The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey [Paperback]

Ken Schoolland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2001

New Expanded 2011 Edition! The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible tells the story of a boy who becomes shipwrecked on an unfamiliar island after being swept out to sea in a storm. Having previously lived in a relatively free society, in this new strange land he experiences culture shock as he learns learns of bewildering laws and traditions of the islands inhabitants. The story highlights the absurdities of the laws, the controls imposed on people's lives, and the economic drawbacks of these laws. The laws highlighted are recognizable as common to many countries throughout the world. As the story unfolds, the part individuals in society play in political decision-making and personal responsibility is introduced for discussion. The book is a delight to read! As Jonathan meanders on his way around the Isle of Corrumpo, he meets the Food Police, Uncle Samta, the True Believers, the Grand Inquirer and the Democracy Gang along the way - along with many more wacky inhabitants whose strange ideas and even stranger ways Jonathan is challenged to understand and straighten out. Translated into over 40 languages and 44 published editions, The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible has won numerous awards and has been endorsed by Steve Forbes, Walter Williams, John Stossel, Mark Skousen, and Austrian-School economists and educators throughout the world. The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible has become the classic free-market mix of Frederic Bastiat, Adam Smith, von Mises, and Pat Paulsen! "This book makes you laugh, but it leaves you meditating...(on) the principles of a free economy and a free society", Valentina Buxar, Fundatia Liberala, Romania. "It certainly presents basic economic principles in a very simple and intelligent form. It is an imaginative and very useful (book)!", Milton Friedman, Nobel Laureate, Economics.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: Small Business Hawaii Inc; 3 edition (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962346721
• ISBN-13: 978-0962346729
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,032,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Good It's Banned by Hawaii Public School & StateLibraries, June 4, 2000

By 

Michael Jensen (Honolulu, HI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A free market odyssey (Paperback)

Schoolland does a wonderful job of exposing the foibles and hypocrisy that permeate government programs and policies, making a highly effective case for the free market and the libertarian principle of self-ownership.

The book is written as an easy-to-read children's story, but since it also operates on a deeper level, it is a compelling read for adults as well. I would recommend this as a "must read" for everyone above the age of ten, and would not hesitate to recommend it to an adult of any age. In fact, when friends and family ask me to explain my political philosophy, I get them a copy of "Jonathan Gullible."

An interesting side note, is that although the book has been published in at least 22 languages world-wide, significant difficulty is encountered getting the book carried by the Hawaii State and Public School Library systems, here in the author's state of residence. Recently, several such institutions have been asked to carry the book, and upon their failure to acquire it on their own, copies were donated. The donated copies are currently undergoing a review for "balance" before placement can be approved. Ironically, this fits in rather well with the message Schoolland has presented in "Jonathan Gullible."

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid Introduction/Defense of Free Markets, November 26, 2004

By 

Adam Gonnerman (North America) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A free market odyssey (Paperback)

After returning from Brazil, South America I purchased a copy of this book. I was amazed, because it seemed to be describing the country I had just been living in! This wonderful, readable book shows the fallacies of collectivism in terms that anyone can understand, using narration. In fact, I'm reading it to my 7-year-old daughter these days for bedtime.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book, best introduction to basic economic ideas, December 7, 1999

By 

M. Livshutz (Niles, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A free market odyssey (Paperback)

I bought 1 copy of this book for my 13-year old nephew, but kept it for myself (I'm 25). Now, I'm getting a few more. It is just so well-written, I couldn't let go of it. Some of my friends, who are usually uninterested in politics or economics, read it almost nonstop with pleasure. At least they now understand the basic idea of a voluntary free-market society and how it's different from our society today. Even if they disagree, at least they know better than to misinterpret the free-market issues due to ignorance.

The only gripe about this book is that a few chapters are a bit formulaic and sometimes don't make the underlying concept as clear as other chapters do. It appears to me that the author didn't take enough time to develop his ideas well enough in those few chapters. I hope he will clarify them in the next edition.