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Lever Action: Essays on Liberty

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For the sake of providing needed information on this collection of L. Neil Smith's essays, the following table of contents is drawn from his Web site (specifically from page http://www.lneilsmith.com/leveractionmore.html):

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My Purloined Letters

INTRODUCTION: My Willingness to be Drafted to Run for President

Section I: LIBERTARIAN PHILOSOPHY

1. The LP's First Priority
2. The Atlanta Declaration
3. Bill of Wrongs
4. A New Approach to Social Darwinism
5. The Tyranny of Democracy (Majoritarianism Versus Unanimous Consent)
6. Shop Now and Avoid the Rush

Section II: LIBERTARIAN POLITICS

7. Lever Action -- Accept No Substitutes
8. Hillary Behind Bars
9. Libertarian Second Amendment Caucus Statement of Principles
10. Libertarian Second Amendment Caucus General Resolution
11. The Twenty-Ninth Amendment
12. Tea in a Whole New Bag
13. My Three Tax Programs
14. My China Policy
15. Operation Safe Streets
16. A Desperate Suspension of Disbelief
17. A Lesson in Practical Politics
18. The Return of the Creature
19. Rally Me Not on the Lone Prairie
20. Tactical Reflections

Section III: THE SECOND AMENDMENT

21. Suppose You Were Fond of Books ...
22. Ban a Gun -- Go to Jail
23. The Atrocity Engineers
24. What About England?
25. Nipponese, Ted!
26. Twelve Tips for Safer Schools
27. Kids and Guns at School
28. Murder by Gun Control
29. Armies of Chaos
30. On Concealed Carry and the NRA
31. Screen, Scran, Screwn
32. We Don't Need No Stinkin' Bodges
33. Am I the NRA?
34. How Much Do You Want to Keep Your Guns?
35. Clinton's Crimes Are Hitler's Crimes
36. Diana DeGette Wants You Dead
37. Whodunit? Wellington Webb!
38. Listen to the Women
39. Taking the Mag Pledge
40. Smith & Wesson Must Die
41. Right-Wing Socialism
42. Why Did It Have to Be Guns?
43. A Conspiracy Theory -- Sort Of

Section IV: REPUBLICRAT POLITICS

44. Prometheus Bound -- and Gagged
45. "Do It to Julia"
46. Feeding the Ducks
47. A Revolutionary Proposal
48. Advice to Flat Taxers: Go Jump Off the Edge
49. Bill Clinton's Reichstag Fire
50. Rumplestiltsclinton
51. No, No, Kosovo! No, No, Kosovo!
52. A Note to My Political Allies
53. Security
54. Stars and Bars
55. It's the Stupidity, Stupid!
56. A Tale of Two Hoovers

Section V: A RANT FOR ALL SEASONS

57. An Ant for All Seasons (formerly "Of Ants and Men")
58. The American Lenin
59. When They Came for the Smokers ...
60. Antismokers: Get a Life!
61. The Smoking Goons
62. The Lies of Texas
63. Weird Science
64. When You Wish Upon a Star ...
65. Big Brother is Watching You -- Again
66. I Hate Breakfast
67. Some Not-Quite-Random Thoughts on Americans and Their Cars
68. Sex, Drugs, and Voter Registration
69. The Most Thoroughly "Sanitized" City in America
70. Patching the Patches
71. Scalping Elmo
72. A Culture of Harmlessness
73. The Spider at the Center of the Web

Section VI: SCIENCE FICTION AND LESSER MEDIA

74. On a Clear Day You Can See Bulgaria -- But Who Wants to Look?
75. Merchants of Fear
76. The Manchurian Lobbyist
77. Getting Back at TV Propagandists
78. The Medium is a Massage
79. Parallax
80. I'll Show You Mine If You'll Show Me Yours -- A Challenge to the Canadian Mass Media
81. Robert Heinlein Remembered
82. Don Henley's Revenge (An Open Letter to America's Old Media)
83. Who's the Wacko?
84. A Maple-Leaf Rag
85. Stop the Nagging
86. Unanimous Consent and the Utopian Vision

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"Why Did It Have to Be Guns" is one of the best brief arguments for why the advocates of any sort of "gun control" are not only intellectually bankrupt but also morally corrupt beyond redemption, and how each "gun control" politician must be immediately and unequivocally identified as your own personal mortal enemy, no matter what your political, ethnic, religious, or other demographic characteristics might be. As a whole, this collection is well worth its price, and should be in the hands of any honest, decent, humane person who can read the English language.

