10 books every legislator should read: from high-minded to hilarious, our unranked list has something for lawmakers of all stripes.

AuthorLays, Julie
PositionTOOLBOX - Recommended readings

As the end of the year approaches, the time to start brainstorming New Year's resolutions draws near. A new gym membership or a healthier diet will help your body, and a newly reorganized garage should calm your psyche. But hopefully, for your mind, you'll squeeze in some time for reading. We asked a bevy of legislative experts, leaders and staff, along with NCSL officers and directors, what reading material--besides this magazine, of course--should be on every legislator's nightstand. Here, in no particular order, are their top 10 recommendations.

"TEAM OF RIVALS," BY DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN

Amid the fratricidal carnage of the Civil War, it was Lincoln and the "team of rivals" in his cabinet who held the Union together. Goodwin details how this unlikely president channeled his enemies' talents into cooperation, winning the war despite searing acrimony nationally and within his own administration.

"GOOD TO GREAT," BY JIM COLLINS Although focused on the private sector, the acclaimed management expert presents the characteristics that make any kind of organization great. Collins' research stands alone in its thoroughness and scope, providing paradigm-shattering insight into leadership, organization and results.

"THE COMPLETE CALVIN AND HOBBES," BY BILL WATTERSON The comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" ended in 1995, when Watterson retired. But the rollicking adventures of Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old, and Hobbes, his pet tiger (known to everyone else as a stuffed animal) live on in this collection. Political scientist James Q. Wilson described the strip as "our only popular explication of the moral philosophy of Aristotle." Thankfully, it's also a lot of fun.

"THE EVOLUTION OF AMERICAN LEGISLATURES," BY PEVERILL SQUIRE For the true legislative junkie, this book offers a meticulous history of state legislatures. Beginning with the colonial legislatures, influenced heavily by British traditions, Squire charts the course of their evolution into uniquely American institutions. Nearly every component of modern legislatures--the committee system, staffing, procedures, etc.--traces its heritage to this centuries-long transformation. Drawing on this wealth of historical analysis, Squire concludes with his take on possible changes still to come.

"ENGINES OF DEMOCRACY," BY ALAN ROSENTHAL No list would be complete without something from the late, great Alan Rosenthal of Rutgers University. Rosenthal was the pre-eminent observer of state legislatures, and...

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