The Books You NEED To Read8 min read

Introduction

Regardless of your political stance you will want to read the following 5 books which will greatly increase your knowledge of the root issues we face as a species. The wisdom and revelations from these 5 books form the backbone of my political ideals and my policies here. If you read these books, then please read them in the order I give below, because the revelations in the first book will help to understand the ideals and concepts in the later books – they build upon each other as they go.

Here are the 5 books:

1. The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger
2. The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone’s Well-Being
3. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21St-Century Economist
4. The New Human Rights Movement: Reinventing the Economy to End Oppression
5. The Best that Money Can’t Buy

An Important Concept You HAVE to Understand Before You Read These Books

In order to really get the most out of these books, as well as just about any issue of political significance, you really need to have at least a basic understanding of these 2 concepts – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Biopsychsocial Model. Really, please take the time to at least go through my post on these 2 tropics before you read these books:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the Biopsychosocial Model

The 5 Books

1. The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger

This mind-blowing book shows how, if given a country’s or state’s level of income inequality, that it can be used as an accurate predictor of many things from:

• teenage pregnancy
• literacy
• crime
• rates of incarceration
• depression and suicides
• average lifespans
• social trust
• and so much, much more.

There is a very strong correlation that cannot be dismissed, and it is scarily consistent. Perhaps, more importantly to our absolutely broken country, is that income inequality affects everyone including the rich. Everyone suffers from income inequality.

Here is a quick (16:39) Ted Talk by one of the authors going over ideas and statistics from the book: How Economic Inequality Harms Societies (TED Talk, Jul 2011)

• Read: The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger
• The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger (Picket and Wilkinson, 2009)

2. The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone’s Well-Being

This transformative book was written as powerful follow up to their previous book – The Spirit Level (above). It not only shifts the discussion on the harms of income inequality from correlative (as established by that previous work) to causal even by using a slightly more conservative epidemiological definition, which means: income inequality causes those problems.

Their work also discusses the underlying biopsychosocial reasons why income inequality has such a powerful effect on Humans globally so that we can understand why income inequality causes those problems.

• Read: The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone’s Well-Being
• The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone’s Well-Being (Picket and Wilkinson, 2019)

3. Doughnut Economics

This book powerfully confronts the unstable core assumptions and ideals within classical economics while providing the ways we can change those in order to create a better world for all.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that her underlying philosophy to policy as an economist was so very similar to mine – we must first look at Humanity and the Natural World, while the GDP is a secondary measure. The economy should serve the people and the environment and not the other way around.

Here is a quick 17+ minute video from Kate: Doughnut Economics (RSA, Jan 2013)

• Kate Raworth (Official)
• Doughnut Economics (Amazon)
• Doughnut Economics (Official Site)
• Doughnut Economic, Lecture by economist Kate Raworth (in Netherlands) (YouTube, ~1 hour)

4. The New Human Rights Movement: Reinventing the Economy to End Oppression

This amazing book powerfully shows the harms and the structural necessity of inequality, poverty, corruption, crime, and war which is required by monetary systems. It also gives a powerful answer which can enable a Humanity that lives sustainably and peacefully, all the while maximizing Humanity’s potential.

Hell, this book is worth it just for the appendix on sustainable energy. Seriously, if you love sustainable energy then just buy this book for that appendix and start your journey there.

Here is a talk by Peter Joseph in Nov 2017 covering his book (YouTube):

• The New Human Rights Movement: Reinventing the Economy to End Oppression (Peter Joseph, 2017)

And, here is his movie which presents some of concepts from this amazing book in a narrative Avant-guard fashion:

5. The Best that Money Can’t Buy

This stunning book visually illustrates the vision of a future that is possible once we have radically annihilated inequality – a world beyond, war, politics, poverty, and suffering – one where radical peace, equality, and sustainability saturate all aspects of Humanity’s existence and human potential and progress is truly unlocked and allowed to truly flourish for the first time in human history.

• The Best that Money Can’t Buy (Jacque Fresco, 2002/2018)

Want to Buy All 5 Books?

Check out the 2 links below where you can buy all 5 of them on Amazon in one click while supporting us with a small kickback with your purchase:

• The Books You Need to Read! (paperback)
• The Books You Need to Read! (Kindle)

Some More Light Reading

Here are some books which are great honorable mentions to further expand your knowledge and understanding:

• The Case for a Maximum Wage by Sam Pizzigati
• The Deficit Myth by Stephanie Kelton

Check out the 2 links below where you can buy both books on Amazon in one click while supporting us with a small kickback with your purchase:

• Honorable Mention Books (paperback)
• Honorable Mention Books (Kindle)