Libertarianism, from A to Z [Hardcover]

Jeffrey A. Miron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0465019439 | ISBN-13: 978-0465019434

Libertarian principles seem basic enough—keep government out of boardrooms, bedrooms, and wallets, and let markets work the way they should. But what reasoning justifies those stances, and how can they be elucidated clearly and applied consistently? In Libertarianism, from A to Z, acclaimed Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron sets the record straight with a dictionary that takes the reader beyond the mere surface of libertarian thought to reveal the philosophy’s underlying and compelling logic.

Tackling subjects as diverse as prostitution and drugs, the financial crises and the government bailouts, the legality of abortion, and the War on Terror, Miron takes the reader on a tour of libertarian thought. He draws on consequentialist principles that balance the costs and benefits of any given government intervention, emphasizing personal liberty and free markets. Miron never flinches from following those principles to their logical and sometimes controversial ends. Along the way, readers get a charming and engaging lesson in how to think like a libertarian.

Principled, surprising, and thought provoking, Libertarianism, from A to Z, has everything a bourgeoning libertarian—or any responsible citizen—needs to know.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Kevin M. Murphy, George J. Stigler Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, Booth School of Business, the University of Chicago
"In Libertarianism, from A to Z, Jeff Miron provides a much needed introduction to Libertarian thinking. In the process, he demonstrates the power of economic analysis. His book provides a much needed lesson in how to reach a conclusion rather than start with one. Students and pundits could benefit greatly from reading Miron’s work and following his example."

Brink Lindsey, Vice President for Research, Cato Institute
"In clear, common-sense prose, Jeffrey Miron looks at government policies from A to Z. To all of them he applies one simple test: do the benefits of government action outweigh the costs? And most of the time, he concludes the answer is no. Whether or not you always agree with him, you'll find your own thinking sharpened by his insistent, incisive skepticism."

 

Choice
“An excellent small volume that explains the libertarian approach and philosophy as it applies to a wide variety of issues and topics…With its wealth of information, this book deserves a place on the shelves of all academic libraries…Essential.”

 

About the Author

Jeffrey Miron is a senior lecturer and the Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Harvard economics department, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, and the former chair of the Boston University economics department He has appeared on CNN, Fox, CNBC, Bloomberg, and PBS’s “News Hour,” and his writing and opinions appear frequently in media outlets such as the New York Times, Forbes, and cnn.com. He lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (May 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465019439
• ISBN-13: 978-0465019434
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars As an introductory primer, not bad June 3, 2010

By J. Jaech

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

A to Z provides an acceptable, contemporary introduction to libertarian thinking. I picked it up (Kindle version for Blackberry) after being favorably impressed with the author's speaking ability from listening to a Cato podcast. As a speaker, Mr. Miron is easy to listen to, and as a writer, he's easily read. The book's chief strength is the use of concise, clear language and straightforward reasoning throughout. Its style makes for light reading suitable for that plane ride to the political convention of your choice, and most readers will easily finish it within a few hours. It makes little or no overt effort to proselytize the reader to its libertarian point of view, cites little or no actual evidence in support of its suppositions, draws few contrasts with competing political philosophies, and makes little effort to comment on current events. The "A to Z" organizational principle is not the most effective way to present a political philosophy, but is at least handy for locating topics of interest. Although I skimmed some topics, as a whole the writing remains consistently engaging from start to finish, and reads effortlessly with relatively little repetition. All in all, it is worth reading if your summer reading list includes works on political philosophy and you are interested in a high-level view of libertarianism as it exists today.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedic exposition of libertarian thought May 3, 2010

By John Scott

Format:Hardcover

Jeffrey Miron is Director of Undergraduate Studies at Harvard's economics department. He's also an outspoken libertarian (see http://www.amazon.com/Drug-War-Crimes-Consequences-Prohibition/dp/0945999909/ ).

This book is not intended as a top-heavy (theoretical) exposition of libertarianism. It's meant to introduce readers to the coherent fundamentals of libertarian thought.

Topics dealt with include everything from abortion and taxpayer subsidized sports stadiums to the sale of human body parts and global warming.

I highly recommend this book, whether you're a libertarian or not, and perhaps especially if you're not, because it provides a very clear, unambiguous looking glass into the mind of the libertarian.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing June 14, 2010

By PeerGynt

Format:Hardcover

I'm a libertarian and an economics buff, and so I was pretty excited about this book, especially when I saw it being touted by some of my favorite economist bloggers. Well, it's very disappointing.

The book is setup sort of like an encyclopedia, where each entry is a short explanation of the libertarian arguments surrounding an issue. The problem is that the arguments are presented without supporting evidence, and without bothering to rebut the most obvious objections and counter-arguments from the other side (the other side being those who see government intervention to be the ideal tool to solve any societal or economic problem). As a result, even those of us who are already in the libertarian camp will tend to find the book unpersuasive. It certainly will not convert any non-believers.