Reading List

(grouped roughly by subject, but not meticulously so)

• Early Christian Writings published by Penguin Classics, translated by Maxwell Staniforth - This is a collection of writings from the pre-Nicene Church Fathers, including St. Ignatius, St. Clement, and the Didache. It gives some great insight into the culture of the early Church in the late first and early second centuries.

• History of the Church by Eusebius - A history of the Christian church from its founding by Christ and the Apostles to the conversion of Constantine by Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea in the 4th century. He straddles the pre-Nicene and post-Nicene eras and closely chronicles the history of persecutions under the Romans along with numerous apologetics for the Christian faith. It should be required reading for anyone interested in the origins and history of Christianity.

• Coptic Egypt by Barbara Watterson - A concise history of the Christian Church in Egypt, from its origins to the present day. I was especially interested in the period of Roman rule between the Fourth Ecumenical Council in 451 A.D. and the Arab invasion in 641 A.D. It's an interesting introduction to a culture that has managed to persist to this day.

• Imperial Unity and Christian Divisions by John Myendorff - The history of the various theological controversies of the Christian Church between 325 A.D. and the reign of Justinian. It looks at the various Christian communities that developed from Spain and Ireland in the west to Persia and India in the east. It has interesting information on the ecumenical councils and especially the Monophysite controversies in Syria and Egypt.

• The Russian Question by Alexander Solzhenitsyn - The Nobel prize-winning author discusses the need to preserve the soul of the Russian people and criticizes the movement since 1600 A.D. that turned Russia towards western expansionism and away from the focus on the needs of the Russian people. Also included are essays and speeches discussing the breakup of the Soviet Union and how Russia should respond to these new realities.

• Russia 2010 by Daniel Yergin and Thane Gustafson - A well-researched book that examines the prospects for the Russian future and what it may look like in 15 years. Though written with a definite pro-Western slant, it certainly brings up many interesting questions and gives the reader an interesting picture of Russia's possible future directions.

• China Wakes by Nicholas Kristoff and Cheryl WuDunn - This husband-and-wife duo were the New York Times correspondents in Beijing from 1988 to 1992. Their recently published book describes their experiences in China during that period and the rapidly changing economy. There are many interesting anecdotes and commentary about China's present-day situation and its prospects for the future.

• Balkan Ghosts by Robert D. Kaplan - Mr. Kaplan travels through the former Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria and comments on their history and people. It is an interesting examination of the origins of nationalism and the origins of the varied cultures of these areas. It was written right after the conflict in the former Yugoslavia broke out, and he wisely mentions the situation only in passing, as anything he talked about would have been rendered obsolete by the time of the book's publishing. He does discuss some historical origins of the conflict dating from WWII.

• The Closing of the American Mind by Alan Bloom - These days any college freshman with a Macintosh computer can get a grant from the Heritage Foundation and write about "the evils of the PC movement" in a crabby sensationalistic style. But Alan Bloom's book, published in 1987, was the first, and the finest, book that brought to light the decline of American intellectualism in Universities and the problems with the modern American student, and its origins. He provides enlightening commentary on academia both in the humanities and sciences. Those well-versed in western philosophy of the Enlightenment will find this especially interesting, but most everyone will find it accessible.

• Steve Jobs: The Journey is the Reward by Jeffrey S. Young - A biography of Apple Computer Co-founder Steve Jobs. It traces the history of Apple Computer and Steve Jobs's upbringing. It gives an interesting character insight to Jobs, who emerges as not a technician, but rather a charismatic man of ideas.

• The Clothes have no Emperor: A Chronicle of the American 80s by Paul Slansky - Mr. Slanksy closely traces the foibles of the Reagan years and 80s culture. I read it again and again and again. His wry commentary is quite entertaining. A great source of Reagan quotes.

• What Really Happened to the Class of '65? by Michael Medved and David Wallechinsky - This is the story of a high school class in California that was profiled by Time Magazine. It was supposed to be the most well-informed group of youth with the brightest future. But Medved and Wallechinsky discover that their futures were not as bright as they were made out to be when they revisted their high-school classmates 10 years later.

• The Byzantine Revival by William Treadgold - A history of the Byzantine Empire from 780 to 842 A.D. This looks at the how the Byzantine Empire recovered from the Arab invasions of the 7th century to hold its own against Arabs, Franks, Bulgars, and iconoclasts. This was a period of reinforcement and expansion which preceded the golden age of the empire in the 10th and 11th centuries.

• The Great Betrayal by Ernle Bradford - The history of the capture of Constantinople by the Venetians in 1204. Bradford is a strong admirer of the Byzantine empire and argues that the capture and sack of Constantinople was responsible for ruining what was a strong bulwark against the Muslim onslaught into Europe and thus resulted in the destruction of eastern Europe 200 years later.

• Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis - Not only an interesting character study, but also a portrayal of Greek life from the early 20th century that most people are unwilling to talk about. Very much of a classic that people should read if only for "cultural literacy" purposes.
• The Three Musketteers by Andre Dumas - Certainly one of the best works of historical fiction. The complexity of the plot, the romance, and the excitement make it better than most any fiction of the adventure variety from any era.

• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein - This is a great story of rebellion and self-reliance in the 21st century. The plot is meticulously well thought-out in this story of seeking independence for the Moon colony.

• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - This is a classic of science fiction humor which follows Arthur Dent's travels through the increasingly strange universe after earth is destroyed to make way for an intergalactic highway.

• The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison - A collection of three short books about the inter-stellar thief and wise-guy Jim DiGriz, The Stainless Steel Rat. It has a lot of sarcastic humor and adventurous excitement.

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