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36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easily the BEST introduction to libertarianism available, July 19, 2010
This review is from: Libertarianism Today (Hardcover)
I've been a libertarian for over 25 years, and have read a lot of libertarian books. I am sure I was one of Laissez Faire Books`s biggest customers in its heyday in the 80s and 90s. Among introductions to libertarianism I've read are Murray Rothbard's For A New Liberty (1st ed. 1973), David Bergland's Libertarianism in One Lesson (1st ed. 1984), David Boaz's Libertarianism: A Primer (1997), Charles Murray's What It Means To Be A Libertarian (1997), Jeffrey Miron's recent Libertarianism from A to Z (2010), and probably others I've forgotten.
Now, among these, Rothbard's FANL is a classic and stands out, of course. But FANL is more of Rothbard's own particular vision of libertarianism rather than a more comprehensive presentation of the views of the libertarian movement. And of course it is a bit dated by now, does not cover in detail topics that have risen to the fore in the intervening years (such as intellectual property, the Tea Party movement, nullification, etc.).
Given the rise of the Tea Party and the expansion of the libertarian movement in the last couple decades-and the inadequacies of other introductory books (each of them, other than FANL, has various deficiencies, although some of them are excellent and most of them worth reading too)-it was high time for a good, up to date new treatment. Huebert has done just this. I read the book in manuscript form well before its publication; I readily disclose I'm friends with Huebert. I read it with growing excitement. Here, finally, was a book that covered all the major issues, and from a solidly Austrian and anarchist-informed base-one that did not reveal (or feign) ignorance of various libertarian perspectives on issues such as democracy and decentralization and drawbacks of use of electoral politics or court battles. I've long maintained that an appreciation of Austrian economics is essential to sound libertarian theorizing; without it, there is always something missing; with it, a more integrated and coherent libertarian perspective is possible (and frankly I don't see how one can be an Austrian and not a libertarian, unless one is a misanthrope). Huebert's book exemplifies this strength in spades. He is thoroughly familiar with Austrian economics and intertwines it throughout his analysis. Let me also say, as somewhat of a specialist on IP related matters, that Huebert's chapter on this topic is probably the single-best concise overview and explanation of the proper Austrian-libertarian case against IP, and the related libertarian debates about this matter, that I've ever read.
The book is great for the intelligent person looking to learn more, but has enough insights to interest even seasoned libertarian intellectuals. This is one of the first books I can imagine giving to intelligent, almost-libertarian friends, who have some interest in our ideas (others include Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson, Rothbard & Rockwell's The Free Market Reader, Bastiat's The Law, Woods's Nullification and Meltdown). The book is punchy and well written, not boring; but it doesn't talk down to the reader either. It's got exactly the right tone, and covers all the major, modern libertarian issues-and fairly and objectively, to boot. It's going to be very useful and popular among seasoned libertarians; the growing young generation of emerging libertarians; and with potentially interested people among the civil libertarian left and among the anti-bailout right/Tea Party types. I highly, highly recommend this wonderful book.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Concise, well written, relevant., July 19, 2010
This review is from: Libertarianism Today (Hardcover)
J.H. Huerbert's introduction to libertarianism is today's best work of its kind and rather timely. While there are other books one might consult to understand the movement, I find Huebert's to be the most well rounded: he does not provide mere politics or ideology, but smoothly incorporates legal theory, history, and Austrian economics into his argument. If you want to know, not only what it is that libertarians think, but also why they think the way they do, this is your book.
The author's writing style is exceptionally to-the-point: he has a real knack for getting at the linchpin of any issue without wasting any of your time.
In my opinion, what really sets this book apart from other milquetoast "introductions" and "primers" is Huebert's up-to-date analysis on the cutting-edge issues of libertarianism. His chapter-length treatment of intellectual property is itself worth the price of admission. His untangling of recent court battles is excellent, demonstrating that libertarianism is far more than idolizing the founding fathers' intentions. He cites and critically assesses the most recent scholarly and popular libertarian literature.
And yet he also gives due attention to the issues that have always been at the heart of libertarianism: war, the state, central banking, market interventions -- all of which libertarians oppose. His work in this area reminds me of Murray Rothbard's own introduction to libertarianism ("For a New Liberty"): clear, uncompromising, and eye-opening.
Finally, Huebert has done readers a great service by incorporating a wide range of sources into his work and providing thorough recommendations for further reading on each topic. Even seasoned libertarians will find gems in his footnotes that deserve further attention.
If you are new to libertarianism, start here.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly recommend it!, July 17, 2010
This review is from: Libertarianism Today (Hardcover)
If you are at all interested in an intelligent, concise and extremely well-written overview of libertarianism, I would highly recommend this book.
This is the book that you want to have on hand to give to your libertarian-curious friends when they ask you where they should go to learn more. But do keep a copy for yourself---it is a joy to read. Huebert's writing is probably the smartest and most accessible I have ever encountered in a book of this type. Two thumbs up!
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