LAISSEZ FAIRE!

The International Society for Individual Liberty

Spring 2010
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Mises in China
The Green Racket
New books from
Laissez Faire Books
 Laissez Faire! is a quarterly
publication incorporating ISIL’s
Freedom Network News and
Laissez Faire Books’ Booklist
and Review. It is available to cur-
rent members of the International
Society for Individual Liberty,
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Dear Friends of Laissez Faire Books and ISIL,
The International Society for Individual Liberty continues to make progress in spread-
ing the freedom message around the world. And it is most encouraging that the overseas
liberty movement is growing rapidly, especially among the young.
There will be a record number of Liberty English Camps this year. These camps, made
up mostly of high-school and university students, teach the principles of liberty, and in-
creasingly of entrepreneurship, while improving the English skills of the students.
The second annual camp was recently held in Kyrgyzstan, just after the revolution that
overthrew the dictatorial regime. The host of the Liberty Camp, Mirzulzhan Namaliev and
the fledgling Central Asian Free Market Institute of Bishkek, are advising the new provi-
sional government. The camp itself was a success, with 40 students learning lots about the
inspiring ideas of liberty and entrepreneurship.
July will see the CYCLE (Casey Youth Conference on Liberty and Entrepreneurship)
in Lithuania, organized by ISIL Rep Virgis Daukas and largely sponsored by famed lib-
ertarian international investment advisor Doug Casey. Many of the students will come
from Belarus, escaping from the authoritarian Lukashenka regime for a week, and taking
infectious freedom ideas back home! Lithuania is the “granddaddy” of the Liberty English
Camps, having been started by Virgis and by Stephen Browne in the early 1990s—after
they met at an ISIL international conference in Poprad, Slovakia.
Also in July will be Liberty Camps in Poland, hosted by Jacek Spendel and the Glo-
balization Institute of Warsaw; and Slovakia, hosted by Radu Durana and the Institute
for Economic and Social Studies (INESS) thinktank of Bratislava. These camps, as was
Kyrgyzstan, were co-organized by Glenn Cripe and the Language of Liberty Institute
here in Phoenix. If all goes well, LLI will hold first-time Liberty Camps in September in
Burkina Faso and Portugal, and a second camp in Ghana. Barun Mitra of the Liberty Insti-
tute in New Delhi will hold a ninth annual camp, and Jaroslav Romanchuk of Belarus has
planned a camp in Ukraine. And Paata Sheshelidze of the dynamic New Economic School
in Tbilisi will hold a fourth Georgian Liberty Camp.These liberty youth camps grew out
of ISIL’s conferences and international network, and have received substantial financial
support from ISIL members.
We are especially excited to see ISIL’s networking resulting in a variation of the Lib-
erty Camps expanding into China, thanks to the efforts of Li Schoolland. (See article on
page 7) Over 150 university students are signed up for this first China Austrian Econom-
ics Camp, featuring a powerful international faculty.
ISIL’s Laissez Faire Books continues to grow, with hundreds of titles now in stock!
There are far more books and videos than can be listed in this catalog, so please check
out www.lfb.org or contact us at askus@lfb.org or call 707-746-8796 with your queries.
We have revived the ISIL Update e-bulletins. Jim Peron continues to publish Laissez
Faire Book News e-bulletins. And the Freedom News Daily, produced by Tom Knapp and
the Rational Review News Digest team, is still being provided to ISIL readers. You are
invited to sign up for these three services on the home page at www.isil.org.
We also look forward to new book translations coming into print by years’ end, such as
the Hindi edition of my free-market fable The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible—which
has already been printed in a record-shattering 46 languages!
We hope to see you at the second annual ISIL/LFB Winter Retreat and Conference,
scheduled for January 7-10, 2011 in Phoenix.
ISIL’s work in advancing liberty around the world has only been made possible by the
generous contributions of our loyal ISIL members. We invite all of you to join the ISIL
team (contributions are tax-deductible in the USA) and accelerate our progress in this
noble cause!
Ken Schoolland, President, ISIL
Table of Contents
The Green Racket............................................................. page 3
Mises in China................................................................... page 7
Successful Launch of Winter Retreat...............................page 8
Lies the Government Told You........................................ page 11
Laissez Faire’s Publishing Program Expands............... page 13
Laissez Faire Catalogue....................................................page 14
Laissez Faire!
THE GREEN RACKET
ENVIRONMENTALISM FOR PROFIT
By Tim Carney
“If we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and be-
lieve in it,” Senator Obama told his fans after finally wrap-
ping the Democratic nomination, “then I am absolutely
certain that generations from now, we will be able to look
back and tell our children that ... this was the moment when
the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began
to heal.”
This was the promise of Obamanomics: if the right people
got in power and used that power in the right ways, they
could cure the world. Obama would heal not just the people
on earth, but the planet itself.
The central struggle in Obama’s fight to heal the planet
has been curbing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gas emissions that contribute to global warming. But the
soaring rhetoric of candidate Obama has given way to the
ugly truths of Washington and the stubborn laws of Obam-
anomics. Climate change legislation has become a special-
interest porkfest with the most well-connected companies
lobbying for handouts. By summer 2009, Obama was rally-
ing America behind a bill whose provisions his own budget
director had earlier said would represent “the largest cor-
porate welfare program that has ever been enacted in the
history of the United States.”
Other Obama environmental policies have also become
corporate welfare boondoggles. And as government accu-
mulates more power under Obama, and as the special inter-
ests engage in Regulatory Robbery, small business, taxpay-
ers, and consumers all face higher prices, more regulations,
and higher taxes.
THE CLIMATE RACKET
Scientist Bjørn Lomborg coined the phrase “Climate-In-
dustrial Complex.” In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal,
Lomborg wrote:
Some business leaders are cozying up with politicians
and scientists to demand swift, drastic action on global
warming. This is a new twist on a very old practice:
companies using public policy to line their own pockets.
The tight relationship between the groups echoes the
relationship among weapons makers, researchers and
the U.S. military during the Cold War. President Dwight
Eisenhower famously warned about the might of the
“military-industrial complex,” cautioning that “the po-
tential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists
and will persist.” He worried that “there is a recurring
temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly ac-
tion could become the miraculous solution to all current
difficulties.”
This is certainly true of climate change. We are told
that very expensive carbon regulations are the only
Spring 2010 • Page 3
way to respond to global warming, despite ample evi-
dence that this approach does not pass a basic cost-
benefit test. We must ask whether a “climate-industrial
complex” is emerging, pressing taxpayers to fork over
money to please those who stand to gain.
Obama’s “spectacular and costly action” promising “the
miraculous solution” to climate change is an ambitious new
regulatory scheme called “cap-and-trade.” The scheme’s
premise is that carbon emissions, especially from burn-
ing fossil fuels such as coal and oil, are leading to poten-
tially catastrophic global warming. While some basic facts
of this premise are undisputable—fossil fuel use adds to
greenhouse-gas concentrations, which has a net warming
effect—there are plenty of scientific reasons to question the
dogma that we are causing radical climate change that will
wreak havoc on the planet. Still, global warming alarmists
like Al Gore insist that “the science is settled.”
But even if you were to grant Al Gore and Barack Obama
their premises on the causes and effects of climate change,
there’s even more reason to doubt the effectiveness of their
proposed fixes—especially once you see how these policies
have become special-interest porkfests.
The point of cap-and-trade is to lower the earth’s CO2
levels by forcing people to pay to produce or emit carbon.
A carbon tax would be the most straightforward way to
achieve this, but industry lobbyists and most politicians,
including Barack Obama and John McCain, favor cap-and-
trade. We can guess a few of the reasons.
First, cap-and-trade is not called a “tax,” which makes it
easier to sell, even though it functions much like a tax. Sec-
ond—and probably more important—cap-and-trade neces-
sarily involves more political tinkering and more lobbying.
Cap-and-trade requires an emitter to pay for his emissions
with special permits, also called allowances or credits.
Whoever has a permit can use it to pay for his emissions, or
Laissez Faire!
he can sell it to someone else who needs it—or to someone
else who intends to sell it again. The government would not
set the price of a permit—Washington would dictate only
how many permits are in circulation, and the market would
set the price.
But this basic groundwork leaves many questions—and
corporate lobbyists are eager to help Congress and the
Obama administration answer them.
First, which emitters will be covered? This is a key ques-
tion, since every person emits carbon (by exhaling) or
methane, as do cars, factories, landfills, farms, and just
about every other living being or productive enterprise.
Then there’s the fact that cap-and-trade will disadvantage
American manufacturers—already struggling—compared
to Mexican, Chinese, or Guatemalan manufacturers who
don’t have carbon caps. Are Congress and
the president really willing to kill blue-col-
lar jobs?
Things get even more fun when
we talk about “offsets,” which are
practices that take greenhouse gasses
out of the atmosphere. Since trees
suck up CO2, maybe the government
should give you carbon
credits for planting trees.
But then should you have
to spend the credits when
the tree dies and decays,
giving off much of the CO2 it
absorbed? If a forest fire wipes
out your trees, will the EPA come
and demand those credits back?
Then there are the two big ques-
tions: How many permits will the
government create? And how will
they initially be distributed?
As you would imagine, all these questions
have been the object of the fiercest lobbying,
providing brilliant opportunities for lobbyists
and self-serving politicians to game the system. But Con-
gress’s attempt to answer the last question—how to distrib-
ute the permits—has shown most clearly that cap-and-trade
is a corporate welfare porkfest of nearly unprecedented
proportions.
CORPORATE GIVEAWAYS
The cap-and-trade bill that passed the House in July 2009,
called Waxman-Markey, would give away 85 percent of all
the emission permits in 2012, the first year the emissions
caps would be in force. The bill would auction off the other
15 percent. The EPA estimated that all the permits in 2012
would be worth $60 billion. That means the House passed a
bill to give away $51 billion in assets.
Energy-intensive, “trade-sensitive” industries such as
steelmakers, cement makers, and paper mills would get 15
Spring 2010 • Page 4
percent of all the credits for free—an estimated value of $9
billion. Companies burning coal to make electricity would
also get billions in free credits. Starting in 2014, oil refiner-
ies would pocket, at no charge, about 2 percent of all the
credits. Electric utilities would also get 2 percent starting
in 2014.
So, all these companies would need to “pay” for their
emissions with permits, but they would get their permits
for free, with the proportions determined by negotiations
between lobbyists and lawmakers.
If permits worth $51 billion are given away for free, does
this have any impact? Yes. Even if you got Super Bowl
tickets for free, they would still be worth hundreds of dol-
lars, because supply and demand—not the cost of acquisi-
tion—sets price. Imagine if your business wanted to start
competing against Caterpillar—you would need to buy
yourself some carbon credits, while
Caterpillar would already have its
credits for free. This new barrier to
entry drives up costs.
So who ultimately will pay for this
entire regulatory system? That’s
easy: the consumers will.
Gasoline, electricity, and heat-
ing oil will all become more
expensive under cap-
and-trade, and so will
everything that is made
or shipped using electric-
ity, coal, gas, or oil—which is
pretty much everything. Unsur-
prisingly, the Government Ac-
countability Office found that
regular people would end up paying the tab
while corporations pocketed the profits: “Most
of the benefits of freely allocated allowances
will accrue to the shareholders of entities that
receive them,” the GAO wrote. “However, con-
sumers are unlikely to see these benefits in the
form of lower prices, since most covered enti-
ties will pass on costs associated with a cap-and-trade pro-
gram, even when they receive allowances for free.”
Obama originally opposed giving away the credits. His
budget director, Peter Orszag, told the House Budget Com-
mittee:
If you didn’t auction the permits, it would represent
the largest corporate welfare program that has even
been enacted in the history of the United States. All
of the evidence suggests that what would occur is that
corporate profits would increase by approximately the
value of the permits.
But Obama later endorsed Waxman-Markey,which gives
away 85 percent of the credits. Understandably, some of
Obama’s green allies did not like seeing their cherished
anti-carbon regime transform into “the largest corporate
welfare program” in U.S. history. Greenpeace announced,
Laissez Faire!
“Despite President Obama’s assurance that he would enact
strong, science-based legislation, we are now watching him
put his full support behind a bill that chooses politics over
science, elevates industry interests over national interest.”
After the House passed it, Obama praised the bill as “a
historic piece of legislation.” And in terms of doling out
corporate welfare, it certainly was.
ENTER THE LOBBYISTS
The biggest winners under Waxman-Markey would be
the regulated electric companies, which would receive 30
percent of the free credits.
The Edison Electric Institute, an association of electric
companies, is at the core of the industry’s influence. In
the first quarter of 2009, EEI spent $2.6 million on lob-
bying, placing it 29th overall, just ahead of defense giant
Boeing. In the first half of 2009, the group retained about
twenty outside lobbying firms and employed about twenty
in-house lobbyists.
Energy and Environment Daily reported how aggressive-
ly EEI lobbyists labored for Waxman-Markey:
Tom Kuhn, the group’s executive director, stood in the
doorway during the late night Energy and Commerce
Committee markups in May. And EEI’s senior vice
president, Brian Wolff, a former top political adviser
to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), worked the
Capitol corridors, lobbying reluctant Democrats in the
hours before the House adopted the bill on a narrow,
219–212 vote.
This lobbying won the electric companies billions in
free credits. The bill, however, required these utilities to
pass this wealth down to consumers in order to dampen
rate spikes. If this requirement actually works, it would re-
duce the effective tax hike of cap-and-trade. But by keeping
electricity rates low, the requirement would also trample on
the central environmental premise of the bill—promoting
conservation by making people pay for their emissions.
It’s hard to see how government will ensure none of this
free money turns into higher executive salaries, a new wa-
ter cooler, or some new parking spots at the electric corpo-
rate offices. Ultimately you will pay for all this, of course,
because the cap will inevitably drive up prices throughout
the whole economy, even if some players are getting the
permits for free.
KING COAL PROFITS FROM CAP-AND-TRADE
American Electric Power uses more coal than any other
consumer in the Western Hemisphere. And coal is the most
CO2-intensive source of electricity. So, if you buy Obama’s
rhetoric, it might seem inexplicable that AEP lobbied in fa-
vor of Waxman-Markey.
In September, Mike Morris—the president, chairman, and
CEO of AEP—wrote a public letter declaring, “American
Electric Power supports the American Clean Energy and
Spring 2010 • Page 5
Security Act.” The company’s second-quarter 2009 lobby-
ing report states AEP lobbied on the bill, “for and against
various provisions, generally in favor.”
Morris explained to Forbes how cap-and-trade with free
credits means profits. AEP isn’t worried about the costs
of cap-and-trade, Morris said, because they’ll mostly be
passed on to consumers or covered by free credits. But the
upside is that cap-and-trade will eventually allow AEP to
charge much higher prices.
Here’s how: regulators only allow utilities to make a slim
profit on the energy they supply to customers. But when
utilities have to make capital improvements—building new
power plants or new transmission wires—regulators allow
them larger margins. And Waxman-Markey, which requires
utilities to use new sources of renewable fuels, would open
that door. According to Morris, deploying carbon capture
and storage technology would allow AEP to raise prices
30–50 percent.
In short: building new infrastructure is where the profit
is for utilities. If utilities just built and built with no con-
sumer demand, though, regulators wouldn’t allow the utili-
ties to recoup the costs. But if the federal government is
demanding the new infrastructure, then the state regulators
will have to go along and allow rate hikes. Once again,
Obamanomics allows Big Business to get paid for building
something nobody wants—and once again, consumers foot
the bill.
Agriculture interests got their share of Waxman-Markey
too, with the biggest prize, it seems, going to agri-chemical
giant Monsanto. Rural congressmen led by Agriculture
Committee chairman Collin Peterson, a Minnesota Demo-
crat, raised concerns in June about the Waxman-Markey
bill. Although farming was eventually exempted from the
bill’s emissions caps, Peterson wanted more: he wanted
Laissez Faire!
farmers to earn offsets for adopting farming methods that
kept CO2 trapped in the soil. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
agreed to Peterson’s demands.
As the liberal environmentalist website Grist explained,
this was a big win for Monsanto. That’s because one way
of trapping CO2 in the soil is by planting crops directly
into the ground without plowing, a practice called “no-
till.” Monsanto just happens to make “Roundup Ready”
seeds that can withstand the heavy herbicide doses no-till
requires. And cap-and-trade rewards no-till farming with
carbon credits. So the government will be providing farm-
ers a big incentive to use Monsanto’s product.
And sure enough, Monsanto reported that it lobbied on
climate change, with its lobbyists including Dean Aguil-
len, a former staffer for Speaker Pelosi. Also, Novecta, a
consulting and lobbying arm of the Iowa and Illinois Corn
Growers Associations, lobbied Congress to grant offset
credits for no-till. Monsanto helped Novecta with this lob-
bying push.
Winning free permits isn’t the only way to get rich off
climate change—trading them can be profitable, too, for
the well positioned. Goldman Sachs has been particularly
aggressive in carbon-related investing. Goldman owns 10
percent of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX)—a $24
million investment. CCX bills itself as “the world’s first
and North America’s only active voluntary, legally bind-
ing integrated trading system to reduce emissions of all
six major greenhouse gases (GHGs), with offset projects
worldwide.”
Obama’s climate change regulations would make CCX
no longer “voluntary” for the businesses covered by the
regulations—good news for Goldman and others of that
ilk. CCX’s CEO, by the way, Richard Sandor, sits on the
board of AEP.
JUST DO IT
Nike makes good shoes, but its leadership in the U.S.
sneaker market is largely a result of the company’s image.
Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, the trademark “swoosh”—
for Nike, image may not be everything, but it’s the biggest
thing.
So, when Nike gave up its seat on the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce in protest over the Chamber’s opposition to
Waxman-Markey, it would have been easy to conclude the
company was simply burnishing its green image. After all,
the firm had already invested a small fortune to replace sul-
fur hexafluoride—a potent greenhouse gas—in its Nike Air
shoes with nitrogen.
But some inconvenient facts belie Nike’s green image:
namely, Nike emissions from its “manufacturing and logis-
tics” jumped 62 percent from 1998 to 2005, according to
the company’s own public reports.
That’s because Nike makes a vast majority of its ap-
parel overseas, primarily in Asia. Conveniently, all these
factories will be unaffected by Waxman-Markey. In con-
trast, Nike’s competitor, New Balance, makes its best run-
Spring 2010 • Page 6
ning shoes in New England. So Waxman-Markey would
regulate New Balance’s emissions, but not Nike’s. In other
words, Waxman-Markey would drive up New Balance’s
costs, but not Nike’s.
Nike might really want to save the planet, but its sup-
port for climate change sure looks like a case of Regulatory
Robbery.
BUY LOW, SELL HIGH
“On climate change,” General Electric executive John
Rice wrote to his colleagues, “we were able to work closely
with key authors of the Waxman-Markey climate and en-
ergy bill, recently passed by the House of Representatives.
If this bill is enacted into law it would benefit many GE
businesses.”
This 2009 email reminded me of an internal email I read
in 2002 from a different energy company discussing the
Kyoto Protocol, a treaty effectively requiring cap-and-trade
laws similar to Waxman-Markey. That email said, “This
agreement will be good for Enron stock!!”
GE plays a central role in lobbying for green laws that
add to the firm’s profits while bleeding consumers, taxpay-
ers, and smaller competitors—so central that the company
gets its own chapter in this book. But GE has plenty of com-
pany in seeking to cash in on cap-and-trade and other green
legislation.
When operating within Green Obamanomics, an excel-
lent corporate tactic is Making an Offer You Can’t Refuse.
While cap-and-trade drives money to “green” technologies
that consumers and investors wouldn’t demand in a free
market, Obama has not hesitated also to use mandates to
make people buy things they don’t want. If you invested in
that thing, Obamanomics spells profits.
A perfect example comes to us from Mark Patterson who,
as of this writing, is the chief of staff at the Treasury Depart-
Laissez Faire!
ment. Patterson used to be a lobbyist at Goldman Sachs,
where he lobbied on the Energy Independence and Security
Act of 2007 and on Cellulosic Ethanol, an alcohol fuel de-
rived from grass and other plants.
What is Goldman’s stake in cellulosic ethanol? The firm
just happens to have paid $30 million in 2006 for a big stake
in Iogen Corp., a Canadian company specializing in cellu-
losic ethanol technology. Commentators saw Goldman’s
investment as a sign that cellulosic ethanol was a promising
technology. But Goldman’s lobbying record suggests that
the firm saw ethanol’s promise as contingent upon govern-
ment help. It’s telling that Iogen set up its U.S. headquarters
in Arlington, Virginia, just across the river from the capital.
Sure enough, the 2007 energy bill, which Obama voted
for, included a cellulosic ethanol mandate—gasoline blend-
ers were required to buy certain amounts of cellulosic etha-
nol each year, with the required quantity rising annually.
The mandate adds to the price of gasoline, and those profits
go straight into Iogen’s coffers— and ultimately into Gold-
man’s coffers.
President Obama has called for more subsidies for cel-
lulosic ethanol, and corporate America is clearly listening.
Tellingly, when another biofuel company, Fulcrum BioEn-
Spring 2010 • Page 7
ergy, trumpeted its advances in cellulosic ethanol in Sep-
tember 2009, the company’s CEO said, “This is just the
type of program that President Obama, Congress and the
Department of Energy are calling for to achieve the Na-
tion’s renewable fuel targets.”
Obama is also calling for a renewable energy standard,
which would be, in effect, a mandate for solar and wind
power. Unsurprisingly, companies like Goldman, Duke En-
ergy, and GE are ramping up their investments in renewable
energy.
Obama needs mandates to get people to use solar and
wind energy because these power sources are more expen-
sive than electricity from coal, nuclear, or natural gas. If
wind and solar electricity were the same price or cheaper,
electric companies would use these technologies of their
own volition.
For this reason, mandates mean higher prices for everyday
people. But they also mean profits for the likes of Goldman,
Duke Energy, and GE that invest in these technologies.
Excerpted from Obamanomics by Tim Carney, with per-
mission. See page 17 to order a copy.

