Library
The ideas on this blog are not formed in a vacuum. They are informed by extensive reading and a commitment to engaging with the sharpest arguments from across the political spectrum. This page serves as a living bibliography of the books and articles that have shaped the thinking behind the Realist Agenda.
Books
- The Stoic Virtues Series by Ryan Holiday
A modern and accessible framework for applying the ancient wisdom of Stoicism—a philosophy centered on resilience, courage, and clear-eyed perception—to the chaos of modern life. The series includes:
- The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
A modern classic that applies Stoic principles to overcoming adversity, showing how obstacles can be transformed into opportunities for growth and success.
- Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America by Barbara McQuade
A prosecutor’s breakdown of the mechanics of disinformation and how it is being used as a deliberate political weapon to undermine democratic institutions from the inside out.
- When the Clock Broke: Conmen, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the 1990s by John Ganz
An essential history that traces the roots of today's political pathologies back to the fever swamps of the 1990s, proving that the current crisis is not an aberration but a culmination.
- The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
A data-driven analysis of how the replacement of a play-based childhood with a phone-based one has contributed to a staggering decline in youth mental health.
Articles & Essays
- The American Police State Is Here by Jonathan V. Last
A chilling look at how the machinery of the state can be turned against citizens, not by a shadowy cabal, but out in the open by political actors who have abandoned democratic norms.
- One About the Atmosphere by A.R. Moxon
A masterclass in using metaphor to dissect the ambient sense of dread and absurdity that defines our current political and social atmosphere.
- The Noem Story Is a Test by Tom Nichols
An analysis of why the infamous story of Kristi Noem shooting her puppy is not a gaffe, but a deliberate signal to a political base that now sees a lack of empathy as a sign of strength.
- History Will Judge the Complicit by Anne Applebaum
A historical perspective on why people in positions of power choose to collaborate with authoritarian movements, and how their justifications echo through time.
- Republicans Are Pro-Life, Until a Fetus Gets in the Way of Their Politics by Jane Coaston
A sharp examination of the intellectual and moral inconsistencies required to maintain a political position when it collides with the messy reality of electoral politics.