Joy of Freedom, The: An Economist's Odyssey
David R. Henderson
Summary
Freedom. Freedom from
government meddling and taxation. Freedom of association. These freedoms are inseparable,
and they are the engines of human progress. A simple idea? Perhaps. Yet this simple idea
has been responsible for more human happiness than any other.
In The Joy of Freedom, David
R. Henderson shines a light on freedom at work in every corner of human life, making the
most powerful case for free markets since Milton and Rose Friedman's Free to Choose. Along
the way, he demolishes the conventional "wisdom" that has justified government's
role in environmental regulation, education, social security, and healthcare; and shows
once and for all why government programs perpetuate poverty instead of eliminating it.
Forget the "dismal
science": Economist Henderson writes with passion about the joyous science. You will
always know where he stands: with freedom, and against tyranny-in any guise.
- Free
and healthy, at half the cost
How
deregulation and the Internet can make healthcare more competitive-and less expensive
- Nature's
best friend: property rights
How
property rights are protecting wildlife, from elephants to hawks
- Interviewing
Ralph Nader
Nader
defends regulations that kill thousands of people every year
- Governments
promote racism and free markets combat it
Some
fascinating stories on South Africa, the United States, and Schindler's List
- Beyond
public schools: education in a free society
The
10 most important things you've learned
- Free
markets: empowering the poor, worldwide
Property
ownership: the best solution for abolishing hunger and poverty
The world's most powerful
idea: for real joy, you need real freedom.
- The
strongest arguments for free markets since Milton Friedman's Free to Choose
- A
personal manifesto from one of the world's leading economists
- How
freedom unleashes extraordinary improvements in every area of human society
The Joy of Freedom: An
Economist's Odyssey brings free market economics to life through stories of those who have
discovered it in their own lives. David R. Henderson, one of the world's most vigorous
advocates of free markets, celebrates those in American society-and around the world-who
are fighting to get the government off their backs.
No writer has more
masterfully illustrated the centrality of freedom and enlightened self-interest to a
well-run economy-and a good society. Henderson demonstrates the power and the potential
of free markets to improve the environment, education, health, community, culture, and
every other aspect of life that matters. This plain-speaking book crystallizes the
inherent contradictions between government and freedom, showing why even the most
well-intentioned governments can deliver nothing but disaster.
For those who already believe
in free markets, this book offers powerful ammunition; for those who are skeptical, it
will be a revelation.
"The Joy of Freedom
is a quasi-autobiographical clarion call for a free society. It is passionate and
eloquent, yet at the same time, thoughtful, informed, and profound. A splendid statement
of the moral case for a free society, at the same time it is an informed and comprehensive
survey of its practical virtues and of the harm done by widespread government
intervention. " Milton Friedman Senior Research Fellow, Hoover
Institution, and Nobel Laureate
"Economics, like
politics, has its 'great communicators.' David R. Henderson is one of them. A superb
lesson from one of the more masterly of our economic teachers." Amity Shlaes,
Columnist on Political Economy, The Financial Times
"A dazzling
intellectual memoir, a high-level lesson in market economics, a terrific read. "
Dan Seligman,Forbes magazine
"A can't-put-it-down
read that engages you in story and events.... Here economic principles are not dry
theories; they are events in Henderson's life. And we come to root for him as he struggles
to see through one economic commonplace after another." Shelby Steele, author of
A Dream Deferred: The Second Betrayal of Black Freedom in America
356 pages