Ron Liskey

A History of Western Philosophy

Generally considered flawed due to Russell's strong bias toward logical positviism, it's still a classic and well worth reading. We don't have to agree with every idea in order to consider it, and learn from it.

All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror

Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge

The biologist Edward O. Wilson offers an imaginative and intellectually stimulating romp through many aspects of modern science and society. He's not afraid to clearly express his opinions and let the chips fall where they may. I appreaciate this courage to speak his mind in a time of rampant intellectual relativism and ethical cowardice.

Making Math Meaningful: A Middle School Math Curriculum for Teachers and Parents

Written by an experienced Waldorf teacher, this book provides a clear overview of a typicalWaldorf middle school math curriculum. Filled with detailed examples and clear explanations. Unfortunately, it's somewhat dated due to ever increasing state pressures to teach complex skills at inappropriately young ages. This is an excellent book for home schoolers and others who are free to teach to the students rather than to politically-motivated  mandates.

Mark Twain on Religion: What is Man, The War Prayer, Thou Shalt Not Kill, The Fly, Letters from the Earth (Forgotten Books)

Most of Mark Twain's most important works have been systemactially ignored due to their uncompromising truthfulness and passion. This collection contains many of the best.
Another great anthology is, Mark Twain in Eruption. This book is no longer in print, but used copies can still be found.

Mein Kampf (German)

To understand what leads people toward fascism in all its varied forms, it's important to understand the fears, frustrations, hopes, and dreams of those who fall under the spell of overly-simplistic dogmas. Ignorance is no defense against the approach of night.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Should be required reading for all educators.

Protocol: How Control Exists after Decentralization (Leonardo Books)

Is the Internet a vast arena of unrestricted communication and freely exchanged information or a regulated, highly structured virtual bureaucracy? In Protocol, Alexander Galloway argues that the founding principle of the Net is control, not freedom, and that the controlling power lies in the technical protocols that make network connections (and disconnections) possible. He does this by treating the computer as a textual medium that is based on a technological language, code. Code, he argues, can be subject to the same kind of cultural and literary analysis as any natural language; computer languages have their own syntax, grammar, communities, and cultures. Written for a nontechnical audience, Protocol serves as a necessary counterpoint to the wildly utopian visions of the Net that were so widespread in earlier days.

The Complete Book of Woodworking: Detailed Plans for More Than 40 Fabulous Projects

Great book with plenty of breadth, depth and detail. The projects are a little simple, but they are good starting points.

The Math Book: From Pythagoras to the 57th Dimension, 250 Milestones in the History of Mathematics

Math’s infinite mysteries and beauty unfold in this follow-up to the best-selling The Science Book. Beginning millions of years ago with ancient “ant odometers” and moving through time to our modern-day quest for new dimensions, it covers 250 milestones in mathematical history. Among the numerous delights readers will learn about as they dip into this inviting anthology: cicada-generated prime numbers, magic squares from centuries ago, the discovery of pi and calculus, and the butterfly effect. Each topic gets a lavishly illustrated spread with stunning color art, along with formulas and concepts, fascinating facts about scientists’ lives, and real-world applications of the theorems.

The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (American Empire Project)

Since September 2001, the United States has "undergone a transformation from republic to empire that may well prove irreversible," writes Chalmers Johnson. Unlike past global powers, however, America has built an empire of bases rather than colonies, creating in the process a government that is obsessed with maintaining absolute military dominance over the world, Johnson claims. The Department of Defense currently lists 725 official U.S. military bases outside of the country and 969 within the 50 states (not to mention numerous secret bases). According to the author, these bases are proof that the "United States prefers to deal with other nations through the use or threat of force rather than negotiations, commerce, or cultural interaction." This rise of American militarism, along with the corresponding layers of bureaucracy and secrecy that are created to circumvent scrutiny, signals a shift in power from the populace to the Pentagon: "A revolution would be required to bring the Pentagon back under democratic control," he writes.
In Sorrows of Empire, Johnson discusses the roots of American militarism, the rise and extent of the military-industrial complex, and the close ties between arms industry executives and high-level politicians. He also looks closely at how the military has extended the boundaries of what constitutes national security in order to centralize intelligence agencies under their control and how statesmen have been replaced by career soldiers on the front lines of foreign policy--a shift that naturally increases the frequency with which we go to war.

Thinking Mathematically

A well-designed guide for those in recovery from drill-and-kill indoctrination. If you were taught to fear or hate math, this book may be your cure. Rather than expecting you to memorize and regurgitate meaningless formulas invented by others, you are offered various interesting challenges to explore. As you progress through the book, your problem solving skills expand and you begin to think like a mathemetician.