One of the best things I did was read a memoir from a US president who I didn't vote for (and generally didn't approve of.)

Nothing "changed my mind," but it was very useful to understand the his point of view. Turns out this politician cared very deeply about issues that I really care about, and if the side that I normally support was willing to cooperate, we could have moved more quickly on these issues.

It's also odd for a person who performed a benefit concert for George McGovern to have three favorite books written by Henry Kissinger. Paul Simon apparently befriended Kissinger though, which is even more bizarre.

One of my biggest fears is that people will look at the books I read and assume they know how I view the world. I like to read things I don't necessary know about or agree with already.

I do think it makes more sense to move from the general to the particular and past to present than in the opposite direction. Postponing Plato in particular would be a colossal mistake.

I was a bit confused too but the book by O'Reilly is about hunting Nazis after WW2 (apparently he has a whole series), Scarborough's is about the Truman Doctrine and how it shaped US foreign policy (problematic but hardly Republican propaganda), and Rand, well he reads a fuck ton of classics.

Not really saying he isn't political, but he's not over here reading Rush Limbaugh' autobiography