The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
By: Olivier Zunz
4.06
Format: 472 pages, Hardcover
A definitive biography of the French aristocrat who became one of democracy’s greatest champions I…
Want to Read $ 14.55"Tocqueville admired this small group of so-called Radicals, which had no counterpart in France. Unlike the French, these English Radicals respected the principles of democratic rule, they were not trying to impose utopian systems on an unwilling society; they respected the right to property as the basis for civilized society, they saw the political necessity of religion, and they were well educated. Tocqueville felt at ease with them, perhaps because, like them, they combined elitist manners with reformist ambitions. He recognized in them the type of politician he wanted to become."-Olivier Zunz, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
"Tocqueville admired this small group of so-called Radicals, which had no counterpart in France. Unlike the French, these English Radicals respected the principles of democratic rule, they were not trying to impose utopian systems on an unwilling society; they respected the right to property as the basis for civilized society, they saw the political necessity of religion, and they were well educated. Tocqueville felt at ease with them, perhaps because, like them, they combined elitist manners with reformist ambitions. He recognized in them the type of politician he wanted to become."-Olivier Zunz, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
"To drive the point home, Tocqueville stressed the need for individual initiatives in democracy. Tocqueville had shown in his central theoretical part that democracy had severed the aristocratic chain and, with it, social hierarchies. But in concluding, he saw a multitude of atomized individuals lacking in energy and initiative. He blamed widespread popular indolence on the supervisory grip of the state on citizens' lives that amounted to soft despotism. Democratic men submitted to the authority of 'an immense tutelary power, which assumes sole responsibility for securing their pleasure and watching over their fate. It is absolute, meticulous, regular, provident, and mild. It would resemble paternal authority if only its purpose were the same, namely, to prepare men for manhood. But on the contrary, it seeks only to keep them in childhood irrevocably."-Olivier Zunz, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
"To drive the point home, Tocqueville stressed the need for individual initiatives in democracy. Tocqueville had shown in his central theoretical part that democracy had severed the aristocratic chain and, with it, social hierarchies. But in concluding, he saw a multitude of atomized individuals lacking in energy and initiative. He blamed widespread popular indolence on the supervisory grip of the state on citizens' lives that amounted to soft despotism. Democratic men submitted to the authority of 'an immense tutelary power, which assumes sole responsibility for securing their pleasure and watching over their fate. It is absolute, meticulous, regular, provident, and mild. It would resemble paternal authority if only its purpose were the same, namely, to prepare men for manhood. But on the contrary, it seeks only to keep them in childhood irrevocably."-Olivier Zunz, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
If you liked the history plot in The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville by Olivier Zunz , here is a list of 13 books like this:
1. Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754 - 1766
By: Fred Anderson
4.19
Format: 912 pages, Paperback
In this vivid and compelling narrative, the Seven Years' War–long seen as a mere backdrop to the Am… read more
Want to Read $ 12.99Similar categories in Fred Anderson's Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754 - 1766 book and Olivier Zunz's The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
- nonfiction
- history
2. Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph
By: Jan Swafford
4.25
Format: 1077 pages, Hardcover
Jan Swafford’s biographies of Charles Ives and Johannes Brahms have established him as a revered mu… read more
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- history
- biography
- nonfiction
- biography memoir
3. The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past
By: John Lewis Gaddis
3.63
Format: None pages, Paperback
What is history and why should we study it? Is there such a thing as historical truth? Is history a… read more
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- philosophy
- nonfiction
- history
4. The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic
By: R.K. Narayan , Pankaj Mishra , John Lee
4.21
Format: 96 pages, Paperback
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5. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
By: Doris Kearns Goodwin , Suzanne Toren
4.28
Format: 916 pages, Paperback
Winner of the Lincoln PrizeAcclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political… read more
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- politics
- history
- biography
- nonfiction
"An adult friend of Lincoln's: "Life was to him a school."-Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
"And Lincoln, as would be evidenced throughout his presidency, was a master of timing."-Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
"(from John Hay's diary) “The President never appeared to better advantage in the world,"-Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
"I hope to stand firm enough not to go backward, and yet not go forward fast enough to wreck the country's cause."-Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
6. Love Your Enemies: How to Break the Anger Habit & Be a Whole Lot Happier
By: Sharon Salzberg , Robert A.F. Thurman
3.66
Format: 256 pages, Hardcover
When people and circumstances upset us, how do we deal with them? Often, we feel victimized. We bec… read more
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7. The Pursuit of Italy
By: David Gilmour
4.23
Format: None pages, Hardcover
Visiting a villa built by Lorenzo de Medici outside Pisa, David Gilmour fell into conversation abou… read more
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8. Honor
By: Elif Shafak
3.25
Format: 198 pages, Hardcover
An honor killing shatters and transforms the lives of Turkish immigrants in 1970s London Internatio… read more
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9. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride
By: Daniel James Brown
3.59
Format: 464 pages,
In April of 1846, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Graves, intent on a better future, set out west from Il… read more
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10. The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook
By: Hampton Sides
4.51
Format: 408 pages, Hardcover
From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides, an epic account of the most momentous voyage … read more
Want to Read $ 14.99Similar categories in Hampton Sides's The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook book and Olivier Zunz's The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
- history
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- nonfiction
- biography memoir
11. Nuclear War: A Scenario
By: Annie Jacobsen
4.47
Format: 400 pages, Hardcover
There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in … read more
Want to Read $ 14.99Similar categories in Annie Jacobsen's Nuclear War: A Scenario book and Olivier Zunz's The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
- politics
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- nonfiction
"The fundamental idea behind this book is to demonstrate, in appalling detail, just how horrifying nuclear war would be."-Annie Jacobsen, Nuclear War: A Scenario
"Humans are wired to advance. Humans do whatever it takes. And yet, nuclear war zeros it all out. Nuclear weapons reduce human brilliance and ingenuity, love and desire, empathy and intellect, to ash."-Annie Jacobsen, Nuclear War: A Scenario