By Ken Schoolland
Mises in China
What could be more sweet than to enjoy a week-long
Austrian economics camp with 150 economics students in
China? Well, sweet it is!
Five economists of the Mont Pelerin Society, profes-
sors, authors, entrepreneurs, a scientist, and a psychologist
will congregate with the best and brightest young minds
from all across China to pioneer in the teaching of Mises,
Hayek, Rothbard, Bastiat, Friedman, Rand, and others.

THE PLAN

A full week of classes, keynote presentations, and

small discussion sessions have been packed into the com-
fortable, modern facilities of the Northeastern University
(NEU) at Shenyang, China. The days will be filled with
intellectual delights and afternoons and evenings with tal-
ent shows, football, badminton, swimming, and long strolls
over the campus grounds. Local historical museums, tem-
ples, and palaces abound.
The post-camp tour will include a week-long excur-
sion through the region, including the famed breweries of
Quingdao, the historic ramparts and cathedrals of Dalian,
and a cruise on the Yalu River bordering North Korea.

THE PRESENTATION
Speakers will include Mark & Jo Ann Skousen (re-
covering from their magnificent Freedom Fest 2010 in
Las Vegas, July 8-10, http://freedomfest.com/home.htm ).
Twenty of Mark’s books have already been translated and
published in China.
Mark is prepared to talk on a variety of topics, includ-
ing: “Creative Destruction, Joseph Schumpeter, and Eco-
nomic Growth in the Global Economy”; “Ludwig von Mis-
Laissez Faire!
es Goes to Wall Street (or Shanghai): Austrian Economics
and the Stock Market”; and “The Economic Consequences
of Mr. Keynes.”
Fred Foldvary will speak on the “Theory of Business
Cycles.” James Peron will present these topics: “The Fic-
tion of Ayn Rand”; “The Risks and Realities of Capital-
ism”; and “Bringing Prosperity to the World’s Poor: The
Importance of Global Trade.”
Virgis Daukas will talk on problems of central banking;
Site of the Austrian Economics Camp, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
Mats Walus will talk about the business climate of Swe-
den; and I will talk on issues of income redistribution. Also
speaking will be Tom Palmer, Chris Lingle, Jeff Crawford,
Jose Fernandez, Mary Ruwart, and Lobo Tiggre.
THE ORIGIN
Over the past two decades my wife, my daughter, and
I have taught libertarian economics and philosophy at nu-
merous summer camps in Lithuania, Poland, Turkey, and
the Republic of Georgia. This has long inspired my wife,
Li, to organize her own free-market economics camp in
China.
The opportunity finally came together when officials
from Northeastern University (NEU) in Shenyang visited
Hawaii Pacific University to establish a sister school re-
lationship. NEU is one of the largest and most prestigious
universities in China, founded by Li’s ancestors.
Li has always been eager to develop connections with
liberty-minded individuals in China. Some of these connec-
tions were made a decade ago during the Chinese transla-
tion and publication of my book, The Adventures of Jona-
than Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey. Li discovered that
the translator (Dean Peng) and publishing agent (Jerome
Ma) were prolific readers of economic thought and were
Spring 2010 • Page 8
well connected to a libertarian-minded network throughout
the country.
THE IMPACT
Sure, China is the powerhouse of economic reform and
growing prosperity. But along with this growth has come a
tremendous hunger for ideas about how markets work and
about the policies that foster wealth creation and individual
liberty.
Li grew up in China during the Cultural Revolution.
Her family experienced severe hardships during this time,
but all of her immediate family came to America: conduct-
ing heart-transplant research, translating for Hilton Inter-
national, performing civil engineering, and teaching. She
has always wanted to help bring ideas back to the land of
her birth.
THE PARTICIPATION
Says Li, “We welcome you to join us in this noble ef-
fort by donating relevant books, teaching materials, and
funds.” Books get a lot of mileage in China, usually being
passed by hand to dozens of eager readers throughout the
country. Also, sponsors and funding are essential as some
of the teachers will only be able to attend if we can raise
funds for their transportation to China. Donations may be
made via ISIL (tax-deductible in the USA).
Others, especially international students, may arrange
to attend by contacting the organizer, Li Zhao Schoolland
at li.schoolland@gmail.com or through the camp web-
site: https://sites.google.com/site/chinaaustrianeconomics-
campc/home.
Laissez Faire!
Winter Retreat Successfully Launched
By James Elwood
The first annual Winter Retreat and Conference, spon-
sored by the International Society for Individual Liberty
(ISIL) and Laissez Faire Books, was launched in Phoenix,
Arizona January 8-10, 2010. Held at the Radisson North
Airport Hotel, over 90 people attended—a good mixture of
veterans of earlier ISIL international conferences and new
attendees. While primarily a U.S. audience, we attracted
participants from Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the Neth-
erlands.
It is quite unusual to hold a North American libertarian
conference in January, but part of the plan was to make it
possible for university students, who are on winter break
at that time, to attend. Hopefully they would gain new
knowledge and inspiration for going back to campus for
the spring semester and promoting liberty. Thanks to the
generosity of ISIL members, we were able to give out sev-
eral scholarships for this conference.
Phoenix has beautiful warm, dry weather in the winter
as well, so it was a nice break for many from the snow and
cold up North. A few attendees in fact had delayed arrivals
due to snow!
Friday – Day One
ISIL director (and now acting president) Ken School-
land emceed most of the conference and he introduced Fred
Stitt and Kate Herrick for the first session on “The Myths
and Reality of Ayn Rand”. Fred is president of the San
Francisco Institute of Architecture and was organizer of the
FreeMinds09 Objectivist conference in Las Vegas. Kate is
a graduate student in philosophy at Wayne State University
in Michigan and assists Fred on the conferences. They did
a point/counterpoint on popular criticisms of Rand and her
work, showing how many critiques – especially on her sup-
posed lack of benevolence - are patently false –while some
are indeed true.
Next up was Michael Strong, CEO of FLOW, a lib-
ertarian organization that promotes “conscious capital-
ism”, or the exploration of ways that entrepreneurs can
solve social problems better than pure charities. FLOW
was co-founded by John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods.
His fine talk, entitled “How Depoliticized Markets Help the
World’s Poor” explored the themes of his recent book Be
the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capital-
ism Can Solve All theWorld’s Problems (carried by LFB).
The third talk of the morning was by Yuri Perez, a
young man who had only arrived a few weeks earlier from
Cuba. Yuri was a leader in the dissident student movement
in Cuba and a member of the International Association of
Liberal Youth. He had come to libertarian ideas through
reading a smuggled copy of Ken Schoolland’s The Adven-
Spring 2010 • Page 9
tures of Jonathan Gullible in Spanish. According to Yuri,
his international connections probably led to his being ex-
pelled from Cuba instead of being imprisoned, or worse.
There is some access to outside information through the
Internet and US-based radio and TV. People are unhappy
with the status quo, but many are also afraid of change.
Decades of communism have destroyed the moral fiber of
much of the population. Yuri thought that the ending of the
US embargo would take away the government’s chief pro-
paganda weapon and help freedom in Cuba.
After lunch, Ken Schoolland delivered his powerful
“Liberty and Immigration” speech. Besides his work with
ISIL, Ken is a professor of economics at Hawaii Pacific
University, active in the international Students in Free En-
terprise (founded by Sam Walton), and was formerly an
economist with the US International Trade Commission.
Ken’s presentation gave extensive rebuttals to myths
such as immigrants come to America for the welfare, or that
they take jobs from natives. The overwhelming evidence
is that immigrants are a major net benefit to the US econo-
my. And there is the moral case for allowing people to flee
tyranny (such as the fact that
1930s quotas by Western coun-
tries including the US against
Jewish immigration condemned
many of them to perish in Hit-
ler’s death camps). Freedom of
migration is a fundamental lib-
erty issue.
Patri Friedman, son of Da-
vid Friedman and founder of
the Seasteading Institute that
explores the setting up of free
communities in international
waters, gave a highly-enter-
Patri Friedman taining talk about the futility of
freedom-oriented political action in established countries,
and his attempts to develop an escape.
Jan Narveson, an accomplished philosopher and pro-
fessor at University of Waterloo in Canada, spoke on “The
Courage to Do Nothing”, on why coercive government ac-
tions, even when often well-intended, invariably have un-
intended consequences that create more problems than are
solved. Today’s massive bailouts and “stimulus” programs
being cases in point.
In the evening there was a reception, and Carol Ruth
Silver gave an informal remembrance of her experiences
as a San Francisco supervisor and working as an ally with
Harvey Milk on gay rights and other issues in the 70s. She
had been targeted by supervisor Dan White, who killed
Milk and mayor George Moscone in 1979, but she was not
in City Hall at the time. Carol also talked about her current
project, which is helping to get cheap notebook computers
Laissez Faire!
into the hands of girls in Afghanistan, so they can circum-
vent Muslim bans on female education.
Saturday – Day Two
Mary Ruwart, ISIL director (and now Board Chair)
and the author of the acclaimed Healing Our World in an
Age of Aggression (carried by Laissez Faire Books) led off
the proceedings with “Benevolence and Liberty”. She gave
numerous examples of where government regulations and
expensive licensing requirements hindered the ability of
poor people to better themselves. These included her own
experience as a landlord where ladies who tried home-
based businesses were shut down by bureaucrats. Free en-
terprise is necessary for people to escape poverty.
Second was Da-
vid Beito, a professor
of history at the Uni-
versity of Alabama
and author of a recent
biography on civil-
rights leader T.R.M.
Howard, spoke on
Howard, the civil
rights movement and
libertarianism.
Then up was
Steve Horwitz, eco-
nomics professor at
Carol Ruth Silver
St. Lawrence Univer-
sity and book reviewer for the Review of Austrian Econom-
ics on “The Origins of the Current Economic Crisis”, on
how a long train of government programs, regulations and
subsidies caused our economic mess.
Roderick Long, professor of philosophy at Auburn
University and editor of the Journal of Ayn Rand Studies
led off after lunch with “A Libertarian Theory of Equality”
Mimi Gladstein was a pioneer in the field of womens
studies in the early 70s, and still
teaches at University of Texas—El
Paso. She is an expert and author
on both Ayn Rand and John Stein-
beck. Her talk “Feminism, Atlas,
and Ayn Rand” put forth that the
character Dagny Taggart in Atlas
Shrugged was a dynamic, liberated
woman, far ahead of her time. In
contrast, the central female charac-
ter in noted recent feminist litera-
Mimi Gladstein ture were actually dreadfully weak
failures in life.
Carol Ruth Silver, although in many respects with the
Left, has always been a supporter of the right to keep and
bear arms. This was reinforced by her experience as a Free-
dom Rider in the civil rights struggle in the South in the
early 60s, where it was clear that many gun laws meant
Spring 2010 • Page 10
to keep blacks unarmed and helpless. She spoke on why
“Why Liberals Should Support the Second Amendment”.
She also mentioned how guns are especially important for
female self-defense.
Glenn Cripe, founder of the Language of Liberty Insti-
tute, then closed the day with a presentation and funding
appeal for the Language of Liberty Camps. ISIL has long
supported this project, which helps local organizers in sev-
eral countries to hold summer youth camps that improve
English skills and teach libertarian and entrepreneurial
principles. These Liberty Camps have been quite effective
in creating new libertarians, who have gone on to teach at
later camps, and start new camps, organizations and publi-
cations.
Sunday - Final Day
Jim Peron, president of Laissez Faire Books and au-
thor of several books, spoke on “Social Conservatism vs.
Capitalism”. He pointed out how the wealth and opportuni-
ties produced by capitalism allowed for the rise of romantic
love, the rise of marriage by choice instead of arrangement,
liberation of women, the decline of censorship and the gay
rights movement. He showed the irony that social liberals
often oppose the capitalism that brings liberation, while
social conservatives praise the capitalism that fosters the
social liberalism they hate (although the conservatives ac-
tually are not very good on the capitalism part either)
Audience listens to talk on social
conservatism vs. capitalism
Steve Horwitz spoke on the theme of his forthcoming
book in his talk “How Free Markets Change the Family”.
Horwitz’s theme independently confirmed much of what
Peron spoke about and again showed how the economic
dynamics of the market has encouraged, and allowed, the
evolution of the family structure.
Hardworking Carol Ruth Silver gave her third talk of
the conference on “Why I Resigned the Sheriff’s Depart-
ment Over the War on Drugs”. It was a litany of a failed
drug war that continues to exact a horrific cost in ruined
lives, corruption of the police and courts, and crushed free-
doms for the rest of us.
After lunch, Mimi Gladstein presented “The Place of
Atlas Shrugged in Western Literature”, showing that Rand’s
heroic literary style, character and plot development, place
Laissez Faire!
the book firmly as a classic in the Western literary tradition.
Roderick Long came back and presented “Ayn Rand
and Libertarian Class Analysis”. He showed how Rand’s
novels, especially Atlas Shrugged, presented the political
class and their corporate accomplices as the coercive ex-
ploiters, at the expense of the productive entrepreneurs and
laborers.
Ed Hudgins, president of the Atlas Society, closed the
regular conference program with “Applying Objectivism to
the Current State of the Nation”. The current state looks
dismal on the surface, but ordinary people are getting an-
gry, and the ideas of Rand and other freedom advocates are
on the rise.
The evening featured the closing banquet. Jim Peron
gave a moving tribute to Nathaniel and Barbara Branden,
and presented them with the first Laissez Faire Book Torch
awards. Barbara’s award was presented in absentia, due to
poor health. Mary Ruwart made the announcement of ma-
jor Board and management reorganizations for ISIL, and
there was a successful fundraiser for ISIL and its projects.
The following morning, some participants who were
still in town enjoyed a warmup talk about famous architect
Lies, the Government Told You
“Your Body is Your Temple”
by Judge Andrew Napolitano
Many of the Founding Fathers, including George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson, cultivated hemp, the
plant from which marijuana is derived. In the late eigh-
teenth century, many medical
journals recommended the use of
hemp seeds and roots for treat-
ing sexually transmitted diseases,
inflamed skin, and incontinence.
Unfortunately, a change in our
attitude toward drugs came in
the nineteenth century, when a
noticeable number of Americans
became unknowingly addicted to
morphine.
Although there was an atti-
tude of concern about drug use, it
took some time for the country to criminalize it. By 1937,
marijuana was outlawed in twenty-three states, mostly in an
effort to stop former morphine addicts from starting to use
a new drug or as a backlash against newly arrived Mexican
immigrants who sometimes brought the drug to the United
States with them. On October 1st 1937, under President
Franklin Roosevelt, the Marijuana Tax Act went into ef-
fect, which imposed a prohibitive tax on the “evil” drug.
Congress held just two hearings on the law, which was in-
troduced by Rep. Robert L. Doughton of North Carolina.
This is excerpted from Judge Napolitano’s new book, Lies the
Government Told You with permission of the publisher. See p. 14.
Spring 2010 • Page 11
Nathaniel Branden after accepting the Torch Award
Frank Lloyd Wright by Fred Stitt and then enjoyed a visit
to Wright’s winter quarters and studio of Taliasin West in
nearby Scottsdale.
Mark your calendar—the second Winter Retreat is be-
ing planned for January 6-9, 2011
Harry Anslinger, arguing for the tax, stated to the House
Ways and Means Committee that “traffic in marijuana is
increasing to such an extent that it has come to be the cause
for the greatest national concern. . . . This drug is entirely
the monster Hyde, the harmful effect of which cannot be
measured.”
In addition, two veterinarians testified that dogs (not
people, but dogs) do not respond well to marijuana. One of
the vets stated, “Over a period of six months or a year (of
exposure to marijuana) . . . the animal must be discarded
because it is no longer serviceable.” The testimony for the
tax, as you may have concluded, was far from convincing.
Furthermore, the committee rejected testimony from the
American Medical Association, which pointed out the gov-
ernment’s lack of evidence of harm to humans.
Just three months after Representative Doughton in-
troduced the bill, in June 1937, the House passed it. One
congressman commented on the bill, stating that it had
“something to do with something that is called marijuana.
I believe it is a narcotic of some kind.” In 1970, Congress
passed the Controlled Substances Act, a comprehensive
law regulating a myriad of controlled substances. It banned
all marijuana outright.
In addition to prohibiting drugs for recreational use,
the government has also criminalized the use of marijuana
for medical use. In Gonzales v. Raich (2005), the Supreme
Court decided that Angel Raich and Diane Monson could
not use physician-prescribed medical marijuana to relieve
their serious medical conditions. Raich and Monson had re-
Laissez Faire!
lied on cannabis treatments for many years. In fact, Raich’s
physician believed that ending such treatments “would cer-
tainly cause Raich excruciating pain and could very well
prove fatal.” Nevertheless, federal agents entered Mon-
son’s house to take and destroy her six marijuana plants,
despite the fact that both women were residents of Cali-
fornia, which has authorized the use of medical marijuana
since 1996. California law arguably conflicts with the Con-
trolled Substances Act of 1970, the federal law that makes
the “manufacture, distribution, and possession of marijua-
na” illegal, and makes no exception for medical use.
In a downright bizarre majority opinion, written by
Justice John Paul Stevens, the Court held, 6 to 3, that the
Commerce Clause (which was written to authorize Con-
gress to keep commerce between the states regular, not to
prohibit it) permits Congress to control marijuana, a sub-
stance that cannot legally enter the stream of commerce.
In ruling for the government, the majority likened this
case to the ridiculous case of Wickard v. Filburn, in which
the Court concluded that the federal government could
regulate the wheat a farmer grows for personal use. Raich
does the seemingly impossible, as it extends the Court’s
decision in Wickard and wins the award
for the most ludicrous adaptation of the
Commerce Clause in American history.
The Court stated that not only can the
government regulate items harvested for
personal use (the marijuana grown in Ra-
ich and the wheat grown in Wickard); it
can regulate, through its power to con-
trol interstate commerce, something that
can’t even legally be bought or sold!
Unfortunately, the Commerce Clause
has become the tool through which Con-
gress wields virtually unlimited power.
Based on Supreme Court precedent, the
Court in Raich stated that the Commerce
Clause permits Congress to regulate activities that “sub-
stantially affect interstate commerce.” Furthermore, as the
Court puts it, Congress need not “legislate with scientific
exactitude,” nor make any kind of particularized findings
supporting its conclusions. The idea that it is not beyond the
realm of possibility that Raich’s medical marijuana would
find itself in the stream of commerce was good enough for
the Supreme Court to side with the government, as if wom-
en growing small amounts of marijuana in their own home
for their own medical use ever have a chance of affecting
commerce whatsoever. Only Justice Clarence Thomas’s
dissent made sense. According to Justice Thomas:
Diane Monson and Angel Raich use marijua-
na that has never been bought or sold, that has never
crossed state lines, and that has no demonstrable effect
on the national market for marijuana. If Congress can
regulate this under the Commerce Clause, then it can
regulate virtually anything—and the Federal Govern-
Spring 2010 • Page 12
ment is no longer one of limited and enumerated pow-
ers . . . By holding that Congress may regulate activity
that is neither interstate nor commerce under the [In-
terstate] Commerce Clause, the Court abandons any
attempts to enforce the Constitution’s limits on federal
power.(emphases added)
Beyond Justice Thomas’s eloquent defense of the
Constitution, there is the Natural Law argument that if
Diane Monson and Angel Raich thought using marijuana
would help their chronic pain, who is the government to
stop them? Even if there may be certain personal health
risks involved in smoking marijuana, there are certain
pain-relief benefits that Monson and Raich value over any
possible risks. These are decisions for individuals and not
the federal government to make. Just as the right to privacy
lets a farmer grow as much wheat and bake and consume
as much bread as he wishes, it also keeps the federal gov-
ernment out of the decision-making process for physicians
and their patients.
Here is what the Court has done: It has prohibited the
government from intruding upon the patient-physician re-
lationship if the government wants to save the life of a baby
in a mother’s womb, but has permitted the government to
intrude on the marital relationship between a farmer and
wife and the patient-physician relationship if they are
growing too much wheat or using any marijuana.
Moreover, the revived use of the Commerce Clause
power for everything under the sun is a particularly scary
exercise of government power because it seems the Clause
can be stretched to cover basically any activity, commercial
or noncommercial, interstate or intrastate.
The Raich case also unearths a battle between the states
and the federal government regarding the use of medical
marijuana. In 1996, voters in California voted for Proposi-
tion 215 (the Compassionate Use Act), which authorized
use of medical marijuana. But, the high and mighty feds
did not seem to take this vote into consideration. Raich
proves that the state’s rights don’t matter, that the people’s
rights to make personal decisions don’t matter; we all need
Laissez Faire! Spring 2010 • Page 13

