Episode 36 - Books Every Conservative Should Read
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Release Date: 07/16/2019
173 – The Fertility Gap with Clara Piano
Saving 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...
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Roundtable - Conversing Across the Political Divide
Saving 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 ().
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172 – The History of American Conservatism with George Nash
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
In 1976 historian George H. Nash wrote , a celebrated historical accounting that established much of the narrative for how we think about the development of modern conservatism even today. George Nash joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to discuss the various strands of thought that emerged after the Second World War that eventually evolved into a political movement on the Right. Along the way, Dr. Nash shares his insights on the colorful individuals who shaped the debate, how they fought one another, and how an eventual loose consensus was brought forth. Finally, he...
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171 – Reality Therapy Redux
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
At the end of 2024, Ryan Rogers joined the show to share his as a graduate student. He later had Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis on his new podcast, , for a wide ranging discussion on conservatism, the challenges of the modern conservative movement, what conservatism offers that other political ideologies do not, and much more. This episode is a re-podcast of that original conversation. About Ryan Rogers Ryan Rogers is a graduate student in clinical mental health counseling. He has a bachelors degree in psychology and a work history in addiction treatment. His latest...
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Roundtable - Trump's 1st Week on the Job
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
It’s Trump’s first week on the job and he’s been quite busy making America great again or summoning the Fourth Reich, depending on your political perspective. Join Saving Elephants’ livestream roundtable of cross-partisan pontificators to break it all down for you and what this first week might portend for the next four years.
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170 – Tribalism is Dumb with Andrew Heaton
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
Comedian, author, and political satirist joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to explore where our political tribalism comes from, why it’s gotten out of hand, and what to do about it. About Andrew Heaton Andrew Heaton is a comedian, author, and political satirist. He’s the host of “The Political Orphanage” comedy and news podcast, and scifi deep dive podcast “Alienating the Audience.” He’s a frequent Reason TV contributor and hosted the popular webseries “Mostly Weekly.” He’s performed standup comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as a finalist in the...
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169 – Unsolicited Advice with Blake Fischer
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
With the 2024 elections in rearview both parties are trying to grapple with what lessons they should learn. Who better to offer unsolicited advice than Josh Lewis and Blake Fischer, the respective hosts of the and podcasts? As two Trump-skeptical conservatives on the outside looking in, sure both parties are eager to hear their thoughts on how both parties should proceed in the elections ahead. In this episode, Josh and Blake take a deep dive into what went wrong and what went right for the Republicans in 2024 and what might help them secure their newfound majorities for...
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Roundtable - 2024 - A Year in Review
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
As 2024 comes to a close podcasters everywhere will be doing one of those hackneyed and insufferable “a look back at the year’s major events” shows. Not to be outdone, Saving Elephants will be getting in on the action as well with another livestream roundtable to bloviate and pontificate about the numerous twists and turns of our most recent trip around the sun. Of course, unlike all those other shows, you never know when the panelists will get into an argument about whether Burke, Strauss, Hayek, or Scruton would have had the more insightful outlook were they alive today.
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168 – The Perennial Burke with Daniel Klein
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
As Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is wont to do, here is yet another episode exploring the political and philosophical brilliance of Edmund Burke. But this time he is aided by scholar and professor Daniel Klein to examine the late writings of Burke’s life as Europe was descending into revolutionary chaos. What was Burke’s understanding of liberty and natural rights, and how did it differ from many of his more radical contemporaries? How did Burke distinguish between reforms that were constructive or destructive, and why did he seem so reluctant to use them in some...
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167 – The Woke Mind with Ryan Rogers
Saving Elephants | Millennials defending & expressing conservative values
“I do not believe,” wrote F. A. Hayek in his book , “that the widely held conception of ‘social justice’ either describes a possible state of affairs or is even meaningful.” Hayek would complain “social” was a sort of “weasel word” that carried a lot of unexamined prescriptions. To call something “social justice” is to advocate for something without bothering to fully explore what that something might even be. What are the philosophical underpinnings of social justice? What does it practically mean, and how could it practically apply. And...
info_outlineSaving Elephants has got your summer reading list covered! In this episode Josh walks through classic, foundational books that every conservative should read, as well as some great books that speak to Millennials in particular. Ranging from pithy and digestible to massive, complex, and dry, Josh gives a brief outline of the book and shares why it’s important to understanding conservatism.
While summer is traditionally reserved for light reading, it can also be the perfect time of year to tear into something quite challenging. Reading hard books—if they’re good books—can sharpen our minds and develop our character. Even reading of people with strong character can develop our character. As Russell Kirk put it, “Reading of great lives does something to make decent lives.”
Here is the list of the books and authors referenced throughout the episode
Edmund Burke, British statesman and the “Father of Conservatism”:
Reflections on the Revolution in France
Russell Kirk, political theorist, moralist, historian, social critic, and literary critic:
Barry Goldwater, Senator and 1964 Republican nominee for president:
Roger Scruton, English philosopher:
Irving Kristol, journalist and the “Godfather of Neoconservatism”:
Patrick Deneen, political theorist:
Thomas Sowell, economist and social theorist:
Black Rednecks and White Liberals
Jonah Goldberg, columnist, author, commentator, podcaster:
Timothy Carney, journalist and editor:
Ben Sasse, Senator:
Joseph Sternberg, journalist:
- S. Lewis, author, theologian, professor:
And here are some other great books that I didn’t have time to get through in the podcast but are still worth a read:
The Essential Russell Kirk arranged by George Panichas
The Great Debate by Yuval Levin
The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
John Adams by David McCullough
The Selfie Vote by Kristen Soltis Anderson