriotic, religious, or cultural topics that, important though they may be, are only tangential to conservatism.
It is particularly challenging for us younger conservatives to cut through the noise on the Right today to explore the deeper, auspicious truths of our rich heritage. As such, I’ve compiled a list of 40 must-read conservative books worth your time and attention for this episode. Whether you read all, some, or only one below, you will be getting a healthy dose of conservative thought that cuts through the banality of most political discourse and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a conservative.
It would be an impossibility to rank these books in order of importance, relevance, insightfulness, readability, etc. As such, I have opted to list the titles alphabetically. There is no perfect place to start; just find a book that strikes your interest and dive in!
In this episode I cover the second twenty books in the list. If you want to hear the first twenty check out episode 126. Here are the books I cover in this episode:
Heaven Can Indeed Fall: The Life of Willmoore Kendall – Christopher Owen
How to be a Conservative – Roger Scruton
I, Pencil – Leonard Read
Ideas Have Consequences – Richard Weaver
In Defense of Freedom and Related Essays – Frank Meyer
Intellectuals and Society – Thomas Sowell
Natural Right and History – Leo Strauss
Neo-conservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea – Irving Kristol
The Quest for Community – Robert Nisbet
Rationalism in Politics – Michael Oakeshott
The Rebirth of Classical Political Rationalism – Leo Strauss
Reflections on the Revolution in France – Edmund Burke
The Right – Matthew Continetti
The Road to Serfdom – F. A. Hayek
Suicide of the West – Jonah Goldberg
The Vision of the Anointed – Thomas Sowell
The Theft of a Decade – Joseph Sternberg
Them – Ben Sasse
What Is Conservatism? – Frank Meyer
Witness – Whittaker Chambers