• 10 Books Every Conservative Must Read

  • Plus Four Not to Miss and One Imposter
  • By: Benjamin Wiker Ph.D.
  • Narrated by: Robertson Dean
  • Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (459 ratings)

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10 Books Every Conservative Must Read

By: Benjamin Wiker Ph.D.
Narrated by: Robertson Dean
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Publisher's summary

Offering a “CliffsNotes guide” to some of the most important literary works of our time, Benjamin Wiker, author of 10 Books That Screwed Up the World, turns his discerning eye from the great texts that have done damage to Western civilization to the great texts that could help rebuild it.

This book features a range of works, from classics such as Democracy in America and The Federalist Papers to more popular classics like Sense and Sensibility and The Tempest. Through these works, Wiker reveals some of the most important lessons for our time, as well as the true meaning of conservatism. Written with an educational purpose and a witty tone, this is a must listen for conservatives, Republicans, and book lovers everywhere.

©2010 Benjamin Wiker (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Sprightly, witty, engaging....Professor Wiker recommends actually reading the books—but his own book is a whole lot more fun." (Thomas E. Woods, Jr., Ph.D., author of How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization)
“A valuable contribution to the most urgent intellectual project of our day.” (Elizabeth Kantor, Ph.D., author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature)

What listeners say about 10 Books Every Conservative Must Read

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

A Surprisingly Dull Polemic

If you are interested in why every conservative must be a Christian - this is your book. If you are interested in a character assassination of the most prominent critic of that requirement - Ayn Rand - this is your book. If you are interested in a marriage of an ubber-condescending reader with an equally patronizing author... again... you will find yourself here.

If on the other hand, you are interested in conservatism as a dynamic philosophy: a coherent productive life-view - which does not require full-immersion Baptism; a view which assumes that conservatism can have roots in rationality as opposed to spirituality... A personal outlook which is continually evolving as opposed to wholly revealed within a specific flavor of scripture - Well, don't waste your time, this is NOT the book for you.

This work should be sub-titled: How My Holy Book Proves: The Right Is Right. It is a tedious, dull, Christian sermon wrapped tighter than a store-bought CD.

AAARGH!

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33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Great Place to Get Started

If you are looking for an overview of conservative philosophy this book would be the best place to start. A well-written and comprehensive overview of the most important conservative books (at least according to the author), this book has eye opening and rich content for anyone who thinks that conservative philosophy is just "free markets" and "small government". There is much much more than that to conservative thought and values; this book really gives an interesting overview. Who would have thought conservativism goes back over 2000 years! Nicely recorded and pleasant to listen to as well. 5 stars, get it!

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Too religious to be taken seriously by curious progressives

Much of this book is spent trying to persuade the reader that sin is a universal moral law and many arguments inevitably find their way into some lengthy diatribe about god.

His comparison of conservatives and liberals are laughably stereotypical and, I would image, quite offensive to the religious left.

That said, if you’re a member of the religious right you’ll find plenty to reinforce your beliefs. You’ll also learn a thing or two about some classic books.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Fair Enough

Having read most of the books on this list, I think I'll have to agree with Mr. Wiker. He presents pretty compelling logic to support his political ideas, though I have to strongly disagree with him about Ayn Rand. Atlas Shrugged is quintessential reading for anyone trying to understand the economic beliefs of the right. The problems come in where their religious beliefs don't see eye-to-eye.
Mr. Wiker's interpretation of The Lord of the Rings was one I had heard in passing, but in this extended explanation I came around to being able to appreciate the work in a different light.
After the gushing review of C. S. Lewis' Abolition of Man, I have to read that book.
What I liked most about this book is it focused on the conservative mindset, though there were many glancing blows thrown across the isle. I would strongly recommend it to any conservative looking for the way. Liberals who are truly trying to understand the right can take a lot from this book, but most will miss its messages.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the Best Overviews of Conservatism

This is one of the best overviews of conservatism I have ever read. It is fantastic, because it is not about modern politics and name-calling that are often heard, but the deep traditions that has formed the core of conservatism from Aristotle onward. A perfect book for someone who is a conservative, but never found the unifying threads that held it all together. Also great for any liberal who wants to understand what it is that conservatives are all about.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hear Conservatism Defined

This is a GREAT book and worth 5 stars. I read Wiker’s previous book Ten Books that Screwed Up the World, and I looked forward to any similar work. I was not disappointed. Several times while reading I thought to myself, “I’m loving this!”

Wiker provides an excellent introduction to help us understand how the terms “conservative” and “liberal” have changed over the centuries, lest we jump to the mistaken assumption that yesterday’s liberal is also today’s liberal. (They are not.)

He outlines that he will cover works that provide the foundation of what we call “conservative principles” today. His selection of books achieve this purpose wonderfully. After the first 3 or 4 books, you begin to be able to have the feel of conservatism as a bottom-up, fundamental, and common-sense approach to life… as opposed to liberalism’s top-down Utopian progress toward some dreamy super-society. I could never define conservatism well, but this book made it clear. I also enjoyed that Wiker not only reviewed each book, but provided a brief biography of each author.

His selection of 4 others are definitely worth noting, and I plan to follow up with reading at least one I missed. He is also correct about the impostor Atlas Shrugged, and provided insight into how closely the book’s deceptive views are linked to the miserable, deplorable life of its author Ayn Rand.

The narrator is the same one that provided the reading of Ten Books that Screwed Up The World. He has a distinctly clear voice that has a hint of authority. Well-chosen for this book.

I enjoyed this one so much I will definitely read it again. If you want to investigate your own views about conservatism then consider this book to help you. If you label yourself a liberal, then this book will help you to understand your conservative friends better.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and thought provoking

Great book. With everything happening in our land (USA), I found the book especially eye opening and a stark reminder why I am conservative.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is ONE book every conservative should read!

As always, Ben Wiker makes fascinating connections and brings a strong intellect and sharp wit to whatever he considers, and he is as entertaining as he is spot on.

My 2-stars for performance was because neither my husband nor I were crazy about Robertson Dean's reading. His inflections were fine, but there's something almost robotic about the sound of his voice that makes him hard to take.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Synopses for ALL the Books on the List

The excellent overview that Dr Wiker presents for each of the books really made me want to read the ones I had not read and reread the books that I had read already. Some of the books and authors that Wiker selected surprised me and I did not know some of these authors had such conservative viewpoints. This will be an excellent reference book then I will add to my hard copy library.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Summary: conservatives are Christians

Interesting insight into the way some conservatives see themselves, but it falls short in two ways: 1. there are many reasons why people describe themselves as conservatives but this book tries to proscribe only one narrow path one can take to conservatism, and 2: the characterizations of “liberals” is comically melodramatic and frustratingly inaccurate serving only to set up straw men as foils to the self-righteousness of the flat “conservatives”.

Still, it’s important to understand that a significant portion of the electorate do see and understand the world through this lens, and for that reason alone, it’s a reasonable book for those who want to better comprehend this liner of thought.

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2 people found this helpful