12. The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?
By: Michael J. Sandel
4.19
Format: 272 pages, Paperback
These are dangerous times for democracy. We live in an age of winners and losers, where the odds ar… read more
Want to Read $ 11.99Similar categories in Michael J. Sandel's The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? book and Olivier Zunz's The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
- philosophy
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- history
- nonfiction
"A wealthy CEO could justify his or her advantages to a lower paid worker on a factory floor as: "I am not worthier then you nor morally deserving of the privileged position I hold. My generous compen…"-Michael J. Sandel, The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good?
13. The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan in the White House and the World
By: William Inboden
4.50
Format: 596 pages, Hardcover
An in-depth and masterful account of how Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy "team of rivals" ended the … read more
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- politics
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- biography
- nonfiction
"Fortunately, Marhsall found an eager audience in fellow intellectual Ikle, who recognized at once that ONA's analysis and prescriptions for the Cold War reinforced Reagan's intuitions. Together Ikle …"-William Inboden, The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan in the White House and the World
14. Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
By: Ruth Ben-Ghiat
4.23
Format: 384 pages, Hardcover
Ours is the age of authoritarian rulers: self-proclaimed saviors of the nation who evade accountabi… read more
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- politics
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- biography
- nonfiction
"Designed for instant impact and encouraging feelings of omnipotence, Twitter is the perfect tool for an impulsive, attention-addicted strongman."-Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
"Many strongmen, past and present, have used populist rhetoric that defines their nations as bound by faith, race, and ethnicity rather than by legal rights. For authoritarians, only some people are "…"-Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
15. Who's Afraid of Gender?
By: Judith Butler
4.02
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
From a global icon, a bold, essential account of how a fear of gender is fueling reactionary politi… read more
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- philosophy
- politics
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"Imagine if you were Jewish and someone tells you that you are not. Imagine if you are lesbian and someone laughs in your face and says you are confused since you are really heterosexual. Imagine if y…"-Judith Butler, Who's Afraid of Gender?
16. Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto
By: Kōhei Saitō
3.91
Format: 273 pages, Kindle Edition
"[A] well-reasoned and eye-opening treatise . . . [Kohei Saito makes] a provocative and visionary p… read more
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17. The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era
By: Gary Gerstle
4.19
Format: 432 pages, Hardcover
The most sweeping account of how neoliberalism came to dominate American politics for nearly a half… read more
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- politics
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18. Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy
By: Henry Farrell
4.00
Format: 288 pages, Hardcover
A deeply researched investigation that reveals how the United States is like a spider at the heart … read more
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- politics
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19. Marx in the Anthropocene: Towards the Idea of Degrowth Communism
By: Kōhei Saitō
3.98
Format: 300 pages, ebook
Facing global climate crisis, Karl Marx's ecological critique of capitalism more clearly demonstrat… read more
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- philosophy
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20. The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
By: Olivier Zunz
4.06
Format: 472 pages, Hardcover
A definitive biography of the French aristocrat who became one of democracy’s greatest champions I… read more
Want to Read $ 14.55Similar categories in Olivier Zunz's The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville book and Olivier Zunz's The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
- history
- biography
- politics
- philosophy
- biography memoir
- nonfiction
- france
"Tocqueville admired this small group of so-called Radicals, which had no counterpart in France. Unlike the French, these English Radicals respected the principles of democratic rule, they were not tr…"-Olivier Zunz, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
"To drive the point home, Tocqueville stressed the need for individual initiatives in democracy. Tocqueville had shown in his central theoretical part that democracy had severed the aristocratic chain…"-Olivier Zunz, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
"In exposing his core theory of democracy, in part 2, Tocqueville largely reiterated the relationship between equality and liberty already proposed in 1835. Tocqueville was concerned about repeating h…"-Olivier Zunz, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
"Citizens were truly free when they could engage 'what is just and good without fear.' Liberty was therefore a positive act of will. Liberty was not an 'enemy of all authority' but 'a civil and moral'…"-Olivier Zunz, The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville
21. The Message
By: Ta-Nehisi Coates
4.58
Format: 232 pages, Hardcover
Ta-Nehisi Coates originally set off to write a book about writing, in the tradition of Orwell’s cla… read more
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- politics
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"My sense is that if I spend more time talking to you than I spend complaining about you, then something wonderful often happens and the enlightenment is mutual. So I don't really worry about the youn…"-Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Message
