1984 (1948) - Over the next few years, how many students will get a daily dosage of "the two minutes hate" by professors who are still seething with anger after the defeat of John Kerry? And how many times will the Office of Diversity remind us of the opening pages of 1984 as it seeks to do exactly the opposite of what its name implies?

Witness (1952) - This is one of the most important books of the twentieth century. Before and after reading this book, parents should encourage their children to visit www.biography.com and search for the name "Alger Hiss." What they read will demonstrate just how far in denial this nation still is regarding the Soviet infiltration of our government during the Cold War.
After 9/11, we can no longer afford such naivet?/P>

The Gulag Archipelago (1956) - If you did not think that "We the Living" painted a realistic portrait of Soviet Russia during the Stalinist purges, this great work of non-fiction by Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn will set matters straight. Some call it the greatest non-fiction book of the twentieth century. I can't argue.

Atlas Shrugged (1957) - This is my favorite American novel. It is my second favorite novel behind "The Brothers Karamazov." Based on her other writings, Ayn Rand seems to have considered John Galt's speech to be the highlight of the novel. Francisco d'Anconia's speech at Jim Taggart's wedding was my favorite part of the novel. At over 1000 pages, this one is going to take time for your high schooler to read. If they refuse, you can always teach them a lesson about capitalism by paying them to read it. The results will be well worth the investment.

Treason (2003)-The www.biography.com entry for Joseph McCarthy says the
following: "His wild, unsubstantiated charges and headline-grabbing investigations of Communists in the foreign service, the US Information Agency, and the military...led historians to label the early 1950s the McCarthy era." After you read this wonderful book by Ann Coulter, ask the good folks at A&E just what those unsubstantiated charges were. And, in class, make sure your children ask their professors, too. Be prepared for a lot of stammering, after a long and awkward pause.

Enjoy the reading, my fellow capitalists!