Laissez Faire’s publishing program expands

In 1984, James Peron (now LFB’s president) and Mark Brady (now lecturing in
economics at San Jose State University) started a small publishing venture called
Cobden Press, named after the great classical liberal Richard Cobden. Cobden Press
appears to have been the first publisher to experiment with print-on-demand tech-
nology before the technology really existed.
When Peron came on board at Laissez Faire he brought Cobden Press with him
and the co-operation with Laissez Faire has been beneficial to everyone involved.
In 2007 Cobden Press/LFB republished Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson
($12.95), selling almost 4,000 copies since then. This includes many copies made
available to educational allies at near-cost prices, to help them reach students with
the message of freedom.
In addition, Cobden Press/LFB recently reprinted a 40th anniversary edition of
Dr. Branden signs the limited edition
The Market for Liberty, ($13.95) by Linda and Morris Tannehill. This edition is a
leatherbound edition of his book.
fascimile replica of the original 1970 edition.
Then Cobden Press made libertarian history by pub- memoirs, Capitalist at Large, which will be released in a
lishing the first printed version of Nathaniel Branden’s hardback edtion for an estimated cover price of $24.95.
famous lecture series “The Basic Principles of Objectiv- In addition there is one other book on classical liberalism
ism,” under the title of The Vision of Ayn Rand. This lecture which goes to the typesetter in the next week or so.
course is responsible for launching much of the modern Cobden Press hopes to expand its operations and pub-
libertarian movement, yet was never available in print form lish more hard-to-find, important works on libertarianism.
until a few months ago. And it is time to reprint Economics in One Lesson in an-
Cobden Press published this in paperback ($22.95), a other trade paperback edtion. Cost for that will be around
cloth edition ($34.95) and a deluxe leatherbound collector’s $4000. We also would like to publish a very low-cost mass
edition ($99.95 and $299.95 for signed/numbered copies). market paperback edition which would sell for under $3
Last month Cobden Press released a new edition of The per copy, with a goal of distributing 100,000 copies over
Lysander Spooner Reader ($16.95), with a much-improved a year’s time. The cost for that would be around $70,000.
cover. Spooner, 1808-1887, was a great libertarian thinker Your donations to these publishing projects are tax de-
and his essays on Natural Law, Vices Are Not Crimes and ductible as we are part of the ISIL non-profit, tax-exempt
Trial by Jury are classics which every libertarian should educational foundation. We have a dozen other books wait-
read. Nor should we forget our collection of essays from ing for publication, each costing around $4000 to publish.
conferences sponsored by the International Society for In- If you can sponsor one of these new editions please
dividual Liberty, Liberty and Globalization ($12.95). contact us directly at askus@lfb.org or call 707-746-8796.
In the final stages of production are two new books, If you can’t sponsor a complete reprinting, then partial do-
which should be released shortly. The one is a collection of nations are appreciated and put into escrow until the full
dozens of essays on how and why people became libertar- sum is raised.
ians. Edited by Marc Guttman it is entitled Why Liberty The urgent needs now are $4000 to reprint Econom-
($19.95, estimated). ics in One Lesson in trade paperback—used by many col-
International entrepreneur, and Reason Foundation lege courses, and $70,000 for the mass market, edition for
board member, James Jameson has also completed his 100,000 paperbacks of Hazlitt’s classic.

