Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for Nov. 8–14

Over the last 15 years Elon Musk's SpaceX has redefined the space industry. It has reduced launch costs by 97 percent. This book tells how it was done. It follows SpaceX's history from the start of the Falcon 9 project to the present. It shows the decisions made by Musk and the gambles taken by SpaceX to make Falcon 9 the world's dominant launch vehicle. Using interviews with SpaceX, NASA, and competitors' personnel, it offers an insightful examination of SpaceX's rise and a fascinating look at Elon Musk.

Here in "How to Save the West," writer and podcaster Klavan brings together ancient philosophers, the Bible, and America's Founders and applies their wisdom to five modern crises. Among these is the reality crisis, which examines whether there is an objective truth, and if so, whether it can be replaced by "virtual reality." A fascinating mix of past and present, filled with anecdotes, asides, and reflections, this well-written, accessible book has much to tell readers. Highly recommended.

By José Luis Olaizola

Bartolomé de las Casas, one of the first Spanish settlers in the New World, fought for better treatment of the Americas' indigenous peoples. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, officially appointed de las Casas "Protector of the Indians." This fictionalized retelling of de la Casas's early life, tells the story in the form of a memoir de la Casa wrote as an old man. It offers readers a look at life in the Americas as it was in the early 16th century. Entertaining and informative.

Short, insightful, and endlessly thought provoking, this brief biography of Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and Catholic philosopher, is a great introduction to one of the most influential thinkers of the Modern Era. With 41 three- to four-page chapters, Compagnon uses brevity to his advantage, introducing the beliefs, perspectives, and critical thinking methods of Pascal in an easily digestible manner, but in a way that guides the reader to pursue the man's complete works.

Originally published in 1961, this novel outsold all of Kirk's other books, including his well-known "The Conservative Mind." Set on an island in Scotland's Outer Hebrides around 1960, this story gives us an old-fashioned hero in American attorney and World War II vet Hugh Logan; the beautiful, half-wild maiden Mary MacAskival, who needs rescuing; and a villain, the mad Dr. Edmund Jackman, a practitioner of the occult, a renegade Soviet agent, and leader of a criminal band. A Gothic tale at its best.

By Louisa May Alcott and James Bernardin

This classic Louisa May Alcott tale is brought to life with lovely illustrations in celebration of Thanksgiving. Farmer Bassett and his wife and family are preparing for Thanksgiving when Mrs. Bassett learns her mother is ill. The children are left on their own and the eldest daughters roll up their sleeves and get to work. A lovely holiday tale.

HarperCollins, 2005, 32 pages