Todd Gitlin's most important books

Todd Gitlin is the author, most recently, of The Bulldozer and the Big Tent: Blind Republicans, Lame Democrats, and the Recovery of American Ideals.

He told Newsweek about his five most important books.

One title to make the list:

The Philosophy of Money by Georg Simmel.

Lays bare the anatomy of Western life turned blasé from overstimulation.

Read about all five titles on Gitlin's list.

Todd Gitlin is the author of 13 books and articles in numerous periodicals. A regular contributor to TPMcafe.com, he is currently a professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University.

--Marshal Zeringue