Home » News » What to Read Now: New Books by TFAS Scholars and Alumni

What to Read Now: New Books by TFAS Scholars and Alumni

//////////////////////

The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) scholars and alumni have devoted themselves to speaking up about the ideas we hold in high regard – liberty, limited government, free markets, and honorable leadership. Now they have taken their work to the next level by publishing books that explore these themes. Keep reading to learn more about their important projects.

January 2021 Publications 

 

TFAS Grewcock Senior Scholar Dr. Donald Devine published his tenth book on January 26. “The Enduring Tension: Capitalism and the Moral Order” identifies the failures of the current capitalist system, critiques the responses to it, and identifies a solution for reinstating capitalism as it was intended. The solution, Devine argues, is the revival of a Locke-inspired pluralism that can fuse the moral scaffolding able to preserve only the best aspects of capitalism. “The Enduring Tension” highlights the mutually sustaining nature of morality and economic freedom and is sure to remedy the enigma that is modern capitalism.

TFAS President Roger Ream ’76 believes Devine’s book was published just in time and should serve as the foundation for the current debate on capitalism versus socialism.

“The publication of ‘The Enduring Tension’ could not be more timely,” Ream said. “This is a book that should be the basis for the great debate underway about capitalism, socialism and the values of western civilization. Don Devine responds to the critics of our capitalist economic order and offers a positive case around which a consensus might form that will rebuild the foundations of a free society.”

This is a book that should be the basis for the great debate underway about capitalism, socialism and the values of western civilization. Don Devine responds to the critics of our capitalist economic order and offers a positive case around which a consensus might form that will rebuild the foundations of a free society.” – TFAS President Roger Ream ’76

Read the reviews and purchase a copy of Devine’s book here.


On January 12, Helen Andrews, Novak ’17, released the provocative book “Boomers: The Men and Women Who Promised Freedom and Delivered Disaster.” The result of her Novak Fellowship project, “Boomers” seeks to answer the question, “Is the hatred of the Boomer generation justified?” Andrews follows the lives of six prominent Boomers: Steve Jobs, Aaron Sorkin, Camille Paglia, Jeffrey Sachs, Al Sharpton, and Sonya Sotomayor, profiling their successes, challenges, and ultimate failures to accomplish what they set out to achieve. The bottom line of Andrews’ book is the Boomers attempted to save us but left chaos rather than freedom in their wake.

TFAS Journalism Fellowships Director Dan McCarthy witnessed this book come to fruition as Andrews carved out the piece throughout her Fellowship.

“The rave reviews that have greeted ‘Boomers’ are richly deserved,” he said. “It’s her first book, and it’s a showcase of what a brilliant journalist can do with the support of a Novak Fellowship from The Fund for American Studies. We’re proud to have made this work possible, and I’m personally thrilled to have had a chance to read the work while it was in progress as Helen’s fellowship project. These are the results we live for.”

We’re proud to have made this work possible, and I’m personally thrilled to have had a chance to read the work while it was in progress as Helen’s fellowship project. These are the results we live for.” – TFAS Journalism Fellowships Director Dan McCarthy

Read the reviews and purchase a copy of Andrews’ book here.


Kenneth Rosen, Novak ’18, also published his book on January 12 of this year. Rosen is an acclaimed journalist whose investigative skills were tested with the creation of his new work. In his story, “Troubled: The Failed Promise of America’s Behavioral Treatment Programs,” Rosen calls on his own experience in a behavioral treatment program. He develops his story by following the lives of four individuals on their journeys through similar “tough-love” programs into adulthood to expose the alarming truth of the redirection industry. Rosen not only reveals the truth by giving voice to the industry’s victims and begging the question of what we are doing to our children when we ship them off, but ultimately exposes the need for a wholescale reworking of the industry.

Dan McCarthy called Rosen’s new book a “commanding work of reporting—diligent, dutiful, and fair.”

“‘Troubled’ is a powerful and important book about families and young people in crisis, and the tough-love programs that too often make tragic situations worse,” he said. “It calls to mind the best journalism of Robert Novak’s own generation, and sets a benchmark for future Novak Fellows.”

Read the reviews and purchase a copy of Rosen’s book here.


Tom Sileo, Novak ’10, and U.S. marine Beau Wise released a book on January 5. Their co-authored memoir, “Three Wise Men: A Navy SEAL, a Green Beret, and How Their Marine Brother Became a War’s Sole Survivor,” is ranked on Amazon as the #1 New Release in Military & Spies Biographies and Afghan War Biographies. “Three Wise Men” follows a family connected by service and sacrifice, detailing Beau Wise’s experience being removed from the war after losing his brothers in Afghanistan. This heroic story illustrates the amount of sacrifice and dedication our service members have to our country. This marks Sileo’s fourth book, the first of which stemmed from his Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship project.

Read the reviews and purchase a copy of Sileo’s book here.


On January 1, TFAS alumnus and Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick ’78 released “Unshackled: Freeing America’s K-12 Education System,” which he co-authored with Kate J. Hardiman. They posed the question: “What if we were starting from scratch, attending to contemporary parental needs and harnessing the power of technology?” They explore how choice, competition, deregulation, and decentralization can create disruptive innovation and reform education for all students. The U.S. Supreme Court proclaimed 65 years ago in Brown v. Board of Education that our schools must provide equal educational opportunities, but as Bolick and Hardiman argue, we have yet to make good on that promise. “Unshackled” explains that technology can redefine the ways students learn in and out of the classroom and highlights the benefits of expanding educational freedom so families are able to choose an education that best fits their child’s needs.

Read the reviews and purchase a copy of Bolick’s book here.


Coming Soon: Releases to Watch

Grace Olmstead, Novak ’15, will officially release her new book, “Uprooted: Recovering the Legacy of the Places We’ve Left Behind,” on March 16. Her book – part memoir, part investigative journalism – answers the questions of what we owe our hometowns and backgrounds and what we are willing to sacrifice for success. Olmstead details her own journey uprooting herself from a small town in Idaho to search for new life experiences in new places – all while contemplating whether to return home or stay the course. Her exposé brings to light the damage left in the wake of our pursuits of better opportunities. Olmstead uncovers the reality of consequential losses that result from losing connections to one’s community. She concludes there are some things we can never regain after losing them.

Read the reviews and preorder a copy of Olmstead’s book here.

 

 

In 2022, keep an eye out for two more publications ­– Alexandra Hudson, Novak ’19, and Jeanna Smialek ’11 both have deals for new books.

If you or a fellow TFAS alumnus have recently published a book or have one in the works, please let us know at TFAS.org/alumniupdates.

1183
post

Recent Posts

//////////////////////

TFAS Announces Launch of Woodhouse Public Policy Fellowship

The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is pleased to announce a landmark endowment of $1 million to advance and support the TFAS Public Policy Fellowship, which for 15 years has provided professional and academic development to more than 250 of our nation's rising…

Real-Life Applications to Navigating Economic Theory with Peter Boettke

This week, another exceptional guest joins us on the Liberty + Leadership Podcast: Peter Boettke - professor of Economics and Philosophy at George Mason University and former professor for TFAS Prague.

Both Parties Are Abandoning Free Markets. It’s Time for Voters to Push Back by Roger Ream, National Review

Below is an excerpt from an op-ed by Roger Ream that originally appeared in the National Review.