Uncle Eric’s Model of How the World Works
The books are written as a series of letters from Uncle Eric to his nephew Chris, in order to convey to Chris, Uncle Eric’s Model of How the World Works. The books can be read as stand alones but Richard J. Maybury suggests the following order of reading.
Order of Uncle Eric Books
Here is the list of 11 Books:
- Uncle Eric Talks About Personal, Career, and Financial Security
- Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?
- Whatever Happened to Justice
- Are You… Liberal? Conservative? or Confused?
- Ancient Rome: How it Affects You Today: An Uncle Eric Book
- Evaluating Books: What Would Thomas Jefferson Think About This?
- The Money Mystery: An Uncle Eric Book, 3rd Edition: Richard J. Maybury
- The Clipper Ship Strategy: Success in Your Career, Business & Investments
- The Thousand-Year War in the Mideast: How it Affects You Today
- World War 1: The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today
- World War 2: The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today
This Uncle Eric series of books by Bluestocking Press is not just for kids. If you did not receive a complete education and you have little understanding of these concepts yourself, I strongly recommend reading these either independently or with your children.
Reading books together is often the best way to learn about new topics, so you are able to discuss what you have been reading in order to increase understanding and draw out the meaning of the content of each book. This series will be an excellent introduction to your child’s high school education.
A consultant to business people in the U.S. and Europe, Richard Maybury is a geopolitical analyst who has written for The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. He is also the former Global Affairs editor of “Moneyworld”. Maybury’s books are endorsed by top business leaders.
Having used these in our own family, I recommend these for ages 14 and over, however, if you have a younger child who is familiar with these subject areas and has a strong understanding of the chronology and major events in world history, you may find these are ready to be read by children as young as 12 years of age.
If your children are much younger than this and it will be many years before they are ready for them, I still recommend reading them yourself in order to start familiarising yourself with these important topics. This way, you can be teaching them naturally to your children as the topics crop up in conversation, based on your own self-education.
There is a lot of crossover in the main subject areas in the books with the entire series covering history, government, law, economics, business, entrepreneurship and critical thinking. While there is a focus on American history, the issues covered are mostly universal. Each book contains a glossary and an extensive bibliography along with many other resource suggestions for further reading and study. Each book has a 4+ star-rating on Goodreads.
There is a corresponding Bluestocking Guide for each of the books (except for How To Evaluate Books) if you want to add a workbook approach to your reading. While I do not always recommend workbooks, I do believe in this case that a student study guide can be quite valuable as many of these concepts and the terminology will likely be new to your children.
Take your time working through each guide and discussing them with your children. This will consolidate their learning and enrich the experience for both of you.
The guides include timelines of events and extensive suggestions for further reading. There are short answer questions and long answer questions that can be used for essay suggestions or as discussion prompts. They can also be used for co-ops, book clubs or other study groups if you wanted to read and study with friends.
THE BOOKS AND GUIDES
Personal, Career and Financial Security
Business – Entrepreneurship
This first book in the series talks about models (paradigms) and how they influence how we think about and interpret information. A great introduction to critical thinking, bias and how to create sound models by which to interpret new information.
An Uncle Eric Book
In this extensively revised and expanded second edition of "Uncle Eric Talks About Personal, Career, and Financial Security", Uncle Eric introduces the concept of model. Models (or paradigms) are how people think; they are how we understand our world. Models help us recognize and use the information that is important and bypass that which is not. To achieve success in our careers, investments, and every other part of our lives, we need sound models.
A Bluestocking Guide
A Bluestocking Guide: Building a Personal Model for Success" is designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, Uncle Eric Talks About Personal, Career, and Financial Security, an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?
Economics
A great fast and fun explanation of the economics world. This introduction to the economic model is punctuated with lots of quotes by famous and infamous historical figures.
An Uncle Eric Book
A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need for Success in Your Career, Business, and Investments.
A Bluestocking Guide
A Bluestocking Guide: Economics is a multi-age level book designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?, an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
Whatever Happened to Justice?
Law – Economics – Government
A wonderful explanation of the legal model and an introduction to law and justice that highlights the differences between common law (man-made law) and natural law (God’s higher law). Addresses how just laws affect economic prosperity.
An Uncle Eric Book
Whatever Happened to Justice? discusses the difference between higher law and man-made law, and the connection between rational law and economic prosperity.
A Bluestocking Guide
A Bluestocking Guide: Justice is designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, "Whatever Happened to Justice" an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
Are You… Liberal? Conservative? or Confused?
Government
This book defines political terms and labels and what they mean for you, your money and your future.
An Uncle Eric Book
Are You Liberal? Conservative? or Confused? discusses political labels. What do they mean? Liberal, conservative, left, right, democrat, republican, moderate, socialist, libertarian, communist... what are their economic policies and what plans do their promoters have for your money? Clear, concise explanations. Facts and fallacies.