Judge Napolitano continued...
to bow at the throne of federal authority, apparently. Here,
the government’s falsehood is once again, we can choose
what to do with our own bodies. In truth, the government
does not even allow individuals to make choices regarding
their bodies when their home state and their physicians ex-
pressly permit them to make those choices.
The problematic nature of this clash between the state
and federal governments is well illustrated by a June 2009
medical marijuana case. Charles Lynch operated a medical
marijuana dispensary in Morro Bay, California, where peo-
ple would bring medical marijuana prescriptions from Cali-
fornia physicians. Lynch’s business was run like any other
pharmacy, not some type of covert drug operation. He held
a grand opening in 2006, used signs to advertise, obtained
a business license from the City of Morro Bay, and ran sur-
veillance cameras for security. Yet, his business was raided
by federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents eleven
months after opening. Lynch was sentenced to a year and a
day in prison by a federal judge, even though he could have
been sentenced to up to twenty years in federal prison based
on the large amount of marijuana involved.
Although the sentence was considered quite short in
light of federal standards, it is a long time to spend in pris-
on for doing something that was perfectly legal within his
state. This state vs. federal government battle is bound to
become more of an issue as several States are pushing for
legislation similar to California’s. In the meantime, the only
thing going up in smoke is the fundamental right to control
what goes into our own bodies.
Laissez Faire!
Laissez Faire Books
New Featured Titles
You and the State
Respected philosopher Jan Narveson
asks the provocative, philosophical
question: is the state necessary? In
this unusual introduction to political
philosophy, Narveson draws on the
history of political philosophy and dis-
cusses its main theories—classic liber-
al, democratic, socialist, radical—with
reference to how each sees the place of
the individual in the political order. Narveson’s critique is
situated within issues of freedom, authority, economic wel-
fare, international relations and others to explore how and
whether the state is necessary. His argument is ultimately
anti-statist and takes seriously the question of whether and
how some version of anarchism might make sense. Paper-
back, 215 pages. List price $26.95; Amazon price, $26.95;
LFB price, $18.95.
The Lysander Spooner Reader
Lysander Spooner (1808 - 1887) was
one of the great individualists of his
era. He practiced law in violation of
state law and then successfully peti-
tioned to change the law. When the
United States Post Office claimed a
monopoly on first-class mail, Spooner
opened a competiting agency which
forced the post office to lower their
rates. Spooner was a great opponent of slavery, but at odds
with many abolitionists of his day. He defended reason,
natural law, and individual freedom. Included in this vol-
ume are his essays: Natural Law, Vices Are Not Crimes, No
Treason, Letter to Thomas F. Bayard, and the full text of his
famous book, Trial by Jury.
Also included is an introduction by George H. Smith,
along with an obituary written by Spooner’s compatriot,
Benjamin Tucker (1854 -1939) that was published in Tuck-
er’s newspaper, Liberty, May 28, 1887. Lysander Spooner
was one of the most important, early libertarian thinkers
in the individualist tradition. Even after a full century his
writing is amazingly relevant today. This paperback edition
is about 350 pages with an index included. Published by
Laissez Faire’s own Cobden Press, thanks to the generous
donations of our supporters. List price $18.95. Not avail-
able direct from Amazon. LFB price, $16.95.
We are on Amazon but please order from us
directly. Orders placed elsewhere, diminish
our profits substantially and cost you more.
Spring 2010 • Page 14
Libertarianism from A to Z
Libertarian principles seem basic
enough—keep government out of
boardrooms, bedrooms, and wallets;
let markets work the way they should.
But what reasoning justifies those
stances, and how can they be elucidat-
ed clearly and applied consistently? In
Libertarianism from A to Z, acclaimed
Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron sets
the record straight with a dictionary that takes the reader
beyond the mere surface of libertarian thought to reveal the
philosophy’s underlying and compelling logic.
Tackling subjects as diverse as prostitution and drugs, the
financial crises and government bailouts, legality of abor-
tion, and War on Terror, Miron takes the reader on a tour of
libertarian thought. He draws on consequentialist principles
that balance costs and benefits of any given government in-
tervention, emphasizing personal liberty and free markets.
Miron never flinches from following principles to their
logical and sometimes controversial ends. Along the way,
readers get a charming and engaging lesson in how to think
like a libertarian.
Principled, surprising, and thought-provoking, Libertari-
anism from A to Z, has everything a burgeoning libertarian
—or any responsible citizen—needs to know. Hardback,
224 pages, list price $24.95; Amazon price, $16.47; LFB
price, $15.95.
Lies the Government Told You
What new crisis will the federal gov-
ernment manufacture in order to ac-
quire more power over individuals?
What new lies will it tell?
Throughout history, the federal gov-
ernment has lied to send our children
off to war, to take our money, to steal
our property, lied to gain our trust, and
lied to enhance its power over us. Not only does govern-
ment lie to us, we lie to ourselves. We won’t admit that
each time we let government get away with misleading us,
we allow it to increase in size and power and decrease our
personal liberty.
In acquiescing to government’s fraudulent behavior, we
bear partial responsibility for erosion of our individual lib-
erties and the ever-expanding federal regulation of private
behavior. This book attacks the culture in government that
facilitates lying, and it challenges readers to recognize that
culture, to confront it, and be rid of it. Hardback, 256 pages,
list price $24.99; LFB price $14.95.
Laissez Faire!
Power Grab
It’s Monday morning in the year 2015, and
thanks to “clean energy” and “green” policies
Obama rammed through Congress in 2010,
life is…different.
You flip a light switch, but nothing happens.
You start the hot water, but only cold gushes
out. You live in a tiny, cramped “energy-effi-
cient” home and eat two meals a day because
food is astronomically expensive.
Sound preposterous? Get ready for your future, says bestselling
author Chris Horner in his blockbuster new book, Power Grab:
How Obama’s Green Policies Will Steal Your Freedom and Bank-
rupt America.
In this devastating new book, Horner exposes how President
Obama uses environmentalism as his latest excuse to take away
rights, freedoms, comforts, luxuries, money—even our jobs.
By declaring war against America’s most reliable sources of
energy—coal, oil, and natural gas—Leftists in Washington are de-
termined to change the way we live—and crush both our liberties
and the economy in the process.
The first book to expose Obama’s true environmental agenda,
Power Grab is a jaw-dropping account of government’s arrogant
plans to seize control of our nation’s energy sources — and our
lives. Hardback, 296 pages. List price, $27.95; LFB price $17.95.
How Capitalism Will Save Us
Capitalism is the world’s greatest economic
success story. It is the most effective way to
provide for needs of people and foster demo-
cratic and moral values of a free society. Yet
the worst recession in decades has widely—
and understandably—shaken people’s faith
in our system. Even before the current crisis,
capitalism received a “bad rap” from a culture
ambivalent about free markets and wealth creation. This crisis of
confidence prevents full recognition of how we got into the mess
we’re in today—and why capitalism continues to be the best route
to prosperity.
How Capitalism Will Save Us, by Steve Forbes and Elizabeth
Ames, transcends labels such as “conservative” and “liberal” by
showing how the economy really works. When free people in free
markets have energy to solve problems and meet the needs and
wants of others, they turn scarcity into abundance and develop
innovations that are the foremost drivers of economic growth.
Hardback, 368 pages, list price $25.00; Amazon price, $16.50.
LFB price, $15.95.
The Sky is NOT Falling
You’ve heard the claims that the earth is
warming up because of cars, light bulbs, fac-
tories and the many other wonders that human
ingenuity has created. But is it really true?
Well, here’s news for the global warming
Chicken Littles—the sky’s NOT falling!
The Sky’s Not Falling is for parents sick of
seeing their kids indoctrinated by has-been politicians and Hol-
lywood stars. Unlike books written by would-be celebrities with-
out scientific or economics background, The Sky’s Not Falling is
everything a book about the environment written for kids should
be: fact-filled, apolitical, fun and optimistic about the future of
our magnificent, ever-changing planet. Paperback, 128 pages. List
price $17.95; Amazon price, $14.00; LFB price, $7.95
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 15
The Struggle to Limit Government
As revealed by John Samples in his essential
new book, the battle over the size and role of
government has been raging for decades. Arriv-
ing at a critical time, with clashes over limiting
government occupying more battlefields than
ever, The Struggle to Limit Government expertly
chronicles this war’s history, as well as its impli-
cations for the future.
In examining the high and low points of the nearly 30-year
struggle, from the Reagan Revolution to the Obama administra-
tion, Samples first provides a fascinating look at the institutions
and policies created by progressives from 1933 to 1968—the New
Deal and Great Society—and their influence on all that followed.
Samples then assesses the rise, successes, and failures of Ronald
Reagan, the historic 1994 elections, and the ensuing unsuccess-
ful struggles to fulfill Reagan’s goal of reversing government’s
growth. He traces the drift of the Republican majority in Con-
gress, and the epic battles within and between the Republican
and Democratic parties, Congress and Bill Clinton, which left us
nowhere—with “neither limited government nor enduring majori-
ties.”
The book then examines the trauma of George W. Bush: his
high spending, his mixture of religion with government, and his
floundering crusade to bring democracy to the Middle East. The
2006 and 2008 elections, Samples shows, were a repudiation of
the Bush presidency, not of limited government.
Samples does not simply point and critique; he also includes ex-
tensive prescriptions for improvement. With its political analysis
of major government programs, from Medicare to Social Security
to taxes, The Struggle to Limit Government is an energetic, sober-
ing, and essential guide to political battles of today and tomor-
row. Hardback, 340 pages, list price $24.95. Save over Amazon’s
price, LFB price $17.50.
The Rational Optimist
A counterblast to the prevailing pessimism
of our age, and proves, however much we like
to think to the contrary, that things are getting
better.
Over 10,000 years ago there were fewer
than 10 million people on the planet. Today
there are more than 6 billion, 99 per cent of
whom are better fed, better sheltered, better
entertained and better protected against disease than their Stone
Age ancestors. The availability of almost everything a person
could want or need has been going erratically upwards for 10,000
years and has rapidly accelerated over the last 200 years: calo-
ries; vitamins; clean water; machines; privacy; the means to travel
faster than we can run, and the ability to communicate over longer
distances than we can shout.
Yet, bizarrely, however much things improve from the way
they were before, people still cling to the belief that the future
will be nothing but disastrous. In this original, optimistic book,
Matt Ridley puts forward his surprisingly simple answer to how
humans progress, arguing that we progress when we trade and
we only really trade productively when we trust each other. The
Rational Optimist will do for economics what Genome did for ge-
nomics and will show that the answer to our problems, imagined
or real, is to keep on doing what we’ve been doing for 10,000
years—to keep on changing. Hardback, 438 pages. List price,
$26.99; LFB price, $16.95.
Laissez Faire! Spring 2010 • Page 16
The Sellout
The definitive account of Wall Street’s stunning collapse
From critically-acclaimed investigative journalist and CNBC personality Charles Gasparino comes a
sweeping examination of the most recent volatile, anxiety-ridden era in our nation’s socioeconomic history.
The Sellout traces the implosion of the financial services business back to its roots in the late 1970s when
Wall Street embraced a new business model predicated on taking enormous risks. It shows how a backwater
business involving the trading of risky bonds packed with mortgages showered countless billions in profits
on the financial industry, but sowed the seeds of its ultimate demise. Gasparino walks readers through Wall
Street’s three-decades’ love affair with risk, revealing a trail of culpability—from the government bureaucrats
who crafted housing policies that encouraged homeownership, to the Wall Street firms that underwrote and
invested in risky debt, to the mortgage sellers who handed out loans to people without the financial where-
withal to pay them back, to the homeowners who became convinced they could afford mansions on blue-
collar wages. The ongoing tumult in financial markets and the global economy began when some of our most
esteemed financial institutions, our government, and even average citizens abdicated their collective responsibilities, eventually selling
out investors and selling off the American Dream itself.
This page-turning narrative captures how avarice, arrogance, and sheer stupidity eroded Wall Street’s dominance and profoundly
weakened the financial security of millions of middle-class Americans. Eye-opening and engrossing, The Sellout provides the most
thorough investigation to date of this latest gilded era. Chronicles the disasters created when Big Business and Big Government get into
bed together. Hardback, 558 pages, list price $27.99, LFB price, $17.95.

The Foundations of Morality

Here is Hazlitt’s major philosophical work, in which he grounds a policy of private property and free markets
in an ethic of classical utilitarianism, understood in the way Mises understood that term. In writing this book,
Hazlitt is reviving an 18th and 19th century tradition in which economists wrote not only about strictly economic
issues but also on the relationship between economics and the good of society in general. Adam Smith wrote a
moral treatise because he knew that many objections to markets are rooted in these concerns. Hazlitt takes up
the cause too, and with spectacular results. Hazlitt favors an ethic that seeks the long-run general happiness and
flourishing of all. Action, institutions, rules, principles, customs, ideals, and all the rest stand or fall according
to the test of whether they permit people to live together peaceably to their mutual advantage. Critical here is an
understanding of the core classical-liberal claim that the interests of the individual and that of society in general
are not antagonistic but wholly compatible and co-determinous. In pushing for “rules-utilitarianism,” Hazlitt
is aware he is adopting an ethic largely rejected in our time, even by the bulk of the liberal tradition. But he makes the strongest case
possible, and you will certainly be challenged at every turn. It is not necessary that you finally agree with Hazlitt’s view to appreciate
his defense of freedom and the market economy, which explains in great detail how the voluntary society benefits all its members, and
how the market economy deserves to be regarded as a critical component of a flourishing civilization. His attacks on logical positivism,
socialism, aestheticism, and egalitarianism are dazzling. This book will inspire, provoke, and educate. 400 pages, paperback. $14.00

