This book, which could be described as an anthology of conservative analysis and insights on some key issues, is for readers who wish to acquaint themselves with conservative political thought and to get a critical and comparative perspective on what passes for political, social, economic, and cultural conservatism in their own time and place.

The book is intended for both European and American readers. It provides readings from European and American thinkers, which besides may help to call attention to some of the peculiarities of American conservatives, who, for instance, believe in Progress even more than liberals do. Last but not least, as the subtitle reads, this volume wants to be a teaching tool and a guide "for busy conservative-minded people," even though the Author confesses that he doesn't know what "busy people"—whether conservative-minded or not—exactly means.

The book contains an introduction, 26 chapters and two appendixes. Each chapter corresponds to a letter of the alphabet, which in turn corresponds to a specific issue (e.g. A=American Revolution, B=Bigotry (from Atheists), C= Conservative Attitude, D=Deconstruction, E=Education, F=Family Values… I=Identity, M=Man's Nature, etc.). The first appendix gives an overview of the "Kinds of conservatism." The second appendix, merely by way of example, reproduces a famous speech by Ronald Reagan.

S. R. Piccoli lives in the Venice area with his wife, his daughter, and their dog, a Golden Retriever that swims like a fish and is crazy about tennis balls. (June 2014)

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