title: The Notes: Ronald Reagan's Private Collection of Stories and Wisdom
author:  Ronald Reagan 
description: In 2010, researchers at the Reagan Library discovered a box of index cards containing jokes, literary quotes, and excerpts from speeches written in Reagan's own hand and arranged under rubrics such as "On Liberty," "On War," and "On the People." Rice University history professor Brinkley, who also edited The Reagan Diaries, suggests Reagan began collecting these as spokesman for General Electric beginning in 1954 and continuing until his death in 2004. Readers uncertain if Reagan hated taxes ("Justice O. W. Holmes: "Keep govt. poor and remain free") and communism (Pravda: the communist program is "all embracing &amp; all bloodsoaked reality"), or if he loved God, liberty, and the Constitution (Daniel Webster: "if the const. shall fail there will be anarchy throughout the world") will find answers here. Even the jokes show a conservative bent. The squibs are from sources as far-ranging as Dale Carnegie, Solzhenitsyn, G.K. Chesterton, and even Chairman Mao (on marriage). Admirers will find plenty to admire in these jottings and nothing to change their view of Reagan, but rather confirmation of the vision they already have. 9 b&amp;w photos. (May)
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  THE NOTES
  
  
  ![2ding.jpg](images/00001.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![front matter photo_THE NOTES.tif](images/00002.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  ![NotesFinalEnds.pdf](images/00003.jpg)
  
  
  ![NotesFinalEnds.pdf](images/00004.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  THE NOTES
  
  
  Ronald Reagan’s Private Collection of Stories and Wisdom
  
  
  ![Reagan-1.tif](images/00005.jpg)
  
  
  ![CoralReaganSigBitmap.tif](images/00006.jpg)
  
  
  Edited by Douglas Brinkley
  
  
  ![HarperTorchLogoGuide.pdf](images/00007.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Dedication](.html_split_006#filepos3850)
  
  
  To all the men and women who
  
  
  worked with Ronald Reagan in both
  
  
  state and federal government
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  [Dedication](.html_split_005#filepos2887)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Introduction](.html_split_007#filepos7195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [On the Nation](.html_split_008#filepos21268)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [On Liberty](.html_split_009#filepos57849)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [On War](.html_split_010#filepos97214)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [On the People](.html_split_011#filepos110411)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [On Religion](.html_split_012#filepos158565)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [The World](.html_split_013#f