Special $5.00 Offer: Any book below for $5.00

Guns, Crime and Freedom
National Rifle Association Vice President Wayne
LaPierre reveals why responsible Americans have
the right to “keep and bear arms.” Addressing ev-
ery point of contention concerning the original
intent of the 2nd Amendment, LaPierre illumi-
nates the Amendment’s modern implications and
debunks the myth that gun ownership contributes
to America’s crime rate. Paperback, 263 pages. List price $12.95.
Three Early Works of H.L. Mencken
H. L. Mencken presents master styling in A
Book of Prefaces (1917), Damn! (1918), and The
American Credo (1920). Prefaces is a book of
literary criticism containing the essays “Joseph
Conrad,” “Theodore Dreiser,” “James Huneker,”
and “Puritanism as a Literary Force.” Damn! A
Book of Calumny contains some of Mencken’s
wittier turns in its forty-nine short essays. It has
been mined for anthologies, but it has never be-
fore been reprinted as a whole. The American Credo: A Contri-
bution Toward the Interpretation of the National Mind contains
four hundred and eighty-eight articles, co-written by drama critic
George Jean Nathan, about American popular belief. Paperback,
444 pages. List price $14.95.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
The Future and Its Enemies
Virginia Postrel explodes this myth, embarking
on a bold exploration of how progress really oc-
curs. In areas of endeavor ranging from fashion to
fisheries, from movies to medicine, from contact
lenses to computers, she shows how and why un-
planned, open-ended trial and error—not confor-
mity to one central vision—is the key to human
betterment. Thus, the true enemies of humanity’s future are those
who insist on prescribing outcomes in advance, circumventing
the process of competition and experiment in favor of their own
preconceptions and prejudices. Pb., 288 pages. List price, $15.00.
Trashing the Planet
Trashing the Planet is the one book you need to
get a sure, common-sense grasp on the conten-
tious issues where science and politics overlap,
and where environmentalism moves from well-
meaning idealism to counterproductive eco-
terrorism. Dixy Lee Ray—former Governor of
Washington, chair of Atomic Energy Commission, and Assistant
Secretary of State in the U.S. Bureau of Oceans—calls for envi-
ronmentalists to regain a sense of perspective and deal with facts
instead of letting their ardor carry them into the realm of “noble
lies”. Paperback, 224 pages. List price $12.00.
Laissez Faire!
Obamanomics
The federal government now controls
30% of the U.S. economy, thanks to bil-
lion-dollar bailouts of insurance compa-
nies, banks, Wall Street firms, and the auto
industry.
How did the freest economy in the world
come to this?
In his shocking exposé, Obamanomics,
investigative reporter Tim Carney reveals how Big Govern-
ment partnered with Big Business and Big Labor to cover
up failure—and squash small business.
From conspiring with the healthcare industry to cutting
sweetheart deals with corporate cronies and union boss
buddies, the Obama administration is working hand-in-
hand with Big Business to line Wall Street’s pockets, gain
more power, and crush taxpayers.
Obamanomics reveals:
• How despite Obama’s campaign promises of hope and
change in Washington, his record shows he constantly fa-
vors lobbyists and special interests over entrepreneurs and
taxpayers. • The Great Health Care Scam—Obama’s back-
room deals with drug companies spell profits and more gov-
ernment control. • The Global Warming Hoax—Obama has
bought off industries with a pork-filled bill that will drain
your wallet for Al Gore’s agenda. • Think Big Government
and Big Business are rivals with opposite interests? After
reading Obamanomics, you’ll know that’s just a Big Myth.
And you will understand the threat posed by Obamanom-
ics to all entrepreneurs, small businessmen, and American
taxpayers. Hardback, 292 pages. List price $27.95; Amazon
price $18.45. LFB price $16.95.
God is Not Great
Christopher Hitchens, hailed as “one
of the most brilliant journalists of our
time” London Observer, takes on his
biggest subject yet—the dangerous role
of religion in the world.
In the tradition of Bertrand Russell’s
Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Har-
ris’s recent bestseller, The End of Faith, Christopher Hitch-
ens makes the ultimate case against religion. With a close
and erudite reading of the major religious texts, he docu-
ments ways in which religion is a man-made wish, a cause
of dangerous sexual repression, and a distortion of our ori-
gins in the cosmos. With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames
the argument for a more secular life based on science and
reason, in which the heavens are replaced by the Hubble
Telescope’s awesome view of the universe, and Moses and
the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of
the double helix. Christopher Hitchens is the author of Let-
ters to a Young Contrarian, which sold over 40,000 cop-
ies, and the bestseller No One Left to Lie To: The Values of
the Worst Family. Hardback, 307 pages. List price, $24.99.
LFB price $12.95.
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Spring 2010 • Page 17
Capitalism Unbound
Capitalism Unbound: An Incontestable
Moral Case for Individual Rights is a
concise explanation of capitalism’s mor-
al and economic superiority to all forms
of socialism, including America’s current
mixed-economy welfare state. Bernstein
shows that the current crisis is essentially
similar to the Great Depression in its cau-
sation and in the steps necessary to resolve it. The book’s
concluding section applies moral and economic principles
to the current economic crisis, showing that government in-
tervention is its cause and a policy of laissez-faire its neces-
sary solution. Furthermore, socialist/statist policies are uni-
versally the cause of social calamities and that the answer
lies in individual rights and laissez-faire capitalism. The
principles that this book clearly articulates are timeless; in
diverse forms, the conflicts these principles explain will re-
cur repeatedly throughout history. As a result, this book is
relevant not merely today, but will be forever. Paperback,
133 pages, list price $19.95; Amazon price, $14.35; LFB
price, $13.95.
The Mind of the Market
How did we evolve from hunter-gath-
erers to modern consumer-traders? Why
are people so emotional and irrational
when it comes to money and business
decisions? Bestselling author Michael
Shermer believes that evolution and
evolutionary psychology provide an an-
swer to both questions through the new
science of evolutionary economics. Drawing on research
from neuroeconomics, Shermer explores what brain scans
reveal about bargaining, snap purchases, and how trust is
established in business. Shermer shows how evolution and
economics are both examples of a larger and still somewhat
mysterious phenomenon of emergence, where one plus one
equals three. Hardback, 308p. list price $26.00. LFB price,
$12.95.
Red Hot Lies
In pursuing their anti-energy, anti-capi-
talist, and pro-government agenda, global
warming alarmists—and unscrupulous sci-
entists who see this scare as their gravy train
to federal grants and foundation money—
resort to dirty tricks, smear campaigns, and
outright lies, abandoning scientific standards, journalistic
integrity, and old-fashioned notions of free speech and open
debate. In Red Hot Lies, bestselling author Christopher
Horner—himself the target of Greenpeace dirty tricks and
alarmist smears—exposes the dark underbelly of the envi-
ronmental movement. Hardcover, 256p. List price $27.95,
LFB price, $16.95
Laissez Faire!
DVDs & Video
Pacific Heights
In this thriller, a young couple in San
Francisco (Melanie Griffith and Mat-
thew Modine), have purchased their
dream home. And it has an extra apart-
ment that they can rent out to help pay
their mortgage. They rent the apartment
to a dream tenant played by Michael Ke-
aton, but soon learn that was a mistake
and a web of laws, meant to protect “ten-
ants” from greedy landlords, is used by Keaton, to tie them
into knots. Keaton’s character has plotted how he can steal
the property for himself and how government regulations
will help him do it. Government regulations, as Griffith and
Modine, soon learn, have unintended consequences. DVD,
R rating, 102 minutes. $9.95.
Not Evil Just Wrong
Global warming alarmists want Amer-
icans to believe that humans are killing
the planet. But Not Evil Just Wrong, a
new documentary by Phelim McAleer
and Ann McElhinney, proves that the
only threats to America (and the rest of
the world) are the flawed science and
sky-is-falling rhetoric of Al Gore and
his allies in environmental extremism.
The damage that would be wrought is unjustified by the
science. Not Evil Just Wrong exposes the deceptions that
experts, politicians, educators and the media have been
force-feeding the public for years. Man-made pollution is
not melting the polar icecaps. The ocean will not rise 20
feet in a flash. And the only polar bears dying because of
man are the ones who try to eat men. They also shatter the
myth that the hottest years in the United States were 1998
and 2006. The hottest year was 1934, and the hottest decade
was the 1930s—when there were half as many people and
no SUVs or jumbo jets. DVD, about 90 minutes. $19.95
The Power of Choice
For nearly a century, one controversial
American has championed the idea that
only economic freedom and the rule
of law will lead inevitably to political
freedom. His has been a commitment to
truth—not as he imagined it, but as he
found it in the world around him. The
rise of a global economy through free markets underscored
the power of his idea—the power of choice. No one has
been a greater proponent of individual freedom and indi-
vidual choice than Milton Friedman This is his life story,
including the impact of his ideas on people the world over.
DVD, 90 minutes. $34.95.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 18
The War on Kids
The following is from a review in the
New York Times:
“A shocking chronicle of institutional
dysfunction, The War on Kids likens our
public school system to prison and its
disciplinary methods to fascism. At least
now you know why little Johnny won’t
get out of bed in the morning.
“Arranged in sections that range from merely interesting
to downright horrifying, this provocative documentary
suggests a system regulated by fear and motivated by the
desire to control. Tracing the evolution and application of
zero-tolerance policies on drugs and violence, the director,
Cevin Soling, amasses overwhelming evidence of institu-
tional overreaction. When an 8-year-old can be suspended
for pointing a chicken finger and saying “Pow,” we know
that common sense has officially left the building.
“Impassioned interviews with educators, authors and
medical professionals—and some very perceptive students
—warn of the consequences of surrounding children daily
with armed security guards and surveillance cameras.
“They don’t really prevent anything; they just take pic-
tures of it,” says Jessica Botcher, a student at Columbine
High School. Those pictures, however, are electrifying:
an armed SWAT team terrorizing high school students in
South Carolina; a tiny, terrified girl being handcuffed by
burly police officers. ...The War on Kids questions what
kind of citizens we are producing. Parent or child-free, we
all have a dog in that particular fight.” DVD, 95 minutes.
$19.95.
Witch Hunt
On the night John Stoll was roused
from his bed and carted off to jail, his
attitude bordered on the cavalier.
“Aren’t you worried?” His lawyer
wondered.
“Hell no, I ain’t worried,” John an-
swered. “I didn’t do this. You can’t con-
vict me of something I didn’t do.”
It was more than two decades before John Stoll was free
again.
Witch Hunt, is a gripping indictment of the United States
justice system told through the lens of one small town. It’s
John Stoll’s story, but it’s also the story of dozens of other
men and women who found themselves ensnared in a spiral
of fear, ignorance and hysteria. These people are Ameri-
cans, working-class moms and dads, who were rounded
up with little or no evidence, charged and convicted of al-
most unimaginable crimes. All sexual. All crimes against
children. Years, sometimes decades later, they would find
freedom again, but their lives and the lives of their chil-
dren would be changed forever. This film shows viewers
what the real crime in this case is, not molestation, but the
crime of coercion. Viewers hear from the child witnesses
Laissez Faire!
who were forced to lie on the witness stand as they describe
scary sessions with sheriff’s deputies in which they were
told—not asked—about sexual experiences that happened
to them. Their coerced testimony led to dozens of convic-
tions. Many times their own parents were the ones they put
behind bars.
Soon after the trials, the children started to crack. They
told adults of the lies they’d been forced to tell on the
stand and hoped it would make a difference. It didn’t and
the convicted continued to sit in prison. As the allegations
grew more outlandish, California’s Attorney General wrote
a scathing report on the court misconduct, but instead of
being buried by criticism, Kern County District Attorney
Ed Jagels thrived, doing what he did best—putting people
away. He boasted one of the highest conviction rates in the
country. This strategy served him well. Jagels is still in of-
fice today. Through new interviews, archival footage, and
unflinching narration, the filmmakers construct an intimate
film that illustrates a universal point; when power is al-
lowed to exist without oversight from the press, the com-
munity or law enforcement, the rights of everyday citizens
can be lost for decades. National film critic Marshall Fine
says, “This is a chilling story about American law-enforce-
ment run amok and untethered. ....A movie that can’t help
but move you—to tears and to action.”
This documentary is a warning about how public hysteria,
fed by power-hungry politicians, can destroy the lives of
the innocent. It is a haunting tale of big government run
amok. 91 minutes. List price $24.95; LFB price, $21.95
Capturing the Friedmans
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the
Sundance Film Festival, and with over
$3 million at the box office to date,
Capturing The Friedmans is nothing
short of one of the most riveting, pro-
vocative, and hotly debated films of
the year. Despite their predilection for
hamming it up in front of home-movie
cameras, the Friedmans were a normal middle-class family
living in the affluent New York suburb of Great Neck. One
Thanksgiving, as the family gathers at home for a quiet hol-
iday dinner, their front door explodes, splintered by a police
battering ram. Officers rush into the house, accusing Arnold
Friedman and his youngest son Jesse of hundreds of shock-
ing crimes. Arnold’s choice, given him by the authorities, is
to plead guilty and they will go easy on his son, or confess
to crimes he probably didn’t commit, in order to save his
own son. What would you do? The film follows their story
from the public’s perspective and through unique real foot-
age of the family in crisis, shot inside the Friedman house.
As the police investigate, and the community reacts, the
fabric of the family begins to disintegrate, revealing pro-
vocative questions about justice, family, and—ultimately—
truth. With an abundance of exclusive DVD bonus features
supplied on a second disc, Capturing the Friedmans is sure
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Spring 2010 • Page 19
to capture you and pin you to your seat. DVD, 235 min-
utes of documentary and extra material. List price, $29.98;
Amazon price $25.49; LFB price $14.95.
Free to Choose
Free To Choose is a landmark televi-
sion series about the interrelationship of
personal, political and economic free-
dom—ideas that still dominate public
policy debates decades after they were
first proposed. These are the ideas of
Nobel prize-winning economist Milton
Friedman and his economist wife, Rose. These ten one-
hour programs, filmed on location around the world, have
helped millions of people understand the close relationship
between the ideas of human and economic freedom. The
interaction between these ideas has created, in the United
States of America, the richest and freest society the world
has ever known. Milton Friedman sees this success threat-
ened when citizens assume government intervention is the
answer to all their problems. In this series, which premiered
in the United States on January 11, 1980, Dr. Friedman fo-
cuses on basic principles. How do markets work? Why has
socialism failed? Can government help economic develop-
ment? The television series and the book that emerged from
it have been watched and read by millions of people around
the world. Both have been translated into over two dozen
languages. DVDs, about 10 hours, $95.00
Tea with Mussolini
In this marvelous, partly autobio-
graphical film, director Franco Zef-
firelli takes us to Florence and gives
us a cast of superstars: Cher, Lily
Tomlin, Dame Judy Dench, Maggie
Smith and Joan Plowright. Here we
follow the story of Luca, a young
man raised by his English nanny
(Plowright), and a small group of
British and American women who
are dubbed Il Scorpioni by the locals. When war breaks
out, one of the women (Smith), whose deceased husband
had been British ambassador, assures the group that her
friendship with Il Duce will protect them all. Of course,
that is not to be the case.
The women begin to witness dangers of fascism first
hand. Only secret funds of the brash American (Cher)
saves them. But the American is in danger because she’s
a Jew and Il Scorpioni have to save her. In the climax of
this enchanting film, this small band of women stand up
to fleeing Nazis in order to save the great treasures of the
town where they are imprisoned. A touching, beautiful film
that portrays the dangers of out-of-control government and
the heroism of resisting authority. This film is a pleasure to
watch with a moral lesson for us all. DVD, 117 minutes,
list price $14.98; Amazon price $12.99; LFB price $11.95.
Laissez Faire!
We the Living
The new, special-edition 2-disc DVD set,
has the full 2 hour and 52 minute autho-
rized film, restored under the personal
supervision of Ayn Rand, PLUS over 45
minutes of deleted scenes including the
movie’s original ending.
The Bonus Features disc also fea-
tures an all-new 35 minute making-of
documentary vividly telling the amazing
story of how this film classic was made.
A highlight of the video is an exclusive first-hand account of how
Italian authorities banned the film, as told by the studio execu-
tive who managed the production. His heroic efforts to hide the
film’s original negatives prevented the film from being forever
lost. DVD, 172 minutes. List price $39.95. LFB’s price $34.95:
New LFB price $29.95.
The Day Ayn Rand Died
Jim Peron’s moving tribute to the impact of
Ayn Rand on one life. Barbara Branden called
it “magnificent... had me in tears.” Mrs. Bran-
den says it “named exactly and movingly
what Ayn gave to so many young people...
[this] video stands as a manifesto to her great
virtues and to the reasons for her incredible power to change the
lives of her readers.” DVD, about 45 minutes, $14.95
Battlefield or Marketplace?
Michael Cloud shows how one can present
libertarian ideas more efficiently. While some
may want to sell out principles to make liber-
tarianism more appealing, Cloud shows that
better marketing is a more effective tool for
persuasion. Two lectures from the World Freedom Summit in New
Zealand with Q&A periods. A must for every libertarian. DVD, all
regions, about 90 minutes, $15.95.
Study with Milton Friedman
Did you ever wish you could have studied
under the tutelage of a great thinker like Milton
Friedman? Now, here’s your chance. Thirty years
ago, 15 lectures by Friedman were videotaped
and we have them on DVD for your use. These
15 lectures include well over 12 hours of Fried-
man presenting his views, plus another six hours of questions and
answers. Highly entertaining and informative.
Lectures include:1. What is America? 2. Myths that Conceal
Reality 3. Is Capitalism Humane? 4. The Role of Government in
a Free Society 5. What’s Wrong with the Welfare State. 6. Money
and Inflation. 7. Is Tax Reform Possible? 8. Free Trade: Producer
vs. Consumer. 9. The Energy Crisis: A Humane Solution. 10. The
Economics of Medical Care. 11. Putting Learning Back in the
Classroom. 12. Who Protects the Consumer? 13. Who Protects the
Worker? 14. Equality and Freedom in the Free Enterprise System.
15. The Future of a Free Society. If bought individually the total
would be $350.00 Our price for all 15 DVDs is $299.95. Save 15%.
Note: These DVDs are produced from old film. There was some
degrading of the quality of the film over the years. This mainly
translates into some visual issues in a few spots. The DVDs we have
watched all the way through, to date, have only minor issues and it
doesn’t interfere with the lecture itself.
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Spring 2010 • Page 20
The Origins of Classical Liberalism
Author and historian, George Smith, presents two
lectures on the origins of classical liberalism. the
forerunner of modern libertarianism. This DVD
includes both lectures plus the Q&A periods.
Recorded at an ISIL World Freedom Summit in
New Zealand. This is Smith at his best. Enlighten-
ing and entertaining. DVD, all regions. About 90 minutes. $15.95
Milton Friedman Video Set
Three half-hour discussions with Dr. Milton Friedman on VHS.
In the first, Taking It to the Limits, Dr. Friedman
discusses many of the common objections to free-
dom and rebuts them. In the second, The High and
the Mighty, he debates former California Governor
Pete Wilson on the legalization of drugs. And in the
Economy’s New Clothes he discusses the state of
the U.S. economy and whether the Depression was avoidable and
what the future may hold. Each video is 30 minutes. Full set, three
VHSvideos, $34.95. Limited supply.
Ayn Rand with Mike Wallace
In 1959 Mike Wallace did one of the
first major interviews with Ayn Rand.
We recently acquired some of the last
copies of this interview in VHS for-
mat. About 30 minutes. Only 20 copies
available, VHS. $29.95
Ayn Rand with Phil Donahue
This video includes two episodes of the Phil
Donahue Show with Ayn Rand. We recently
acquired the last 25 copies of this video avail-
able. These aired about 40 years ago. VHS,
about 90 minutes. $39.95
The Mind of the Market
How did we evolve from hunter-gatherers to
modern consumer-traders? Why are people so
emotional and irrational when it comes to mon-
ey and business decisions? Bestselling author
Michael Shermer believes that evolution and
evolutionary psychology provide an answer to
both questions through the new science of evo-
lutionary economics. Drawing on research from neuroeconom-
ics, Shermer explores what brain scans reveal about bargaining,
snap purchases, and how trust is established in business. Shermer
shows how evolution and economics are both examples of a larger
and still somewhat mysterious phenomenon of emergence, where
one plus one equals three. DVD, about 60 minutes. $14.95.
An Evening with the
Skeptical Environmentalist
Bjorn Lomborg’s massive book debunking Green
alarmism, The Skeptical Environmentalist, became
a world-wide best-seller. But a lot of people don’t
have the time, or inclination, to work through it.
For them we present Lomborg himself explaining the basic thrust
of his work in a lively, entertaining and informative presentation.
This DVD shows Lomborg at his best. Presentation and Q&A: 80
minutes. $16.95.
Laissez Faire!
States of Fear
In discussing not just environmental issues, but
the increasing politicization of science itself, best-
selling author Michael Crichton examines the in-
tersection of media, politics, and science, inspiring
viewers to challenge old assumptions and to search
beneath the surface of issues as they seek to dis-
cover the truth. Scientists Bruce Ames (U.C. Berkeley), Sallie
Baliunas (Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), Wil-
liam Gray (Colorado State U.), and Oregon State Climatologist
George Taylor show how scientific debates have been politicized
by appealing to the fears of an uninformed public. List price
$19.95. LFB price $16.95
Environmentalism: Facing the Challenge
Václav Klaus takes on the environmental move-
ment in no uncertain terms. The only world leader
courageous enough to challenge the Green behemoth
discusses the threat that movement presents to liberty and economic
freedom. Includes Q&A, a presentation given at the Cato Institute.
DVD, about 60 minutes, $14.95.
Harry’s War
Harry’s War is a film you will enjoy unless you
work for the Internal Revenue Service. With
a stellar cast including Edward Herrmann,
Geraldine Page, David Ogden Stiers and Karen
Grassel, this is one of the most libertarian films
ever produced.
Rarely do you get a film that discusses things
like “constitutional government” and the abuses
of the IRS. The film has moments that are funny,
touching or infuriating. It was released in 1981, and from what I
understand, never saw the inside of a theater, in spite of a well-known
cast of actors. DVD, 98 minutes. $19.95. Multiple copies: 3 copies,
$49.95. 5 copies, $74.95, 10 copies, $124.95. To order bulk copies
call our toll-free number 866 686 7210
A Conversation with Peter Bauer
One of the twentieth century’s leading thinkers
on the relationship between free trade and the
economics of developing countries, Lord Peter
Thomas Bauer discusses his clear ideas on the
ineffectiveness of government aid and interven-
tion in the Third World.. DVD, about 58 minutes.
List price $22.00. LFB price $17.95.
The Devil’s Footpath
The Devil’s Footpath is an astonishingly
entertaining and moving documentary on
today’s conflicts in Africa. Kenyan libertar-
ian June Arunga is on a 5,000 mile journey
through conflict zones in Africa, including
the Sudan. Ms. Arunga offers viewers
insight, anger, fear, sorrow, and aston-
ishment as she interviews everyday Africans coping with
the disasters around them. “Africa could be the best place
on earth, but instead our best and brightest minds are leav-
ing the continent in their millions.” So says June Arunga,
a 22-year-old Kenyan law student who’s facing the same
dilemma. Should she stay or should she go? DVD, list price
$24.95, LFB price $19.95.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 21
A Conversation with
Milton Friedman
Nobel prize winning economist Gary Becker
interviews his fellow Nobel laureate, Milton
Friedman. DVD, about 73 minutes. List price
$22.00. LFB price $17.95.
Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them
Phillippe Legrain defends the libertarian view of
immigration. Free markets rely on the free move-
ment of capital, goods and labor. Yet so many “free marketeers”
pretend that movement of labor is not part of a functioning mar-
ket. Martin Wolf, editor of the Financial Times, says that Legrain
“makes a good case for the unpopular cause of free flows of peo-
ple. The book is a superb combination of direct reportage with
detailed analysis of the evidence.” DVD, $14.95.
The Power of the Poor
The Power of the Poor is a compelling look at
the surprising and vital role of inclusive laws
and titled property in establishing peace and
prosperity. It is also the story of real people
with real struggles—all of whom share a com-
mitment to entrepreneurship.
Hosted by renowned Peruvian economist and
author Hernando de Soto, this insightful pro-
gram tells how corruption, bureaucracy and lack of simple legal
rules have locked two-thirds of the world’s population out of the
global economy. Forced to operate outside the rule of law, they
have created their own parallel, but limited, commercial systems.
“It’s time to let them in,” says de Soto.
De Soto and his team have proven that, even hobbled by great
obstacles, the world’s hard-working poor entrepreneurs have cre-
ated far more wealth than anyone ever imagined possible—even
in the absence of legal frameworks people in the rich north take
for granted. Prosperity is possible, if only we simplify the rules
of the game. That means giving the poor titled property and legal
business tools we in the West enjoy. Such will enable them to
harness the power of their considerable assets, as these stories il-
lustrate.
To unlock The Power of the Poor is to change the world. If
we fail, the world’s ‘humble people’ will turn against capitalism
as they have turned against other failed economic systems. Such
could make for a very difficult and violent age. But with policies
of legal inclusion, there is hope. DVD, all regions, 57 minutes.
$34.95.
Why Globalization Works
Martin Wolf, editor of London’s Financial
Times, discusses why globalization works,
based on his book of the same name. Wolf’s
presentation to the World Freedom Summit in
Germany, sponsored by the International Soci-
ety for Individual Liberty. DVD, about 60 minutes, $14.95.
The Welfare State and the Decline of Europe
Swedish author Johnny Munkhammer discusses the negative im-
pact of the welfare state on Europe. DVD, 60 minutes, $14.95
The Limits of Democracy
Sir Samual Brittan discusses the limitations of democracy within
a free society. DVD, 60 minutes, $14.95
Laissez Faire! Spring 2010 • Page 22

