Economics

The Rand Paul Reading List

The candidate from Kentucky has pursued a graduate-level syllabus.

HAMPSTEAD, NH - MARCH 21: U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) listens to a question after speaking at Beantowne Coffee House & Cafe March 21, 2015 in Hampstead, New Hampshire. Paul, who has made many trips to New Hampshire which holds the first primary in the nation, has set a date in early April to decide on whether he will or will not run for president.
Photographer: Darren McCollester

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April 7, 2015 at 9:05 AM UTC

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Rand Paul's speeches and writings are liberally sprinkled with literary references—and in many cases, he seems to have actually read the books. He has a student's enthusiasm for broad learning—what other senator would cite Milan Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting? But in some cases, forgetting is necessary. The below reading list for students, on his Senate website, was removed last July. The Washington Free Beacon speculated that it was because views hostile to Israel informed some of the books.

A recommended reading list for students on Paul's Senate website, since removed: