A central problem with understanding Kirk is the somewhat opaque nature of his writings. While it's easy to see what Kirk is against, it isn't always easy to see why, or what his solution to current political and cultural problems was. Perhaps because of this, Kirk is seldom quoted these days, and there hasn't been much in the way of secondary studies on his thought.
James Person has written a reliable overview of Kirk's thought (which also contains a modest biography of sorts). Person organizes this work thematically, hitting on the key areas of Kirk's thought (including discussions of his fiction, as well). My only gripe is that the book could have used a bit more editing. Sentences tend to drag on, and some of the writing is a bit "chatty" for a scholarly work. (Mr. Person hasn't heard of Orwell's rule about not using two words when one will do.)
In light of the current "conservative wars" I found portions of this book (published in 1999) quite interesting. I didn't know that Kirk's last foray into politics was in 1992 when he was chairman of Pat Buchanan's Michigan campaign. It's not surprising that Kirk is ignored by the neocon nitwits who run the conservative movement today. There is also an interesting story about how Kirk was attacked by certain Straussian neocons concerning his criticisms of Lincoln. Although Kirk disagreed with much of Lincoln's agenda, he called Lincoln a "conservative" and a "great man." Much to the consternation of the neocons, anything less than total support of King Abraham wasn't good enough.
This book is well written, well researched and is a good read.
List price: $59.99 (that's 30% off!)
I actually tried to talk David out of the whole endeavour almost three years ago, not because I didn't think he was qualified, but because I didn't think it was possible to write such a book covering all the Financials modules. I think he'd admit he underestimated just how much work it would be. That's one reason why a book like this hasn't been written before - there is just so much information to cover, unless you resort to wholesale cutting and pasting from the manuals and other people's papers.
I think the book is very impressive. I know David's skills, and I know how hard he worked to put everything together, and update it as the product evolved. I would recommend it to anyone working on a Financials implementation.