I've read and enjoyed most of L. Neil Smith's science fiction novels. I checked out his essays and other non-fiction works almost as an afterthought. I liked them. So when I saw LEVER ACTION, I jumped on it.

Guess what? I liked it too. Of course, the issues that are addressed in Smith's science fiction by allegory, implication and exposition-an optimistic, freedom-seeking, pro-gun, science fiction worldview-are addressed directly in this collection of essays and speeches.

I especially enjoyed reading the Introduction in which Smith tells us how he came by the principles in which he believes. My favorite essay is a very short one. On page 226, Smith asks the rhetorical question, "How Much Do You Want to Keep Your Guns?" He then answers his own question in an economical yet impassioned couple of hundred words. It is as beautiful a plea for mutual tolerance and personal freedom as you will ever read anywhere. Read it aloud to get the full effect. Read it aloud to your family and friends. Heck, read it aloud to someone you don't like. It might make a difference.

I have only one minor nit to pick. Because LEVER ACTION is a compilation of previous independently published writings and delivered speeches, there is some repetition. Of course, some things bear repeating.

L. Neil Smith is one of the most prolific libertarian writer of the last few decades. With more than 20 sci-fi books under his belt this is his first non fiction book. Full of essays on libertarian philosophy, libertarian politics, the Second Amendment, the media, science fiction, sex, drugs, Ayn Rand, freedom and Robert A. Heinlein.
The only problem is that if you are not a libertarian it will piss you off and if you are, well, then why do you need to read it?

L. Neil Smith is a friend of mine. He *became* one because he writes some of the best analysis, reasoned opinions, and no-compromise articles promoting liberty, freedom, the Bill of Rights (all of them!), libertarianism, and classical liberalism IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. "Lever Action" is L. Neil's collection of essays, and every single one should be read by every American. If this book became part of high school curricula, the United States of America might yet survive the 21st Century. A must-read, no matter what your political and economic "beliefs." Good writing *shows* - and L. Neil delivers.

L. Neil Smith has gathered a no-holds-barred collection of his finest political essays in this book. I first found "el Neil" in "The Libertarian Enterprise" online. I have since read much of his fiction, and found it to be excellent. Please buy lots and lots of his books--give them as gifts, read them and stock them in every room in your house and in every vehicle. I want him to write more, and the sure way to convince him to do so is to pay him.

This is a book that everyone should read, but not everyone will like. Neil doesn`t try to be diplomatic, you won`t find any sugar
coatings, he says exactly what he thinks. That in itself is very refreashing. Neil is a good writer, but that is not his best
talent.
His two best talents are
#1 An ability to cut through all the BS that tends to accumulate around any subject and get right to the brass tacks. He can pick
the wheat from the chaff with the best of them.
#2 In doing the above, he has a real talent for getting under the skin of authoritarians of every stripe.
So if you have a tendency toward socialism or fascism, you are going to have your fur rubbed the wrong way by these essays.
In any case, like the book or hate it, you will find much food for thought in it.

a little bit outdated in hardware terms. That is okay the ideals are still there, ideals that libtards try to crush every day. Amazes me how people forget their own history or what it takes to preserve what they have. Let the libtards in to stary spouting the myths they claim are fact, it is fun.

As with much of Smith's writing, he has a gigantic axe to grind. The axe is morals, the edge is libertarianism and the compelling force is supplied by, of all things our forgotten Constitution. Each article in this collection of essays is meaningful, and if you are honest, should really really anger you. He points at the betrayal of our countries principles by the alleged arbiters of same, our elected officials. He points at the hypocrisy of where the left says morals are important and where not, he points at the murder for and by our government agencies.
I recommend socialists and so called liberals not read this book unless they are willing to risk re-thinking their whole viewpoint of reality.
It is a stunning collection of impressive value and as such is one of the most prized books I own. Buy this book if you want to be free.