Tocqueville
Normally this is not something I’d bother sharing. But this book is very much worth writing about. That’s because it’s the best book I’ve ever read and perhaps will ever read. Now, I’m a particular reader because, if a book is generally well liked, I usually don’t like it. I enjoy a book that gets the brain neurons firing.
Alexis de Tocqueville’s book about democracy in America is filled with truths and eye-openers. With great analytical skill, he describes in this book from 1835 the rise of democracy in America after travelling through the United States and how the world will look in the future – in other words how it looks now. It is almost unbelievable that he was able to describe today’s truth so many years ago.
The interesting part is that you are a participant as it were in his arguments leading to the most wondrous conclusions as if self-evident. Some of his provoking arguments are sad but true. His analysis of slavery, for instance, a topic of great dissension at that time, is a good example of this; if all blacks were previously slaves and some are granted freedom, every free black is an ex-slave, thereby (partly) nullifying their emancipation.
Is it a fun read? No, but it’s an eye-opener. The fact alone that it has been translated after around 200 years is proof enough of its exceptional quality. Although quality all too often dies a slow death and a lack of quality does not guarantee failure. Due to my great enthusiasm, we have a whole pile of this book in the shop and I hope that it sells well.
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