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If anyone knows any books that are dense -- but not too dense -- that you can read while studying for the LSAT, please list your suggestions. I enjoy topics like basic economics, experimental technologies (i.e. quantum computers), social injustice, or history books, just to list a few. Also, big philosophy guy.
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I have lots of philosophy papers that I can offer, but no books come to mind.
i second (or fourth? lol) just mercy!
re: history, "unbecoming british: how revolutionary america became a postcolonial nation" by kariann akemi yokota and "empire of cotton: a global history" by sven beckert may be of interest! "silencing the past: power and the production of history" by michel-rolph trouillot too, perhaps, though that one's more about how power functions in writing historical narratives. also, i took a course on early u.s. history (1763 to 1898) in college and would be happy to email you the syllabus if you'd like.
(my fun read these days is anything zadie smith-related –just started her essay collection "changing my mind.")
@jonathankorger285 said:
I've read quite broadly on a number of topics. Below are some recommendations from each category. Some of these are quite difficult and could be borderline inaccessible depending on your training. If you can get through some of these, it makes RC seem like an article out of Sports Illustrated Kids.
Philosophy
Kant's Critique
Lacan's Ecrits
Anything by Kierkegaard
Dialect of Enlightenment Horkheimer Adorno
History:
Europe: A history (1400 page, absolute beast)
The Rise of the Third Reich
The Origins of Political Order
Economics
Capital
Keynes' TEIM
Or alternatively, Hayke's Road to Serfdom
Hernando De Soto's mystery of capital
Social Injustice
Scarcity by Shafir and Mullainathan
Happiness for all
The broken ladder
Bonus picks
An anthology of essays, maybe Hitchens Arguably
A book with a controversial premise: I picked against empathy by bloom
A guilty pleasure, I like Cormac McCarthy or Steinbeck for these purposes
cormac mccarthy does not miss... the ending of "the road" made me put the book down and stare at the ceiling and contemplate my life for twenty minutes.
@jonathankorger285 said:
I've read quite broadly on a number of topics. Below are some recommendations from each category. Some of these are quite difficult and could be borderline inaccessible depending on your training. If you can get through some of these, it makes RC seem like an article out of Sports Illustrated Kids.
Philosophy
Kant's Critique
Lacan's Ecrits
Anything by Kierkegaard
Dialect of Enlightenment Horkheimer Adorno
History:
Europe: A history (1400 page, absolute beast)
The Rise of the Third Reich
The Origins of Political Order
Economics
Capital
Keynes' TEIM
Or alternatively, Hayke's Road to Serfdom
Hernando De Soto's mystery of capital
Social Injustice
Scarcity by Shafir and Mullainathan
Happiness for all
The broken ladder
Bonus picks
An anthology of essays, maybe Hitchens Arguably
A book with a controversial premise: I picked against empathy by bloom
A guilty pleasure, I like Cormac McCarthy or Steinbeck for these purposes
Solid recommendations, Blood Meridian is imo the best thing an American author of fiction has ever written.
@treyrg331 Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, it definitely made me want to go to NYU so I could take a class with him.
If you like computers and economics, I'd recommend The Man Who Solved the Market. Also When Genius Failed is another good one -- it's about a hedge fund but reads like a thriller.
I've read quite broadly on a number of topics. Below are some recommendations from each category. Some of these are quite difficult and could be borderline inaccessible depending on your training. If you can get through some of these, it makes RC seem like an article out of Sports Illustrated Kids.
Philosophy
Kant's Critique
Lacan's Ecrits
Anything by Kierkegaard
Dialect of Enlightenment Horkheimer Adorno
History:
Europe: A history (1400 page, absolute beast)
The Rise of the Third Reich
The Origins of Political Order
Economics
Capital
Keynes' TEIM
Or alternatively, Hayke's Road to Serfdom
Hernando De Soto's mystery of capital
Social Injustice
Scarcity by Shafir and Mullainathan
Happiness for all
The broken ladder
Bonus picks
An anthology of essays, maybe Hitchens Arguably
A book with a controversial premise: I picked against empathy by bloom
A guilty pleasure, I like Cormac McCarthy or Steinbeck for these purposes
@noraprener549 said:
I'm reading a book about the Cold War that I'm enjoying. It's called the Cold War: A World History by Odd Arne Westad. If you're into social justice and haven't read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, it's amazing :) It's not dense or anything, but a great read. Plus Bryan Stevenson teaches at NYU law! Also.. not a book but highly recommend subscribing to the Economist. There's so much content it really keeps me on my toes, not enough time to read all of it!
I love that book "Just Mercy" too.
Ed Snowden's memoir is great:) Also currently reading RBG's My Own Words.
@noraprener549 said:
I'm reading a book about the Cold War that I'm enjoying. It's called the Cold War: A World History by Odd Arne Westad. If you're into social justice and haven't read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, it's amazing :) It's not dense or anything, but a great read. Plus Bryan Stevenson teaches at NYU law! Also.. not a book but highly recommend subscribing to the Economist. There's so much content it really keeps me on my toes, not enough time to read all of it!
Just wanted to update that I finished reading Just Mercy. It was great! I will say I was a little thrown by the flurry of quotes that start out the book by praising Bryan Stevenson as the next Nelson Mandela, but overall the content was good. Kinda makes you want to go to NYU Law lol
Definitely should consider Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky. It's transcribed from previous lecture series and conversations with students/general public/etc. in the 80s and 90s. I read this to help with RC and just because I love Noam :)
If securities law or general finance interests you, then I implore you to read Black Edge by Sheelah Kolhatkar. It's all about SAC Capital Advisors and Steven Cohen -- Sooo good!
I've been reading Plucknett's A Concise History of the Common Law and I just finished Simon Schama's 3-book set of the history of Britain - which ironically as I'm now reading Kurtz's Introduction to the Law of Real Property is SO HELPFUL. There was a comment sometime back recommending these (or I think these). When certain events are mentioned in the property law book, I have an instant reference from the British history books. The Schama books have an easier writing style compared to the Common Law book, which is more appropriately 'dense.' I've been using these as my 'fun' evening reads, daytime now full of prepbook reading. I love history books, and ironically some of the topics have been helpful for RC passage topics ... . Reading on Roman law might also be helpful/relevant and 'fun' esp for lovers of history
@noraprener549 said:
Oh, I've also heard great things about Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, that's high up on my list right now.
Caste is a great read!
Democracy in America by the French philosopher Alexis Tocqueville! It uses a high level of political vocabulary, I'm close to finishing it at 707 pages. Get the one produced by PENGUIN CLASSICS.
@noraprener549 said:
I'm reading a book about the Cold War that I'm enjoying. It's called the Cold War: A World History by Odd Arne Westad. If you're into social justice and haven't read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, it's amazing :) It's not dense or anything, but a great read. Plus Bryan Stevenson teaches at NYU law! Also.. not a book but highly recommend subscribing to the Economist. There's so much content it really keeps me on my toes, not enough time to read all of it!
I ordered Just Mercy! It sounded great and apparently there is a film being produced/produced already about the book.
Oh, I've also heard great things about Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, that's high up on my list right now.
I'm reading a book about the Cold War that I'm enjoying. It's called the Cold War: A World History by Odd Arne Westad. If you're into social justice and haven't read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, it's amazing :) It's not dense or anything, but a great read. Plus Bryan Stevenson teaches at NYU law! Also.. not a book but highly recommend subscribing to the Economist. There's so much content it really keeps me on my toes, not enough time to read all of it!