Four books that have heavily influenced my worldview: - The Bible: The ultimate source of all truth. Nothing in this world can be properly understood if it is not viewed through the lense of the God’s Word. What’s more, by reading this book and believing what’s inside it, you already know how it ends, and the answer is- we’re going to win. -I’ll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition by Twelve Southerners: This is the Nashville Agrarians’ manifesto on the South and what it means to have an agrarian society. This does not mean everyone farms, but it means that connection to the land inspires everything, from the economy, to architecture, to education, to art, and beyond. -A Republic, Not an Empire by Pat Buchanan: In this book, Buchanan lays out the America the Founders intended vs. the America that we have today, which was established in 1865 at Appomattox. Our Constitution and personal liberty itself is incompatible with an “Empire.” We must choose, are we a Republic, or are we an Empire? We cannot have both, and either choice will affect us directly. - Red Hills and Cotton by Ben Robertson: This is a book that I firmly believe every Southerner should read. Other than the Bible, Robertson’s book has probably impacted me the most of any on this list. Through family stories and personal anecdotes, it addresses so many of the issues that we face in the South to this day, and what’s more, touches on what I view to be the Southern version of “The Good Life.” This book in many ways has shifted my personal perspective and even goals in life since reading it a few years ago.