Joy of Freedom, The: An Economist's Odyssey: Amazon.ca: David R. Henderson: Books

Book Description

Publication Date: Sep 24 2001 | Series: Financial Times (Prentice Hall)

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 emlightened 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 cystallizes 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.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } 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 emlightened 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 cystallizes 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.

Product Details

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Financial Times Prentice Hall; 1 edition (Sep 24 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0130621129
ISBN-13: 978-0130621122
Product Dimensions: 2.7 x 16.3 x 23.7 cm
Shipping Weight: 726 g

Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,176,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

''The joy of freedom is a quasi-autobiographical clarion call of 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

From the Back Cover

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

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Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Reaching People Where They Live Jan 9 2002

By Jon Kalb

Format:Hardcover

There is a saying that people don't care what you know until they know that you care. In "The Joy of Freedom," Dr. Henderson not only articulates what he knows, he demonstrates that he cares.

I've been an advocate of freedom for many years and the last thing I need to read is another primer on why the free market is better than the heavy hand of government intervention. This intellectual argument has been won many times over, but we still live in a world dominated by pro-interventionist view points. Why is this? Because trying to win people's minds without also winning their hearts is futile. This is where we as freedom advocates have so often failed. We have been so busy concentrating on the intellectual arguments that we have forgotten that we are trying to appeal to people. Human beings that need to be reassured that we have values that they share and that we care about the same things that they care about.

This is where "The Joy of Freedom" is so wonderful. We don't just see into the author's mind, we also see into his heart. This book is not just an intellectual argument for freedom, but is also David Henderson's personal story and that is what sets the book apart from and clearly above other books that cover similar material.

I'm certain that there isn't a single economic explanation in this book that I've haven't heard before (as I said, I've been around this topic for awhile), but I still loved this book because it touched me on a personal level. I think it will also personally touch many readers for whom the intellectual arguments are new territory.

To David Henderson I can only say, "Thank you for sharing."

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5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book! Mar 12 2004

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This is an enjoyable book. It is part autobiography and part political philosophy and, perhaps best of all, it provides well supported and practical solutions to many of our country's biggest problems -- including the environment, public schools, social security and medicare, health care, etc. I rarely read a book where I feel, as I did with this one, that I would love to meet the author and discuss these issues. A very clear and intelligent writer who doesn't pretend to know all the answers. He clearly has a great deal of experience with these issues but has none of the ego or arrogance that we so often see these days. This is an excellent book.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Like Atlas Shrugged Mar 3 2004

By P. Murray

Format:Hardcover

The Joy of Freedom is like Atlas Shrugged in that reading both books ignites a passion for liberty in me. Henderson, like Rand, is a zealous advocate of freedom. The difference between the two books and their authors, however, is that Rand tends to be combative whereas Henderson tends to deliver a pleasant message.

Henderson tells of his intellectual journey as a free-market economist and libertarian. Along the way he applies the principles of freedom and free-market economics to the vital issues of the past, present, and future. "This book", he writes, "is about freedom, about how well freedom works and how government, by crushing freedom, messes up our lives."

Henderson didn't take economics until his final year of college. His evaluation of introductory economics: "The course was a profound disappointment." The text and the lectures did not raise questions that were interesting to him about how markets work. The model of "perfect competition" turned him off, as it does many students. Fortunately, Henderson attended lectures by economist Harold Demsetz who did explain how markets work, which rekindled Henderson's interest in economics.

What sort of questions does Henderson find interesting? In 1969 he asked Hubert Humphrey: "Then how do you reconcile your belief in the Thirteenth Amendment [prohibiting slavery] with your belief in the draft?" Henderson devotes an entire chapter to property rights and emphasizes their efficacy throughout. He poses the following scenario: "You walk by a yard and see someone painting a house. Pointing a gun at him is another man who orders the first man to stop painting." Then he asks: "Who is in the right?" Henderson might alter your view of the world. Consider this way of thinking about taxes: "Imagine that a thief takes your money at gunpoint, uses your money to buy a steak, and then brings the steak to your house and gives it to you." His question is: "Would you say that he didn't steal from you?" He even dares to ask: "Should we have taxes at all?" He raises the question of why the standard of living in the U.S. rises despite the shortcomings of government schools. About schools, he also asks: "If you went to a government school, or if your children go to a government school, is 'exciting' the first adjective, or even the fifth adjective, you would use to describe the experience?" Concerning the environment, he asks: "How far could we go in the direction of using private property to solve environmental problems?"

A reader of this book can expect to encounter many thought-provoking points as well as serious contributions to policies on social security, health care, education, and the environment.

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