Probably like most of you, I have had an unusual amount of time for reading in this pandemic period, so here are comments on a few recent books I have read, a couple of them old favorites, and it’s not coincidental that there is quite a bit of overlap in the underlying theme, which is […]

As I have often done, I recently revisited C. S. Lewis’s classic of 1944, The Abolition of Man, and as usual was rewarded by gems of which I needed to be reminded and others that I missed before.  This small book is Lewis’s masterful critique of man’s being and purpose and in it, he confronts the […]

As many of you know, I have spent a good portion of my time over the past 20 years or so on public education reform, and recently I had the opportunity to assist and advise in a small way with the publication of a new book with fresh ideas about education reform, primarily in Texas, […]

The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties, by Christopher Caldwell Caldwell, a Senior Fellow with the Claremont Institute, has spent many years analyzing and reflecting on the liberal uprising of the 1960s and its unforeseen consequences, and this book is a survey of that work.  To understand the points he makes about where we […]

Since the publication of my book, The Texas Pilgrim: 20 Years of Reflection and Commentary, in which I included a number of book reviews of the 150 or so I have written, I have been asked by several readers to recommend my top selections over the years.  Given the current circumstances in which we find […]

Both of the books being reviewed this month were published a couple of years ago, but have been on my shelf as I covered other bases.  As it turns out, however, this was a good time to read and comment on them as we begin the long slog through this election year, as they in […]

I have been a follower of George Will’s work for about 40 years, although I haven’t read one of his books since Statecraft as Soulcraft, his first full length book, over 35 years ago.  I am pleased that I chose to read his latest, The Conservative Sensibility, a major addition to conservative thought that one reviewer, […]

The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West, by David McCullough This is a typical McCullough book–a great story, easy to read, educational, and fun.  It tells the story of the settlement and development of the Northwest Territory of the U. S. through the experiences and legacy of several […]

If you are a big fan of Charles Krauthammer as I am, this volume, The Point of It All: A Lifetime of Great Loves and Endeavors, will not disappoint.  In fact I think it is better than his last collection of essays before his death.  This one encompasses 91 essays and articles covering almost 40 years […]

I suppose that, with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln, no one has had more words written about him than Winston Churchill and, particularly after the 30 years and multiple volumes of output by his official biographer Martin Gilbert, one might wonder what else could there possible be to say or write about him.  And […]