Welcome to The Viral Candidate's Core Reading List

To understand the current economy, we need to understand the foundational ideas that built our understanding and theories. In The Misinterpretation of Adam Smith, I advocate for a modern interpretation of his seminal work based on evidence from the 200 years of economic activity since the work was written.

John Stuart Mill wrote almost 100 years after Adam Smith, and was a voice lost to history because he advocated for the individual and the utility of an economic policy as more important than the control of subject populations.

One of JFK's economists, John Kenneth Galbraith explained how our removal from survival leads to social and personal problems unique to those who no longer worry about essentials; affluence is its own problem. His work inspired me to find a way to keep and expand affluence while removing the woes that accompany it. 

This engaging biography on John Marshall inspired me to share what a true public servant looks like and truths we can internalize from my favorite founding father. The importance of answering the call to service and building consensus (and the country) are among the most important lessons learned from this excellent book.

This forward-thinking contemporary figure provides evidence and passion for what I know to be true: we are better than we think and deserve better than we've been given. We can break our selfish habits and make society work for everyone. While I do not adopt all of the ideas he presents, I am a fan of the tone and goals of his work. 

An important book taking all of our sources of unhealthy dopamine and explaining what they are doing to us as individuals and as a society. Many of the solutions I implement take into account the impacts of our dopamine-based society and how we can wean ourselves off the excess and engage with each other meaningfully.

This New York Teacher of the Year outlines how the system that standardizes education fails our students and stifles our society. He was the inspiration for throwing out the flawed system and rebuilding one that meets the real needs of our students and society.

This former cabinet member, professor, and economist is a joy for me to read. His ability to point out what goes wrong and explain economic reality has inspired and challenged me to analyze and problem solve without slinging around blame.