Free Thought
God: The Failed Hypothesis
Many authors claim that modern science supports
the proposition that God exists, but very few authors
have directly challenged this assertion. Physicist
Atheism: The Case Against God Victor J. Stenger points out that if scientific argu-
“You are about to read a minority viewpoint.” With ments for the existence of God are included in intel-
this intriguing introduction, George Smith sets out lectual, not to mention political discourse, then ar-
to demolish what he considers the most widespread guments against his existence should also be considered. Stenger
and destructive of all the myths devised by man argues that science has advanced sufficiently to make a defini-
—the concept of a supreme being. With painstak- tive statement on the existence — or nonexistence — of the tra-
ing scholarship and rigorous arguments, Smith ditional Judeo-Christian-Islamic God. He invites readers to put
examines, dissects, and refutes the myriad “proofs” offered by their minds and the scientific method to work to test this claim.
theists - the defenses of sophisticated, professional theologians, Hardback, 310 pages. List price $28.98. LFB price $16.95
as well as the average religious layman. He explores the histori-
cal and psychological havoc wrought by religion in general - and
The Age of Reason
Thomas Paine, defender of freedom, independence,
concludes that religious belief cannot have any place in the life of
and rational common sense during America’s tur-
modern, rational man. Paperback, 367 pages. List price $22.98.
bulent revolutionary period, offers insights into
LFB price $13.95.
religion which ring sharply true more than two cen-
God & Philosophy turies later. This unabridged edition of The Age of
In this classic primer to the philosophy of religion, Reason sets forth Paine’s provocative observations
libertarian philosopher Antony Flew subjects a wide on the place of religion in society. Paperback, 190 pages. List price
range of philosophical arguments for the existence $19.98. LFB price $14.95.
of the Christian God to intense critical scrutiny. Does God Exist?
However, the rumor in some circles is that Flew— Is there a God? What is the evidence for belief in
longtime advocate of atheistic humanism—has become a theist. such a being? What is God like? Or, is God a fig-
Judge for yourself by reading his new introduction in which he ment of human inspiration? How do we know that
addresses the ancient arguments of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, such a being might not exist? Should belief or dis-
and Gottfried Leibniz, among others, as well as the contempo- belief in God’s existence make a difference in our
rary perspective of Richard Swinburne. Flew confronts head-on opinions and moral choices, in the way we see ourselves and relate
arguments grounded in order and design, existence and causal- to those around us? These are fundamental questions, and their
ity, meaning and morality, and miracles, as well as authority and answers have shaped individual lives, races, and nations through-
faith. Each is approached with a degree of keen insight that only out history. On March 24, 1988, at the University of Mississippi,
Flew can muster. Paperback, 214 pages. List price $20.98. LFB J.P. Moreland, a leading Christian philosopher and ethicist, and
price $11.50. Kai Nielsen, one of today’s best-known atheist philosophers, went
head-to-head over these questions. Does God Exist? records their
C.S. Lewis and the Search entire lively debate and includes questions from the audience, the
for Rational Religion debaters’ answers, and the responses of four recognized scholars
John Beversluis examines C.S. Lewis’s Argu- - William Lane Craig, Antony Flew, Dallas Willard, and Keith
ment from Desire—the “inconsolable longing” Parsons. Noted author and philosopher Peter Kreeft has written an
that he interpreted as a pointer to a higher reality; introduction, concluding chapter, and appendix - all designed to
his Moral Argument for the existence of a Power help readers decide for themselves whether God is fact or fantasy.
behind the moral law; and his Argument from Reason--his con- Paperback, 320 pages. List price $22.98. LFB price $14.95.
tention that reason cannot be adequately explained in naturalistic
terms. He also examines Lewis’s solution of the Problem of Evil, Atheism, Morality and Meaning
which many philosophers think is a decisive objection to belief Despite the pluralism of contemporary Ameri-
in Christianity. In addition, he considers issues in the philosophy can culture, the Judaeo-Christian legacy still has
of religion that developed late in Lewis’s life­—such as Antony a great deal of influence on the popular imagina-
Flew’s criticisms of Christian theology. He concludes with a dis- tion. Thus it is not surprising that in this con-
cussion of Lewis’s crisis of faith after the death of his wife and text atheism has a slightly scandalous ring, and
answers the question: Did C. S. Lewis lose his faith? Paperback, unbelief is often associated with lack of moral-
250 pages. List price $21.98. LFB price $16.25. ity and a meaningless existence. Distinguished
philosopher Michael Martin sets out to refute
Can We Be Good Without God? this notion in this thorough defense of atheism
Considering the long historical relationship between religion and as a both moral and meaningful philosophy of
ethics, Buckman asks whether we can develop better, nontheistic life. Martin shows not only that objective mo-
belief systems that avoid the destructive aspects of traditional rality and a meaningful life are possible without
religious beliefs. He then describes ways in which we can become belief in God, but that the predominantly Chris-
aware of, and perhaps, correct our “limbic urges” when they tian world view of American society is seriously
threaten to lead to destructive behavior. This ambitious work, flawed as the basis of morality and meaning.
covering important areas of social anthropology, comparative religion, neurology, Paperback, 235 pages. List price $22.98. LFB
and psychology, provides many insights into the mechanisms of belief. Hardback, price $18.95.
262 pages. List price $22.98. LFB price $15.50.
Laissez Faire!
The New Atheism
In recent years a number of bestselling books
have forcefully argued that belief in God can
no longer be defended on rational or empiri-
cal grounds, and that the scientific worldview
has rendered obsolete the traditional beliefs
held by Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The
authors of these books—Richard Dawkins,
Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Christopher
Hitchens, and Victor J. Stenger—have come to be known as the
“New Atheists.” Predictably, their works have been controversial
and attracted a good deal of critical reaction. Victor J. Stenger,
whose God: The Failed Hypothesis was on the New York Times
bestseller list in 2007, reviews and expands upon the principles of
New Atheism and answers many of its critics. He demonstrates
in detail that naturalism—the view that all of reality is reducible
to matter and nothing else—is sufficient to explain everything we
observe in the universe, from the most distant galaxies to the in-
ner workings of the brain that result in the phenomenon of mind.
Paperback, 282 pages. List price $19.00; LFB price $12.50.
Why Darwin Matters
Evolution happened, and the theory describ-
ing it is one of the most well-founded in all
of science. Then why do half of all Americans
reject it? There are religious reasons, such as
the fear of atheism and the perceived loss of
ultimate meaning; there are psychological rea-
sons, such as the ego-deflating realization that
we are mere animals; and there are political
reasons, such as the equation of evolution with
moral relativism on the right, and the connection of evolution to
eugenics and social Darwinism on the left. In Why Darwin Mat-
ters, historian of science and bestselling author Michael Shermer
defuses these fears by examining what evolution really is, how we
know it happened, and how to test it. Shermer then discusses what
science is through a brief history of the evolution-creation contro-
versy from the Scopes “Monkey” trial of 1925, through the U.S.
Supreme Court case of 1987, to the ongoing trials today, demon-
strating clearly how and why creationism and Intelligent Design
theory are not science. Dr. Shermer also builds a powerful case
for evolution as the scientific theory that most closely parallels
the Christian model of human nature and the conservative model
of free-market economics. Hardback copy, 224 pages. List price
$22.00. LFB price $9.95.
Irreligion
Are there logical reasons to believe in God? The
mathematician and bestselling author John Al-
len Paulos thinks not. In Irreligion he presents
the case for his own worldview, organizing his
book into twelve chapters that refute the twelve
arguments most often put forward for believing
in God’s existence. Interspersed among these
counterarguments are remarks on a variety of irreligious themes,
ranging from the nature of miracles and creationist probability
to cognitive illusions and prudential wagers. Despite the strong
influence of his day job, Paulos says, there isn’t a single math-
ematical formula in the book. Skeptic magazine said: “Paulos de-
serves high praise for turning out a book that is brief, forthright,
and amiable.” Hardback, 158 pages, list price, $20.00; LFB price
$9.95.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 23
Why People Believe Weird Things?
In this age of supposed scientific enlightenment,
many people still believe in mind reading, past-
life regression theory, New Age hokum, and
alien abduction. A no-holds-barred assault on
popular superstitions and prejudices, with more
than 80,000 copies in print, Why People Believe
Weird Things debunks these nonsensical claims
and explores the very human reasons people
find otherworldly phenomena, conspiracy the-
ories, and cults so appealing. In an entirely new chapter, “Why
Smart People Believe in Weird Things,” Michael Shermer takes
on science luminaries like physicist Frank Tippler and others, who
hide their spiritual beliefs behind the trappings of science. Hard-
back, 284 pages. List price $22.95. LFB price $13.95. Below
Amazon’s discounted paperback price!
God’s Problem
In times of questioning and despair, people often
quote the Bible to provide answers. Surprisingly,
though, the Bible does not have one answer but
many “answers” that often contradict one anoth-
er. Consider these competing explanations for
suffering put forth by various biblical writers:
• The prophets: suffering is a punishment for
sin • The book of Job, which offers two differ-
ent answers: suffering is a test, and you will be rewarded later
for passing it; and suffering is beyond comprehension, since we
are just human beings and God, after all, is God • Ecclesiastes:
suffering is the nature of things, so just accept it • All apocalyptic
texts in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament: God will
eventually make right all that is wrong with the world
For renowned Bible scholar Bart Ehrman, the question of why
there is so much suffering in the world is more than a haunting
thought. Ehrman’s inability to reconcile the claims of faith with
the facts of real life led the former pastor of the Princeton Baptist
Church to reject Christianity.
Ehrman discusses his personal anguish upon discovering the
Bible’s contradictory explanations for suffering and invites all
people of faith—or no faith—to confront their deepest questions
about how God engages the world and each of us. Hardback, 304
pages; list price $25.95; Amazon price, $19.72; LFB price $14.95.
Letter to a Christian Nation
In response to The End of Faith, Sam Harris
received thousands of letters from Christians
excoriating him for not believing in God. Letter
to a Christian Nation is his reply. Using rational
argument, Harris offers a measured refutation
of the beliefs that form the core of fundamental-
ist Christianity. In the course of his argument,
he addresses current topics ranging from intel-
ligent design and stem-cell research to the connections between
religion and violence. In Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris
boldly challenges the influence faith has on public life in our na-
tion.
“Reading Harris’ Letter to a Christian Nation was like sitting ring
side, cheering the champion, yelling ‘Yes!’ at every jab. For those
of us who feel depressed by this country’s ever increasing unifi-
cation of church and state... this little book is a welcome hit of
adrenalin.” Marc Hauser, author of Moral Minds: How Nature
Designed Our Sense of Right and Wrong. Hardback, 96 pages, list
price $16.95. LFB price, $8.95.
Laissez Faire!
Libertarianism: A Primer
David Boaz presents the essential guidebook to
the libertarian perspective, detailing its roots,
central tenets, solutions to contemporary policy
dilemmas, and future in American politics. He
confronts head-on the tough questions frequently
posed to libertarians: What about inequality?
Who protects the environment? What ties people
together if they are essentially self-interested? A concluding sec-
tion, “Are You a Libertarian?” gives readers a chance to explore
the substance of their own beliefs. Libertarianism is must reading
for understanding one of the most exciting and hopeful move-
ments of our time. Paperback, 314 pages, list price $17.95. LFB
price $14.95.
The Libertarian Reader
In The Libertarian Reader, David Boaz has col-
lected some of the finest libertarian writings ever
penned. This is the first comprehensive anthol-
ogy of libertarian thought—from the Bible and
Lao-Tzu to Milton Friedman and Richard Epstein
—to be published in one volume.
These 68 selections from great libertarian
writers are an intellectual feast. The editor’s
introductory essays on key libertarian themes such as skepticism
about power, individual rights, spontaneous order, free markets,
and peace are important essays in themselves. And the 40-page
bibliographical essay, “The Literature of Liberty,” by Cato’s Tom
Palmer, is alone worth the price of the book. List price $17.95,
LFB price $14.95.
Realizing Freedom
What is freedom? How is freedom related to jus-
tice, law, property, peace, and prosperity? Tom
Palmer has spent a lifetime-as a scholar, teacher,
journalist, and activist-asking and answering
these questions. His best writings are now col-
lected in Realizing Freedom: Libertarian Theo-
ry, History, and Practice. Palmer’s work ranges
from the theory of justice to multiculturalism, democracy and
limited government, globalization, the law and economics of pat-
ents and copyrights, among many other topics. These essays have
appeared in scholarly journals and in such newspapers as the New
York Times, Wall Street Journal, and London Spectator. Palmer
has smuggled photocopiers and fax machines into the Soviet
Union; organized movements against the draft, taxes, censorship,
and victimless-crime laws; and ceaselessly promoted freedom in
the most hostile locations, from communist Europe and China
to Iraq to the halls of academe. Hardcover, 532 pages, list price
$29.95. LFB price, $19.75.
The Market for Liberty
This classic work argues for a completely-depo-
liticized world where all services are provided by
private entrepreneurs. Morris and Linda Tannehill
make a persuasive case for their vision of a state-
less society.
The new edition is a special collector’s edi-
tion. It is the 40th anniversary facsimile edition. This means the
new edition looks like the original edition that came out in 1970.
The size is the same, the text is identical and the cover is identical,
except the cover specifying that this is the 40th anniversary fac-
simile edition. Paperback, 169 pages, $12.95. LFB price, $9.95
Bulk discount available.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 24
Libertarianism
The Road to Serfdom
With this new edition, The Road to Serfdom takes
its place in the series The Collected Works of F. A.
Hayek.  The volume includes a foreword by series
editor, Hayek scholar Bruce Caldwell, which ex-
plains the book’s origins and publishing history,
and assessing common misinterpretations of Hay-
ek’s thought. Caldwell has also standardized and corrected Hayek’s
references and added helpful new explanatory notes. Supplemented
with an appendix of related materials ranging from prepublication
reports on the initial manuscript to forewords to earlier editions
by John Chamberlain, Milton Friedman, and Hayek himself, this
new edition of The Road to Serfdom will be the definitive version
of Hayek’s enduring master-work. Paperback, 283p. List price
$17.00, LFB price $14.00.
The Constitution of Liberty
In this classic work Hayek restates the ideals of
freedom that he believes have guided, and must
continue to guide, the growth of Western civiliza-
tion. Hayek’s book, first published in 1960, urges
us to clarify our beliefs in today’s struggle of politi-
cal ideologies “One of the great political works of
our time, . . . the twentieth-century successor to John Stuart Mill’s
essay, On Liberty.”—Henry Hazlitt, Newsweek. Paperback, 508
pages, $22.95.
What It Means to Be a Libertarian
Charles Murray has created a radical, compas-
sionate blueprint for solving today’s most ur-
gent social and political problems.He believes
that America’s founders had it right—that strict
limits on the power of the central government
and strict protection of the individual are the
keys to a genuinely free society. He proposes a
government reduced to the barest essentials: an executive branch
consisting only of the White House and trimmed-down depart-
ments of state, defense, justice, and environmental protection; a
Congress so limited in power that it meets only a few months each
year; and a federal code stripped of all but a handful of regula-
tions. Murray shows why less government advances individual
happiness and promotes more vital communities and a richer cul-
ture. Paperback, 196 pages. List price $15.00. LFB price $11.95.
