Frogs on Watch

If you have watched CSPAN II and weekends of Book TV, you know that it leans to the left during normal viewing hours. This morning at 7 A.M. Central time, I watched an hour with three panelists that recommended books for college students to read. Probably to give them some perspective in light of what they are experiencing in their college classrooms today.

The event was hosted by the Young America's Foundation. The publishing houses of Regnery, Encounter Books, and the author, Wynton Hall, who wrote "The Right Words: Great Republican Speeches That Shaped History" made up the panel. All concerned conservatives apparently.

Nothing pleases me more than hearing words that confirm my own ideas, habits, ways of living. To be told to make margin notes in books, keeping about five books going at one time is a perfectly fine, and if a book you start isn't interesting, quit reading it; advice a bit horrifying to an old librarian. Thus, how happy I am to be given permission to do what I have been doing for years.

The list of books they recommended for college students to read is good advice for me. When asked by a student, "what should I start with?" this is what was suggested:

"The Conscience of a Conservative" by Barry Goldwater
I found a strange thing as I looked this up on the web. Amazon's price was $250.00 to $8.94. The customer reviews at Amazon are interesting. There are at least three free hits on the web that give it in its entirety. I include only one from Heritage.

"Witness" by Whittaker Chambers. Again the reviews of readers at this Amazon site are interesting. Having a great-grandmother that voiced her strong opinion in Butte, Montana, might be reason enough for me to read it. It takes the reader from 1920's to the 1950's.

"A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles" by Thomas Sowell. Quoting one reviewer in part, "It is unfortunate that Dr. Sowell's reputation as a conservative will probably keep many people who consider themselves liberals from reading this book. They would profit by understanding the perspective of those people with whom they are in an eternal debate... They (conservatives) might be quite surprised to find that Dr. Sowell is very non-judgmental in this book and does not side with either vision."

"What is So Great About Christianity" Dinesh D'Souza. Once again quoting one of the Amazon reviewers: "He accomplishes what the purpose of the book is meant to do, show the sheer folly of the over-the-Top rhetoric of Harris, Dawkins, and Hitchens." The link to D'Souza is from LexisNexis News.