The God of the Machine

Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers, Ltd.. Very Good+ in Good dust jacket. 1964. Hardcover. 322 p. 21.5 cm. First printing from this publisher of a work originally published in 1943. Sound and square binding in gray, cloth-covered boards with black stamped titles. Two bottom fore-corners are bumped and two top fore-corners a little soft, but still sharp. Crinkle mark across the top edge of the spine. Gift inscription on the front free endpaper. Otherwise, the inside pages are clean and unmarked, with one tiny dog-eared corner. The dustjacket has wear to the spine ends and corners and less so along the edges, including some chips and tiny tears. The spine and the orange on the front panel are heavily faded. (see photos). It has some light soiling on both panels. Not price clipped. A work of political philosophy, considered to be one of the foundation texts of American libertarianism. The author, Isabel Paterson, is thought to be as important to the libertarian movement as either Ayn Rand (who gave this book a positive review) or Rose Wilder Lane. The book has a gift inscription to Sherwood Sugden from Kenneth Paul Shorey, former cultural critic for the Birmingham (Alabama) News. In the inscription, Shorrey mentions that Russell Kirk was profoundly influenced by the book. Shorrey was once an assistant editor for Kirk's liberal arts journal "The University Bookman", and Kirk, a political theorist and proponent of traditional conservatism, corresponded regularly with Isabel Paterson. The recipient of this book, Sherwood Sudgen was also in the publishing industry and formed Sherwood Sugden and Company, which reprinted philosophical works, including some of Kirk's. The book ended up in Canada, the birthplace of both Paterson and Sugden, with Sugden having returned to Toronto in his later life and passing away in 2011. Overall, an interesting association copy from a circle of ultra-conservative U.S. thought. .