The Liberal Tide
Liberalism, properly understood, is a dynamic,
radical force pushing for the liberation of individu-
als from arbitrary control by others. It advocates
private property, limited government, social tol-
erance and peaceful relations with all. Over the
centuries, across the world, there have been voices
calling for individual freedom. This book collects those voices into
a coherent whole, explaining the nature of a free society.
The first section covers the nature of liberalism itself, the second
section covers the economics of liberalism and the third section
contrasts liberalism with its nemesis, the conservative force of so-
cialism. Authors in this volume include Bastiat, Mises, Buchanan,
Spooner, Read, Llosa, Chodorov and others. Paper, 178 pages,
$12.95.
Laissez Faire!
The Politics of Freedom
In The Politics of Freedom David Boaz takes
on both liberals and conservatives who seek to
impose their own partisan agendas on the whole
country. He explains • why freedom is both “pro-
choice” and “pro-life” • the growing libertarian
vote in America • how the Republicans became
the tax-and-spend party • how Democrats joined
Republicans in foreign adventurism • the failure
of the war on drugs and what can be done about it • how competition
can give us better schools • the betrayal of our constitutional rights
• why markets work and government planning doesn’t • and every-
thing from gay marriage and the nanny state to taxes and terrorism.
For nearly 30 years, David Boaz has been speaking directly to
the large and growing number of Americans who are fed up with
politics as usual. Now, for the first time, his best writings are gath-
ered in one collection. Hardback, 209 pages, list price $22.95.
LFB price $15.95.
The Decline of American Liberalism
Renowned historian Arthur Ekirch chronicles
the powerful and moving story of individual lib-
erty across three centuries of American history.
All readers across the political spectrum will be
fascinated by this widely-celebrated and beauti-
fully written book, as Ekirch traces how the ide-
al of individual liberty, free markets and self-government have
weathered through the Revolutionary War, Civil War, two World
Wars, Great Depression, and civil-rights battles. The book’s far-
reaching discussion of the growth of government and its negative
effects on autonomy, the economy, peace, and the rule of law is
highly illuminating for modern readers facing unprecedented cur-
rent expansions of the size and reach of State power. Paperback,
416 pages, list price $22.95. LFB price $15.50.
The Law
In The Law (1850), Frederic Bastiat recognized the
central importance of the law and morality in a free
society. He was concerned that government was
using the ‘law’ to become too active a participant
in the economy whilst devoting too little attention
to protecting life and liberty. Paper, 85p., $4.00.
The Man versus The State
Herbert Spencer develops the disastrous ramifications
of the substitution of the principle of compulsory co-
operation—the statist principle—for the individualist
principle of voluntary cooperation. His theme: “there
is in society... that beautiful self-adjusting principle
which will keep all its elements in equilibrium.... The
attempt to regulate all the actions of a community by legislation will
entail little else but misery and compulsion.” Paper, 550p., $9.95.
Liberalism
The foundation of liberalism, Ludwig von Mises
says, rests on an understanding and appreciation of
private property, social cooperation, the freedom
idea, ethics and morality, democracy, and the le-
gitimate role of government. The liberal program
aims at securing equality under law and freedom of opportunity
for everyone to make their own choices and decisions, so long as
they do not interfere with the equal rights of others; it offers no
special privileges to anyone. Paper, 203 pages, list price $14.50.
LFB price $10.50.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 25
Radicals for Capitalism
In this revelatory book, based on original re-
search and interviews with more than 100 key
sources, Brian Doherty traces the evolution
of the libertarian movement through the un-
conventional life stories of its most influential
leaders—Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, Ayn
Rand, Murray Rothbard, and Milton Fried-
man—and through the personal battles, char-
acter flaws, love affairs, and historical events
that altered its course. And by doing so, he provides a fascinat-
ing new perspective on American history—from the New Deal
through the culture wars of the 1960s to today’s most divisive
political issues. Neither an exposé nor a political polemic, this
entertaining historical narrative will enlighten anyone interested
in American politics. Hardback, 752 pags. List price $35.00. LFB
price, $18.95.
The State
In this libertarian classic, Franz Oppenheimer con-
tends that there are two fundamentally-opposed or-
ganizing principles of social life. One is essentially
peaceful and is what he calls the economic means:
the voluntary exchange of the products of one’s
own labor for those of the labor of others. The other is essentially
violent and is what he calls the political means: the appropriation
of the labor of others for the benefit of the political class. Hardback,
$22.95. Paper, $18.95.
Liberty vs. Tyranny of Socialism
Here is a collection of the syndicated newspaper
columns of Walter Williams. He offers his some-
times controversial views on education, health, the
environment, government, race and many other
topics. For the most part, Williams is a libertar-
ian with a few disappointing comments here and
there. With most writers, libertarians dig through
volumes to find a few nuggets. Williams is mostly nuggets so the
few clinkers can be forgotten. Williams is at his absolute best when
he takes on the current economic fallacies of the day. Each column
is short, easy-to-read, and almost all of them are enlightening and
entertaining. Paperback, 377 pages. List price, $15.00 LFB price,
$10.00.
Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion
Michael Cloud presents useful techniques for pre-
senting liberty in a more-persuasive manner. This
ought to be read by every libertarian interested
in spreading the ideas of a free society. Paper,
240p., $14.95.
Globalization and Liberty
A collection of speeches from ISIL conferences
around the world. Includes speeches by Milton
Friedman, Jan Narveson, Wendy McElroy, Ken
Schoolland, Samuel Brittan, Daniel Mitchell and
others. Pb, 125 pages, $14.95.
.
Essays on Individuality
A collection of essays on the place of the individual
in a free society. Includes essays by Arthur Ekirch,
Jr.; Milton Friedman; F.A. Hayek, Felix Morley and
others. Paperback, 382p., $9.95
Laissez Faire!
Ludwig von Mises
Human Action
In the foreword to Human Action: A Treatise on Economics,
Mises explains complex market phenomena as “the outcomes of
countless conscious, purposive actions, choices, and preferences
of individuals, each of whom was trying as best as he or she
could under the circumstances to attain various wants and ends
and to avoid undesired consequences.” It is individual choices in
response to personal subjective value judgments that ultimately
determine market phenomena—supply and demand, prices, the
pattern of production, and even profits and losses. Although gov-
ernments may presume to set “prices,” it is individuals who, by
their actions and choices through competitive bidding for money,
products, and services, actually determine “prices.” Thus, Mises
presents economics—not as a study of material goods, services,
and products—but as a study of human actions. He sees the sci-
ence of human action, praxeology, as a science of reason and log-
ic, which recognizes a regularity in the
sequence and interrelationships among
market phenomena. Mises defends meth-
odology of praxeology against criticisms
of Marxists, socialists, positivists, and
mathematical statisticians.
Mises attributes tremendous techno-
logical progress and consequent increase
in wealth and general welfare in the
last two centuries to introduction of lib-
eral government policies based on free-
market economic teachings, creating
an economic and political environment
which permits individuals to pursue their
respective goals in freedom and peace.
Mises also explains the futility and counter-productiveness of
government attempts to regulate, control, and equalize all peo-
ple’s circumstances: “Men are born unequal and ... it is precisely
their inequality that generates social cooperation and civiliza-
tion.” Four volumes, slipcase edition, 1017 pages. Hardback, list
price $72.00, LFB price $49.95. Paperback, list price $43.00,
LFB price, $34.95.
The Anti-capitalistic Mentality
Ludwig von Mises plainly explains the causes of the fear and
hatred that many intellectuals and others feel for capitalism. He
traces the causation of the misunderstandings and resultant fears
that cause resistance to economic development and social change.
He enumerates and rebuts the economic arguments against, and the
psychological and social objections to, economic freedom. Paper,
84p., list price, $12.00; LFB price, $9.95.
Bureaucracy
Mises’s classic examination of the nature of bureaucracies and free
markets in juxtaposition to various political systems. Contrasts
the two forms of economic management—that of a free-market
economy and that of a bureaucracy. In the market economy, en-
trepreneurs are driven to serve consumers by their desire to earn
profits. In a bureaucracy, managers must comply with orders is-
sued by the legislative body under which they operate; they may
not spend without authorization and they may not deviate from
the path prescribed by law. Paper, 120p., list price, $12.00; LFB
price, $9.95.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 26
The Theory of Money and Credit
The Theory of Money and Credit integrated monetary
theory into the main body of economic analysis for the
first time, providing fresh, new insights into the nature
of money and its role in the economy and bringing
Mises into the front rank of European economists. Paperback, 544
pages, list price $14.50. LFB price $10.50.
Planning for Freedom
In this anthology, Mises offers an articulate and accessible in-
troduction to, and critique of, two topics he considers especially
important: inflation and government interventionism. According
to Mises, inflation, that is monetary expansion, is destructive; it
destroys savings and investment, which are the basis for produc-
tion and prosperity. Government controls and economic planning
never accomplish what their proponents intend. Mises consis-
tently argues that the solution to government intervention is free
markets and free enterprise, which call for reforming government.
For that, ideas must be changed to “let the market system work.”
There is no better “planning for freedom” than this. Paperback,
188 pages. List price $12.00. LFB price $9.95.
Economic Policy
Economic Policy contains six lectures
Ludwig von Mises delivered in 1959
for the Centro de Estudios Sobre la
Libertad in Argentina. This volume
serves as an excellent introduction to
what Mises sees as the simple truths
of history in terms of economic prin-
ciples. In straightforward language,
Mises explains topics such as capi-
talism, socialism, interventionism,
inflation, foreign investment, and eco-
nomic policies and idea. Pb. List price
$12.00. LFB price $9.95.
Economic Freedom and Interventionism
Both a primer of the fundamental thought of Ludwig von Mises
and an anthology of the writings of perhaps the best-known expo-
nent of what is now known as the Austrian School of economics.
This volume contains forty-seven articles. These papers are essen-
tial reading for students of economic freedom and the science of
human action. Paperback, 312 pages. List price $14.50. LFB price
$10.50.
Socialism
This book must rank as the most devastating analysis of socialism
yet penned. . . . An economic classic in our time.—Henry Hazlitt.
Mises’ seminal critique of state planning. Paper, 656p., $14.50.
LFB price, $11.00.
Marxism Unmasked
This volume contains nine lectures delivered over one week, in
1952, at the San Francisco Public Library. Mises was at his prime
as a teacher and lecturer. He shares a lifetime of learning on topics
that were (and remain) central to American public life. As the title
indicates, his main focus is on Marxism. He discusses Marx and
his place in the history of ideas, the destruction wrought by his
dangerous ideology, the manner in which his followers have cov-
ered up his errors, and how the Marxists themselves have worked
for so long to save Marxism from itself. He discusses Marxist
claims about history and refutes the smear of the industrial revolu-
tion. Paperback, 109 pages, LFB price, $11.00.
Laissez Faire!
Economics
Economics in
One Lesson
Henry Hazlitt’s book has
been the springboard from
which millions have come
to understand the basic truths
about economics--and the economic falla-
cies responsible for inflation, unemploy-
ment, high taxes, and recession. H.L.
Mencken called Hazlitt “one of the few
economists in human history who could
really write.” Nobel Laureate F.A. Hayek
hailed this book as “a brilliant perform-
ance.” Hardback (Limited Supply), 205p.,
$29.95. Paperback, $14.95. LFB price:
$12.95 Special Offer: Buy a case of 22
copies for $218.95, a 33% discount, just
$9.95 each.
The Making of
Modern Economics
Mark Skousen presents a
bold, updated history of
economics—the dramatic
story of how the great eco-
nomic thinkers built today’s rigorous so-
cial science. Skousen revised this popular
work to provide more material on Adam
Smith and Karl Marx, and expanded cov-
erage in several other areas.
This comprehensive, yet accessible in-
troduction to the major economic writers
of the past 225 years begins with Smith
and continues to the present day. It exam-
ines the contributions made by each indi-
vidual to our understanding of the role of
the economist, the science of economics,
and economic theory. Paperback, 494 pag-
es, list price $42.95. LFB price $27.95.
Capitalism
and Freedom
In this classic book, Mil-
ton Friedman provides the
definitive statement of his
immensely influential eco-
nomic philosophy —one in which com-
petitive capitalism serves as both a device
for achieving economic freedom and a
necessary condition for political freedom.
The result is an accessible text that has sold
well over half a million copies in English,
has been translated into eighteen languages,
and shows every sign of becoming more and
more influential as time goes on. Paper, 208
pages, list price $16.00. Our price $12.95.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Selected Essays in
Political Economy
Thirteen masterpieces by
Frederic Bastiat of eloquent
argumentation, still relevant
to the issues of our own day:
communism, labor union-
ism, protectionism, government subsidies
for the arts, colonialism, the welfare state,
the right to employment, and the unseen
consequences of government interference
with free exchange. With an introduction
by F.A. Hayek. Paperback, 352 pages.
$11.00.
The Keynesian
Episode
W.H. Hutt’s expose of the
fallacies of J.M Keynes,
theories now embraced
with enthusiasm by the new
president. Hutt shows why
those policies will NOT work. Paperback,
449 pages, LFB price $12.00.
More Sex is Safer Sex
Steven Landsburg’s writings
are living proof that econom-
ics need not be “the dismal
science.” Readers of The
Armchair Economist and
his columns in Slate magazine know that
he can make economics not only fun but
fascinating, as he searches for the reasons
behind the odd facts we face in our daily
lives. In More Sex Is Safer Sex, he brings
his witty and razor-sharp analysis to the
many ways that our individually rational
decisions can combine into some truly
weird collective results—and he proposes
hilarious and serious ways to fix just about
everything. Hardback, 288 pages. List
price $26.00. LFB price $12.95.
The Essence
of Friedman
This collection of essays
presents a sampling of the
significant contributions to
twentieth-century economic
thought and practice by
Nobel Prize-winner Milton Friedman. A
number of the essays reprinted here are
eloquent expressions of his commitment
to everyone’s freedom to choose. Paper,
600p., $24.95.
Spring 2010 • Page 27
Money in Crisis
Despite the best inten-
tions to manipulate the
money supply and inter-
est rates to achieve steady
real economic growth,
low unemployment and
low inflation, the US
economy has suffered repeated bouts of
inflation and recession. This collection
explores the record of the Federal Reserve
from 1913 to today and proposes bold new
directions for reform, including free-market
banking, gold and other commodity-reserve
currencies, and constitutional limits on fis-
cal and monetary policy. Paperback, $19.95.
Applied Economics
So much of our national
political debate these days
revolves around economic
matters—taxes, health care,
even affirmative action and
immigration policy—that it
is essential for every informed American
to have a working knowledge of econom-
ics. In Applied Economics the renowned
conservative economist Thomas Sow-
ell has made it possible for you to grasp
quickly and easily the economic elements
of key public policies. Better yet, this re-
vised and expanded edition now includes
material on the roots of the Crash of 2008,
the economics of immigration, and other
timely topics. With an experienced teach-
er’s knack for making the complex simple,
Sowell explains why politicians frequently
cheerlead for policies that are bad for the
economy; why cities with rent-controlled
housing usually end up riddled with slums;
why medical-care costs just keep going
up; and much more. Hardback, 352 pages.
List price $35.00. LFB price $15.00.
Man, Economy
and State
A pillar of the Austrian
School Library and the
last full-blown treatise
on economics. If Mises’s
Human Action was the culmination of the
School from Menger’s time, Rothbard’s
treatise takes Austrian thought even further
