Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Ken Myers: Ten Books to Read on Understanding the Culture

Touchstone editor James Kushiner passes along a list of 10 books recommended by Mars Hill Audio's Ken Myers for understanding culture:

Five “Thinner” Books:

  1. C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (1943)
  2. Wendell Berry, Life Is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition (2000)
  3. Colin Gunton, Enlightenment and Alienation: An Essay Towards a Trinitarian Theology (1985)
  4. George Parkin Grant, English-Speaking Justice (1985)
  5. Richard Weaver, Ideas Have Consequences (1948)

Five “Thicker” Books:

  1. John McWhorter, Doing Our Own Thing: The Degradation of Language and Music and Why We Should, Like, Care (2003)
  2. Jacques Barzun, The Use and Abuse of Art (1974)
  3. David Thomson, The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood (2004)
  4. Julian Johnson, Who Needs Classical Music?: Cultural Choice and Musical Value (2002)
  5. Langdon Winner, Autonomous Technology: Technics-out-of-Control as a Theme in Political Thought (1977)
HT: James Grant