Seeing how that is what really runs a good portion of the world, if a person wanted to educate themselves about the darker sides of collective psychology and how it influences large scale social movements, what are some good books?
The prince - Machiavelli
Rules for radicals - saul Alinsky
The dictators handbook - Bruce Bueno De Mesquita
the logic of political survival - Bruce Bueno De Mesquita
Dictator’s Handbook - Randall Wood
The lucifer principle - Howard Bloom
Any others?
My first thought on reading the thread title was
Animal Farm, by George Orwell? Damn you’d think I could remember the author, been a while since I read it though
Not sure how educational it really is, but it is certainly interesting commentary.
Very entertaining and insightful
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3663422/One-of-historys-greatest-most-repugnant-figures.html
Haven’t read this one, “a radically different view.”
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchial Tendencies of Modern Democracy
The Rise and Decline of Nations
A Parliament of Whores
Demosclerosis
The Calculus of Consent
Its about Game Theory not politics, but gives a great deal of understanding about people’s and societies’ motivations, from a mathematical point of view.
All different, all very good:
Iron Tears by Stanley Weintraub is about the American Revolution as seen through British eyes, discussing military affairs, politics, society, economics and diplomacy.
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow describes, among other things, how Washington practically invented the Presidency despite some significant challenges in his two terms.
Kennedy’s Wars by Lawrence Freedman is an interesting British perspective on JFK’s Cold War diplomatic and military decision-making, and Essence of Decision by Graham Allison is a classic on crisis management, diplomacy and presidential leadership, focusing on the Cuban Missile Crisis.
I think you might include a book about Hitler. Any recommendations?
Thomas Sowell’s Knowledge and Decisions and The Vision of the Anointed.
What makes Marx interesting and useful is his insistence that politics needs to be considered in the context of the prevailing economic system. So reading Capital is worthwhile.
Reading it in the order it is presented, however, is guaranteed to make most of us blow a head gasket. I’d suggest starting with the section on primitive accumulation, then chapter 10 on the working day. If you’re still interested after that, happy to suggest next steps
Don’t forget Kautilya
Here are some options, none of which I’ve read: The Best Books on Hitler - Five Books Expert Recommendations
William Shirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is still well-regarded, I think.
It has been a long time so I cannot remember why, but I thought The Lucifer Principle was a waste of paper and ink.
The Will to Power - Freddy Nietzsche. Bit more metaphysics than a ‘how to’ manual, but worth your time for insight into how a mind disregards compassion for personal gain.
Ha, nice try. Any time I’ve ever mentioned Sowell on this board it’s crickets for days.
Any cult leaders write a book? Besides L. Ron Hubbard, I mean.
“The Autobiography of Lincoln Steffens”. Mostly because it is my favourite book ever (including a lyrical description of his childhood in California, and interesting observations relevant to pedagogy), but also because Lincoln Steffens life work was the observation of realpolitik, and there’s some of that in there too.
Keep in mind, The Will to Power reflects his sister’s philosophy more than his own.
from Friedrich Nietzsche - Wikipedia
One that really seems relevant these days:
It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
Another one that seems prophetic with what’s going on in America lately; it’s long and somewhat hard to find but a really good read with a killer ending:
Unintended Consequences by John Ross
Ironically, l Ron Hubbard did write a book called ‘brain washing’ that he pretended was written by beria, who was head of the secret police in the ussr.
The True Believer Eric Hoffer (1951)
• “Such diverse phenomena as a deprecation of the present, a facility for make-believe, a proneness to hate, a readiness to imitate, credulity, a readiness to attempt the impossible, and many others which crowd the minds of the intensely frustrated are, as we shall see, unifying agents and prompters of recklessness.”