A Bluestocking Guide
A Bluestocking Guide: Political Philosophies, is designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, Are You Liberal? Conservative? or Confused?, an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
Ancient Rome
History – Government – Law – Economics
Mr. Maybury uses past historical events to explain and interpret what has happened and why in regard to more recent historical events. Read about the past in order to understand the future.
An Uncle Eric Book
Ancient Rome" discusses what happens when higher law principles and a free market economy are ignored. Mr. Maybury uses historical events to explain current events, including the wars in the former Soviet Empire and the legal and economic problems of America today. Is your government making the same choices that led to the fall of Ancient Rome? Will history repeat?
A Bluestocking Guide
A Bluestocking Guide: Ancient Rome is designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, "Ancient Rome: How It Affects You Today", an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
Evaluating Books
Critical Thinking – Government – Law – History – Economics – Literature
Learn how to recognise bias in yourself and others and to think critically as you evaluate the information and subsequent value of the books you choose to read. This is the only book in the series that does not have an accompanying Bluestocking Guide.
An Uncle Eric Book
Evaluating Books teaches principles of economics and government in bite-sized nuggets, and gives indicators for spotting the philosophical slant of most writers and media commentators on the subjects of law, history, economics and literature.
The Money Mystery
Business – Economics – Entrepreneurship
The first sequel to Whatever Happened to Penny Candy.
The Hidden Force Affecting Your Career, Business, and Investments
An Uncle Eric Book
The first sequel to "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?"
During the 1980s the velocity of circulation of the dollar became erratic; now the whole country is affected. "The Money Mystery" explains why Federal Reserve officials remain so afraid of inflation, explains precautions you should take, and explains the wild swings in the stock market. Few analysts understand what velocity is doing to the economy. Learn what you can do about it.
A Bluestocking Guide
"A Bluestocking Guide: Solving the Money Mystery" is designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, "The Money Mystery" an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
The Clipper Ship Strategy
Business – Economics – Entrepreneurship
The second sequel to Whatever Happened to Penny Candy.
An Uncle Eric Book
The second sequel to Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?
Conventional wisdom says that when the government expands the money supply, the money descends on the economy in a uniform blanket. This is incorrect. The money is injected into specific locations causing hot spots or "cones". Explains how to cope with recessions and avoid unemployment.
A Bluestocking Guide
"A Bluestocking Guide: Applying the Clipper Ship Strategy" is designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, "The Clipper Ship Strategy" an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
The Thousand Year War in the Mideast
History
Mr. Maybury emphasises how we do not live in isolation to world events but instead are greatly influenced by events that are distant in time and place. These can often affect us more than recent events that are closer to home.
How It Affects You Today
An Uncle Eric Book
"The Thousand Year War in the Mideast" explains how events on the other side of the world a thousand years ago can affect us more than events in our own hometowns today... the oil embargoes, the Iranian hostage crisis, the Iraq-Kuwait war, and the Caucasus Wars over the Caspian Sea oil basin. Learn about the Russians, Serbs, Croats, the Balkans, Kosovo, the Ottoman and Mongol empires, Turkey, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, Russia, Oman, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Kurdistan, and more.
A Bluestocking Guide
A Bluestocking Guide: The Thousand Year War in the Mideast by Ann M. Williams is a student study guide designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, The Thousand Year War in the Mideast: How It Affects You Today, a book by Richard J. Maybury.
World War I
History
Focuses on the events of World War I and its inextricable ties to World War II.
The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today, 1870 to 1935.
An Uncle Eric Book
An examination of the ideas and events that led to World War I, events during the war, and how they led to World War II, written as a series of letters from a man to his niece or nephew.
A Bluestocking Guide
"A Bluestocking Guide: World War I" is designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, "World War I: The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today" an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
World War II
History
An analysis of World War II and Mr. Maybury’s conclusion that misunderstanding of this war led to America’s subsequent wars in the proceeding decades.
An Uncle Eric Book
An examination of the ideas and events that led to World War II, events during the war, and how they led to subsequent wars, including the "war on terror," written as a series of letters from a man to his niece or nephew.
A Bluestocking Guide
"A Bluestocking Guide: World War II" is designed to reinforce and enhance a student's understanding of the subject matter presented in the book, "World War II: The Rest of the Story and How It Affects You Today" an Uncle Eric book by Richard J. Maybury.
Complete 11-Book Set
More Books…
Irena Sendler: Smuggled 2500 Jewish Children
25 Young Reader’s Editions of Bestselling Books (YA)
100 Best Gifts for Book Lovers: Kids & Teens (2024)
