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Title: The Machinery of Freedom: A Guide to Radical Capitalism by David D. Friedman ISBN: 0-8126-9069-9 Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company Pub. Date: August, 1989 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.17 (12 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An Anarcho-capitalist Classic
Comment: The Machinery of Freedom has been called the Bible for anarcho-capitlism and radical libertarianism (among other things, some not as flattering) but it isn't the definitive work. What it is, however, is a really great book that outlines many of the popular utilitarian/efficiency arguments for anarchy and puts it in a way accessible to everyone. David Friedman is probably the greatest living "father" of anarcho-capitalism, and this book is the main treatise available to a wide audience. The book bleeds logic and doesn't pull any punches - it is matter-of-fact and does what it purports to do: shows, briefly, how "public goods" could be privately provided and that Statism, especially welfare statism, is grossly inefficient.
David Friedman, a physicist by training, is the son of Nobel laureate and Chicago economist Milton Friedman. Don't let his natural science background turn you away - David Friedman understands economics very well. Maybe it was destiny. His writing style is good, and his insights are some of the best, as a whole, in the history of anarchist thought. This book is a great introduction to anarchy as well, but don't expect too much hand holding - the book is fast paced.
Friedman, while a "radical capitalist," does not go on tangents about the "revolution" or bringing down the system. The book is a scientific and philosophical inquiry, and as such is well thought out, well constructed, and well presented. The chapter on Iceland is well-researched, even if seemingly out of place. Overall, Friedman is a real thinker capable of presenting his major ideas concisely and in a readable fashion. Most educated readers will find it accessible, and I believe you will find it interesting if not completely eye-opening. Libertarians should read this to understand what it means to apply libertarian ideas consistently (forget "Libertarianism: A Primer"). The chapter on national defense is weak, and the moral/philosophical dimension is also weak, but the book is short. If you read this in combination with the works of Mises and Rothbard, you will have a good survey of the seminal works in anarchist thought.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent!
Comment: I think this book is ingenious. Friedman obviously took a lot of time to figure out how a stateless society that respects property rights might operate. He offers potential solutions to various public goods problems. My favorite was his solution to money in chapter 46, where he suggests there should be a commodity-bundle based on receipts backed by various commodities. This is only one example of the many clever ideas he comes up with. Even if you aren't a libertarian or anarchist, I suggest you get this book at least as an excellent insight into anarco-capitalist theory.
Rating: 5
Summary: thank you
Comment: Impecable. whether it can work is a different issue. but it makes you see things from a different perspective.
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Title: Law's Order: What Economics Has to Do with Law and Why It Matters. by David D. Friedman ISBN: 0691090092 Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr Pub. Date: 01 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek ISBN: 0226320618 Publisher: University of Chicago Press (Trd) Pub. Date: September, 1994 List Price(USD): $9.48 |
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Title: Economics for Real People: An Introduction to the Austrian School by Gene Callahan ISBN: 0945466358 Publisher: Ludwig Von Mises Inst Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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Title: Hidden Order : Economics of Everyday Life, The by David D. Friedman ISBN: 0887308856 Publisher: HarperBusiness Pub. Date: 27 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto by Murray N. Rothbard ISBN: 0930073029 Publisher: Fox & Wilkes Pub. Date: February, 1989 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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