| The Revolution: A Manifesto | |
|---|---|
2008 first-edition cover |
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| Author(s) | Ron Paul |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Politics |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
| Publication date | April 30, 2008 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBN | 978-0446537513 |
| OCLC Number | 191881970 |
| Dewey Decimal | 973.931092 22 |
| LC Classification | E901.1.P38 A3 2008 |
| Preceded by | A Foreign Policy of Freedom |
The Revolution: A Manifesto is a New York Times #1 best seller by Republican U.S. Congressman Ron Paul. According to Paul, the book is based on written notes during his 2008 presidential campaign.
The slogan for the book, also reproduced in jacket copy, is: "'Dr. Paul cured my apathy,' says a popular campaign sign. THE REVOLUTION may cure yours as well."
Contents |
The contents include a brief preface, seven chapters, and a bibliographic appendix. The preface emphasizes that the book was written to contrast Paul's ideas against "the deadening consensus that crosses party lines, that dominates our major media". Chapter 1 carries this theme by describing recent American elections as false dilemmas and presenting the message of freedom and individual rights as rallying a new widespread revolution, yet one grounded in the tradition of Robert Taft Republicanism. Paul describes the book as "an opportunity to highlight and explain [my views] in the kind of systematic fashion that campaign speeches and presidential debates simply do not allow", "a long-term manifesto based on ideas, and perhaps some short-term marching orders", and "what the agenda of George W. Bush's successor should be if we want to move toward a free society once again".
The longer Chapters 2–6 each take up a particular political issue in turn. A foreign policy of nonintervention is defended from texts of the Founding Fathers and influential conservatives, and diversely elaborated in relation to al-Qaeda, Iraq, Iran, foreign aid, and Israel. Strict construction of the U.S. Constitution, especially as it establishes states' rights, is defended against signing statements and judicial activism, and employed to affirm declaration of war by Congress, opposition to military conscription, a strongly anti-war and non-interventionist foreign policy, rejection of racism, and Paul's pro-life position. Economic solutions are proposed to abolish the income tax while sustaining Social Security, to restore the previous high-quality American health care system Paul recalls from his career, and to address regulation, free trade, environmentalism, and campaign finance. Paul emphasizes civil liberties as expressed in the American Freedom Agenda Act and warns against dangers of a surveillance state, the War on Drugs, and educational mental health screening. Finally, he employs free-market economics against the Federal Reserve, hyperinflation, the subprime mortgage crisis, and taxes on gold and silver transactions.
Paul closes by stressing the need for laymen to seek education "in the scholarship of liberty", citing the Mises Institute and LewRockwell.com for particular attention, and by laying out a presidential agenda based on the issues presented. He believes the people possess the power to free themselves, ending the book by saying, "If freedom is what we want, it is ours for the taking. Let the revolution begin." Books that have influenced Paul and which he recommends to his readers include 48 titles, such as The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, The Creature from Jekyll Island, The Road to Serfdom, Economics in One Lesson, Human Action, Doctor Zhivago, Atlas Shrugged, and Democracy in America, as well as titles from Thomas DiLorenzo, Thomas Fleming, Chalmers Johnson, Rose Wilder Lane, Andrew Napolitano, Robert Pape, Lew Rockwell, Michael Scheuer, Murray Rothbard, and Hans Sennholz.
| Item | Page | Length |
|---|---|---|
| (Titles and Dedication) | (i) | 5 |
| Contents | vii | 1 |
| Preface (and Main Title) | ix | 5 |
| 1: The False Choices of American Politics | 1 | 7 |
| 2: The Foreign Policy of the Founding Fathers | 9 | 31 |
| 3: The Constitution | 41 | 27 |
| 4: Economic Freedom | 69 | 39 |
| 5: Civil Liberties and Personal Freedom | 109 | 27 |
| 6: Money: The Forbidden Issue in American Politics | 137 | 20 |
| 7: The Revolution | 157 | 11 |
| A Reading List for a Free and Prosperous America | 169 | 5 |
Upon release, the book moved to the top of several bestseller lists.[1] It was one of Amazon's Top 10 best sellers, its #1 seller of all political books,[2] and became its #1 seller among all categories.[3][4][5][6][7] Revolution debuted at #7 on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list and at #2 on its list of bestselling political books for the period of April 12 to May 3, 2008; some bookstores reported receiving bulk orders.[8] It became #1 on the nonfiction list for the week of May 18, 2008.[9] The book spent its third week on the Times best seller list at #7,[10] its fourth at #5,[11] its fifth week at #8 and its sixth week at #10. In its seventh and eighth weeks it was #13 on the list. It took a dip in its ninth week to #22 on The New York Times Bestsellers list and in its 10th week it held steady at #23. As of August 3, 2008 the book is at #24 on the New York Times Best Seller List. On the week of September 15, The Revolution bounced to #10 on the New York Time best seller list and the following week dropped down to #27.[12]
Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit gave the book a favorable, though mixed, review, saying, "The book benefits from many of the Paul campaign’s virtues, in the form of accessibility, clarity, and straightforwardness. On the other hand, it also suffers from some of the Paul campaign’s vices."[13][14] Paul Constant at The Stranger likened Paul to an "ancient high-school civics teacher" who "puffs up" at the notion of the Constitution as a "living document."[15]
David Weigel of Reason reviewed the book favorably, comparing Paul's political ideas to those of fellow anti-war conservative Sen. Chuck Hagel. "Paul has a grand unified theory to offer readers, knowing full well that he's opening minds, not programming them," Weigel wrote, adding that Paul "offers readers, first and foremost, the lesson that 'leaders' and universally accepted concepts shouldn't be trusted. It is worried and informed neostructuralists who can change things, not historical 'great men.' If Ron Paul doesn't provide perfect solutions, he certainly provides a blueprint."[16]
In September 2008, The Washington Post reported that the book was "largely written" by Thomas Woods. Woods contends that his role in authoring the book has been "overemphasized" and that "this is Ron Paul's book in every way." [17]
| Preceded by Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler |
#1 New York Times Best Seller Non-Fiction May 18 2008 |
Succeeded by Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters |
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