— My recommended list of Podcasts, Lectures and Books
Podcasts and Lectures
Christine Hayes – Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)
Christine has an incredible grasp on the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud and she is able to translate the often tricky language for her audience.
Dale B. Martin – Introduction to New Testament
Dale has a unique insider perspective on the New Testament.
Joanne Freeman – The American Revolution
You won’t understand why America is such a special country without listening to Joanne’s lectures on the American Revolution.
Jordan B. Peterson – Personality
While Jordan B. Peterson is a professor of psychology his lectures are about everything else that is important as well. His lectures are my favorite work of his.
Some of the finest explanation of the book of Genesis.
Paul Freedman – Introduction to the Middle Ages
Paul Freedman takes you on a fantastic journey from the Roman empire, through the Holy Roman empire and into the time of the vikings and the rise of Islam.
Steven B. Smith – Political Philosophy
From Plato to Tocqueville – Steven brings these hard to read philosophers thoughts to light like no other.
Books
Nassim Nicholas Taleb – The Black Swan
The book that made him famous beyond Wall Street. What an incredibly fresh take on the world of finance and business.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
A book that explains the world and while at it describes best the role of the entrepreneur in our economy.
Study Bible (several different versions)
Read the original source! Despite what you may think the Old Testament and New Testament are not hard to read. It’s a huge text but skip a few paragraphs and chapters and it can be done in under six months.
Study Koran (several different versions)
The Koran is surprisingly easy to read once you get some of the main concepts. It’s much shorter than the Hebrew Bible.
Niccoló Machiavelli – The Prince
A small book and a great way to illustrate the changeover from the ‘Holy Roman Empire’ to a more modern idea of the state.
A gripping novel that depicts life in a 1984 version of the Soviet Union. Having seen life in 1984 in Eastern Germany – I can tell you this book was spot on (written in 1949!).
Zecharia Sitchin – The 12th Planet
A very short book but Zecharia is able to connect biblical expertise with knowledge if ancient languages and science fiction. Amazing book!
Adam Smith – The Wealth Of Nations
Nobody reads this book and concludes that ‘capitalism does not work’. Great read!
John Locke – Second Treatise of Government
How should government to be limited? John Locke wasn’t shy about his answer.
F. A. Hayek – The Constitution of Liberty
Hayek bulldozes his way into your mind and proves that the ‘rule of law’ and ‘freedom from coercion’ is the best way to create prosperity.
The start of modern political philosophy.
Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn – The Gulag Archipelago
You can’t read this book and come out after and believe ‘socialism works’. It’s a long book and so rich in historical detail in boggles your mind!
C. G. Jung – The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious (+ several books)
Jung’s books are a tough read – I struggle but there are nuggets of gold found from time to time it is all worth it.
Fyodor Dostoevsky – The Brothers Karamazov
For me this is the easiest of the Dostoyevsky books. The story flows (it is a novel) somewhat slowly but his insights behind the ‘curtain of life’ are mind- boggling.
Frank Herbert – Children of Dune
By far my favorite series of books when I grew up.
Rene Girard – Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
I can’t say I fully understand Girard’s work but I found his arguments incredibly convincing. This is work in progress for me.
The Book of Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad from the Mishkat al Masabih
The Hadith are traditions of the Prophet Muhammed. An easy read and intro into islamic culture.
Eric Weiner – The Geography of Bliss | The Geography of Genius | The Socrates Express
A light but thoughtful read – Eric travels the world in search of happiness , genius and the wisdom of deal philosophers and finds it in unexpected places.
Stephen C. Meyer – Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design
You can’t read this book and come out after and feel evolution (solely!) created us humans. Great book.
H. G. Wells – The Time Machine
This book started the whole genre of science fiction.
David Walton – Three Laws Lethal
Is it a novel? Yes. Is it science fiction? Yes. Is it a great way to think about an emergent AI consciousness? Yes!
Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam
How did Islam get started in such a short timeframe? How did it spread so quickly and successfully? What really happened in the Arabian desert in the 7th century?
Discrimination and Disparities
Everyday ‘discrimination’ and inequalities analyzed by Prof. Sowell.
Jan and Alexander will take you on a joyride through two thousand years of philosophy and political activism. And they predict the future too!