in the areas of utility and welfare economics,
antitrust, labor, taxation, public goods, and
social insurance schemes. Inconsistencies
are ironed out and the system of thought,
in all its logical rigor, is unbroken. Paper,
987p., $19.95.
Laissez Faire!
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand and the World She Made
A passionate advocate of laissez-faire capi-
talism and individual rights, Rand remains a
powerful force in the political perceptions of
Americans today. Yet twenty-five years after her
death, her readers know little about her life.
In this seminal biography, Anne C. Heller
traces the controversial author’s life from her
childhood in Russia during the Bolshevik Revo-
lution to her years as a screenwriter in Hollywood, the publication
of her blockbuster novels, and the rise and fall of the cult that
formed around her in the 1950s and 1960s. Throughout, Heller
reveals previously unknown facts about Rand’s history and looks
at Rand with new research and a fresh perspective.
Based on original research in Russia, dozens of interviews
with Rand’s acquaintances and former acolytes, and previously-
unexamined archives of tapes and letters, Ayn Rand and the World
She Made is a comprehensive and eye-opening portrait of one of
the most significant and improbable figures of the twentieth cen-
tury. Hardback, 592 pages. List price $35.00. LFB price, $20.25.
Ayn Rand for Beginners
Ayn Rand, author of the best-selling novels,
The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, is
beloved by millions of readers, and equal-
ly hated. Her novels and her revolutionary
philosophy of Objectivism have acquired
a world-wide following. They have also
created a world-wide legion of frustrated
readers who find it difficult to permeate
her lengthy tomes. However, Ayn Rand is undeniably a solid step
in the literary canon as well as in the progression of philosophy.
Until now, there has been no simple, easy-to-read introduction
to her books and ideas. Ayn Rand For Beginners sheds a new light
on Ms. Rand’s otherwise seemingly impenetrable words and phi-
losophy. In clear, down-to-earth language, it explains Ayn Rand’s
books and ideas to a new generation of readers. Paperback, 112
pages. List price $14.95, LFB price $10.00.
What Art Is
In What Art Is, Torres and Kamhi present a lu-
cid introduction to Rand's esthetic theory, con-
trasting her ideas with those of other thinkers.
They conclude that, in its basic principles, her
account is compelling, and is corroborated by
evidence from anthropology, neurology, cog-
nitive science, and psychology.
The authors apply Rand's theory to a de-
bunking of the work of prominent modernists
and postmodernists--from Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, and Sam-
uel Beckett to John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and other highly
regarded postmodernist figures. Finally, they explore the implica-
tions of Rand's ideas for the issues of government and corporate
support of the arts, art law, and arts education. Paperback, 553
pages. List price $21.95; LFB price $18.95.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 28
The Vision of Ayn Rand
The Nathaniel Branden Institute lectures
that systematized Ayn Rand’s philosophy
and launched a philosophical movement.
In print for the first time. See page 14 for
detals. Hardback, list price $39.95, LFB
price $34.95; paperback $27.95, LFB
price $22.95; signed/numbered leather-
bound edition, $299.95. Leather bound
NOT signed or numbered $99.95.
Goddess of the Market
For the most part, Burns has assembled a
book that will interest anyone who was influ-
enced by Ayn Rand. When a major academic
publisher, like Oxford University Press, sets out
to explore to the impact of Ayn Rand on Ameri-
can politics, that alone is a significant event.
Anyone who actually cares about the im-
pact of Ayn Rand on the political scene will,
however, love this book, even if they have quibbles with the au-
thor in various areas. Burns has not so much written a biography
as a political biography. She recounts Rand’s influence on the po-
litical Right. She details her relationships with figures like Isabel
Patterson and William F. Buckley. Yes, there are points to quibble
about, but the broad picture that Burns paints, not any particular
stroke of the brush, is what we should focus on. This is an impor-
tant work on Rand and reflects the Rand revival.
Hardback, 384 pages. List price, $27.95. Previous LFB price,
$18.00. New special LFB price $16.25.
The Passion of Ayn Rand
“The Passion of Ayn Rand is at once intimate
and objective, revealing and respectful, criti-
cal and adulatory. When I read the manuscript
for the first time, I phoned Barbara Branden
and told her that she had created one of the
great fictional characters of our time. “But
it’s all true!” she insisted. Branden has in-
terviewed more than two hundred people,
including Ayn’s sister Nora, an aunt she stayed with in Chicago,
cousins, members of her husband’s family, associates from her
days in Hollywood, early conservative and libertarian friends, and
many, many more besides.” Roy Childs. Paperback, 442 pages.
$17.95.
Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life
A beautiful hardback book filled with
hundreds of photos based on the biographical
documentary of the same name. Hardback, 191
pages, $12.95, sale price.
First Day
of Issue
Stamp
We recently acquired a number of these First Day of Issue enve-
lopes featuring the Ayn Rand stamp. The stamp was first released
in Rand’s favorite city, New York City, on April 22, 1999. Each
envelope is stamped “First Day of Issue” with a post mark indicat-
ing it was released on that day. LFB price, $5.00.
Laissez Faire!
Editor’s Choice
With hundreds of titles in stock we are only able to list a small
fraction of our entire selection in any one cataloge. And we try to
list titles thematically. But with limited space there are still some
favorite titles that I wanted to bring to your attention. This are not
sorted by subject, but favorite titles that I didn’t want to leave out
of this catalogue. - Editor
Little Brother
Cory Doctorow’s new best-selling novel.
A typical rebellious teen suddenly finds
himself living in a police state imposed by
the Department of Homeland Security after
an explosion brings down the San Francisco
Bay Bridge. Every citizen is now treated as
a potential terrorist. Even mentioning the
Bill of Rights becomes cause for suspicion.
Kidnapped, tortured and threatened into
silence by agents of his own government,
our hero­­—Marcus Yallow—uses his computer hacking skills
to organize the young people of San Francisco. Together these
“little brothers” undermine the police-state measures imposed by
Big Brother. This fast-paced novel shows how technology can be
used to rip away freedom and how other technology can be used
to free people. Great for teens and adults. Paperback, 382p., $9.95.
The Cult of the Presidency
Gene Healy traces America’s decades-long drift
from the Framers’ vision for the presidency: a
constitutionally-constrained chief magistrate
charged with faithful execution of the laws. Re-
storing that vision will require a Congress and a
Court willing to check executive power, but there
is no simple legislative or judicial “fix” to the
problems of the presidency. Unless Americans change what we
ask of the office--no longer demanding what we should not want
and cannot have--we’ll get what, in a sense, we deserve.This title
has our highest recommendation. Paperback, 368 pages, list price
$15.95. LFB price $10.50.
The Age of Abundance
Brink Lindsey offers a bold reinterpretation of the
latter half of the twentieth century. In this sweeping
history of postwar America, the tumult of racial and
gender politics, the rise of the counterculture, and the
conservative revolution of the 1980s and 1990s are
portrayed in an entirely new light. Readers will learn how and why
the contemporary ideologies of left and right emerged in response
to the novel challenges of mass prosperity. Hardback, 377p., list
price $25.95. LFB price, $16.95.
Noble Vision
Gen LeGreca’s novel does more to debunk the
theory of nationalized health care than 90% of the
“non-fiction” rebuttals on the market. It illustrates
through a well-crafted plot the evils of bureau-
cratically-managed health care while entertaining
the reader at the same time. Paper, 352p., $14.95.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
Spring 2010 • Page 29
Saving Globalization
Globalization is a process. It can’t be stopped, but
it can be slowed. It came to a grinding halt in Au-
gust 1914 and the Marxist detour cost millions of
lives. Yet more wealth has been created in the past
60 years than in all of history. After the most suc-
cessful decade of sustained economic growth in
history, this progress is threatened.
Extreme inequality, corruption and environmental degrada-
tion threaten the stability and legitimacy of many developing
countries’ regimes. Anti-globalization and anti-capitalist cam-
paigners’ confidence has been emboldened due to the present
economic crisis. Protectionist rhetoric is growing, as are the ar-
guments to control and regulate markets. Leaders are meeting to
discuss how to face these problems and create a new international
architecture. How did we get to this position? What should we
do? What is it that determines why some contemporary states are
successful while others have failed?
Democratic capitalism has worked for most people. Why? It
is a remarkable story, from the Greeks to the Geeks, encompass-
ing technological progress and the corrections and contradictions
between liberty and equality, technology, growth and the envi-
ronment. In defence of the many virtues and opportunities that
globalisation offers, Mike Moore makes the case for a fresh and
new approach to our international Institutions and for domestic
policies that promote equity and fairness.
The book attacks the new enemies of reason and evidence.
The threats now come from all sides, especially workers in de-
veloped countries who fear for their jobs. Mike Moore begain
his career as a dedicated socialist (and it shows), became prime
minister of New Zealand and now champions liberal capitalism,
though incosistently. Hardback, 320 pages. List price, $29.95.
LFB price, $19.95.
Free Range Kids
A lot of parents today, Lenore Skenazy says,
see no difference between letting their kids walk
to school and letting them walk through a firing
range. Any risk is seen as too much risk. But if
you try to prevent every possible danger or dif-
ficulty in your child’s everyday life, that child
never gets a chance to grow up. Parents have to
realize that the greatest risk of all just might be trying to raise a
child who never encounters choice or independence.
Skenazy puts parents’ fears to bed by examining the statistical
likelihood of the dangers we most fear (murder, baby-snatching,
etc.). Drawing on facts, statistics, and humor, she convincingly
argues that this is one of the safest periods for children in the
history of the world, reiterating that “mostly, the world is safe…
and mostly, people are good.” Even the lowest-flying helicopter
parents would have trouble disagreeing that “we have entered an
era that says you cannot trust yourself. Trust a product instead.”
Skenazy argues that it’s time to retire the national pastime of wor-
rying and that “childhood is supposed to be about discovering the
world, not being held captive.” Hardback, 256 pages. List price
$24.95; LFB price $16.50.
The Girl Who Owned a City
In a world where adults have perished, one
young girl discovers how to use reason and
trade to bring back peace and security. She
creates her own private city and it works.
Paper, 192p., $6.50
Laissez Faire!
The Case Against
Adolescence
Dr. Robert Epstein argues
that adolescence is a recent,
Western invention. Teens
didn’t used to be treated as
more-advanced children,
but used to be given adult responsibilities
and rights. And Epstein says they were bet-
ter for it. Now society has compartmental-
ized teens, stripping them of a large portion
of the rights that they historically held and
treating them more like children.
This means many teens are being social-
ized by other teens and not by adults, and
that their levels of frustration and anger
have escalated. Often these angry teens
have ways of forcing society to treat them
like adults—such as by committing a crime
or getting pregnant.
This is persuasively written, covers the
major areas of contention, and brings forth
reams of scientific evidence to refute the
notion that teens are merely surly, large
children. It is highly recommended. Hard-
back, 489 pages, list price $24.95, LFB
price, $18.95.
Let Them In
Separating fact from myth
in today’s heated immigra-
tion debate, Jason Riley,
of the Wall Street Jour-
nal, contends that foreign
workers play a vital role
in keeping America prosperous; that main-
taining an open-border policy is consistent
with free-market economic principles; and
that the arguments put forward by oppo-
nents of immigration ultimately don’t hold
up to scrutiny. Hardback 256 pages, list
price $22.50. LFB Price, 10.95.
Nanny State
The average American has
little idea just how many lib-
erties have been lost through
the growth of the Leviathan.
Increasingly there’s a regulation, the need
to get permission, and the outright banning
of ordinary activities that have always
been seen as personal and private. David
Harsanyi gives us a detailed script of this
ugly process. He is more than generous by
titling this egregious attack on our liber-
ties as the ‘Nanny State.’”—Walter E.
Williams. Hardback, 304 pages. List price
$24.95. LFB price $11.95.
More of our titles can be
found at www.lfb.org.
www.lfb.org • 1-866-686-7210 • askus@lfb.org
War and Liberty
An essential work on the
challenges of preserving
civil liberties in wartime
by a preeminent scholar
of constitutional law.
Winner of eight national
awards for his magisterial work Perilous
Times, Geoffrey R. Stone has now created
a condensed, updated, and more acces-
sible history of civil liberties in wartime.
With an in-depth examination of how our
constitutional rights have fared during
the presidency of George W. Bush, Stone
reveals how the federal government has
suppressed civil liberties in times of war
throughout American history. A sparkling
historical narrative, War and Liberty is
the perfect book for any reader who wants
to understand the current national debate
and assess the state of our freedoms. Pa-
perback, 215 pages. List price $14.95.
LFB price $8.95.
Bad Trip
A war on drugs is an assault on
liberty. It assaults the liberty of
those who choose to indulge
as well as their dealers. But it
also fuels the militaristic streak
of the police who are leading SWAT-team
assaults on private homes. Every year these
assaults “mistakenly” kill innocent people.
The war on drugs can kill you regardless
of your choices. Drug can’t kill you unless
you choose to indulge and even then they
aren’t as deadly as the war on drugs. The
war on drugs is wrong, immoral, costly and
destructive to Constitutional government.
This book explains why. Hardback, 178
pages, list price $24.99, LFB price $11.95.
Universal Coverage
A new novel by Daniel
Putkowski, Universal Cov-
erage is a glimpse into the
future of American health
care. Our protagonist, Bob
Smith, enters health-care
hell when his son collapses on the ball field.
Smith encounters a Kafkaesque world of
regulations, controls, and penalties when
all he needs is a doctor. Anyone familiar
with the rules of nationalized medicine,
in other parts of the world, will recognize
Smith’s dilemma. Author Daniel Putkows-
ki doesn’t portray a world as it ought to
be, but how it may well be. Today’s novel
could be tomorrow’s journalism and that is
terrifying to consider. Paperback, Amazon
price $16.00, LFB price $14.00.
Spring 2010 • Page 30
Mugged by the State
Investigative reporter Ran-
dall Fitzgerald has traveled
the country meeting ordi-
nary, innocent Americans
with horrifying stories of
how they have lost their homes, land,
businesses, bank accounts, cars, and other
assets to federal, state, and local govern-
ment. Thanks to out-of-control regula-
tions, property can be seized, impounded,
and sold without recompense to the right-
ful and innocent owner. And as Randall
Fitzgerald points out, it could happen
to you. Hardback, 157 pages. List price
$19.95. LFB price $12.95.
The Beautiful Tree
Everyone from Bono to
UNESCO is looking for
a silver bullet to bring
schooling within reach
of the poorest children
on Earth. James Tooley
may have found one.
While researching private schools in In-
dia for the World Bank, and worrying that
he was doing little to help the poor, Pro-
fessor Tooley wandered into the slums of
Hyderabad’s Old City. Shocked to find it
overflowing with small, parent-funded
schools, he set out to discover if they could
help achieve universal education. So began
the adventure lyrically told in The Beau-
tiful Tree—the story of Tooley’s travels
from the largest shanty town in Africa to
the mountains of Gansu, China, and of the
children, parents, teachers and entrepre-
neurs who taught him that the poor are not
waiting for educational handouts. They are
building their own schools and learning
to save themselves. Hardback, list price,
$19.95; LFB price, $14.95
The Founders’
Second Amendment
Stephen Halbrook’s The
Founders’ Second Amend-
ment is the first book-length
account of the origins of the
Second Amendment, based
on the Founders’ own statements. Dr.
Halbrook investigates the period from the
last years of British rule and the American
Revolution through to the adoption of the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the
passing of the Founders’ generation. His
book offers the most comprehensive analy-
sis of the arguments behind the drafting
and adoption of the Second Amendment,
and the intentions of the men who created
it. Hardback, 448p., list price $28.95.  LFB
price, $18.95.
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