Customer Reviews

Liberty Versus the Tyranny of Socialism: Controversial Essays

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Dr Williams presents his arguments forcefully and in laymen's language so the messages sink in. He makes it plain that there is no such thing as an ideal government-sponsored solution and that the most effective and efficient method of ordering society is to let people make up their own minds on how best to allocate finite resources. This is a great read for young adults trying to understand how the world works.

Liberty vs Tyranny is a fresh read for every citizen who is trying to understand how the world, economy and politics function. This is the first time I have come across Dr. Williams' works and by far this has been a great experience. This book consists of his selected collection of his syndicated newspaper columns and they're powerful and written very well. The facts are presented in a non-biased fashion and readers can judge for themselves which one they'd rather live under. An educational and informative read as far as I am concerned. Get this for your younger friends!

Once again, Mr. Williams has put together an excellent collection of some of his recent weekly columns. Mr. Williams has a way, by using layman's language and simple explanations, to get across to his reader the basic principles that tie liberty with the free market. In many instances he takes the "feel good - politically correct - ain't I a saint for believing in this" attitudes and points of view, and quickly and logically shows the fallacies and problems with these "good intentions". He is also good at illustrating the harm and, in some cases, the pure evil that emanates from those sanctimonious attitudes and the subsequent policies/laws that inevitably follow.

I know Mr. Williams doesn't consider himself a libertarian (or at least he claims that, at most, he's a libertarian with a small "l"), but I can find no one better who, on a weekly basis, can impart the libertarian point of view in such a logical and easy to comprehend manner as well as Walter Williams. In addition he uses some level of humor, occasionally, to make his point - always a plus in my book.

He's a true defender of liberty and the free market. His arguments have a firm foundation based in logic and reason - not "feeling". Keep up the good work, Mr. Williams, and continue the ongoing battle to defend liberty.

Government Allocation of resources enhances the potential for human conflict, while market allocation reduces it.

I'm afraid most Americans view such liberty-oriented solution with hostility. They beleive they have a right to enlist the brute forces of government to impose their preferences on others.

One of the best books I've read in a long time. Dr. Williams is right on! His views on education are really an eye opener - a MUST READ!

I've always enjoyed listening to Dr. Williams filling in on radio shows, but reading his common sense columns have made me an even bigger fan. You can literally open the book to any page and find an interesting column. Dr. Williams has a fantastic way of of explaining economic topics with everyday examples.

Whether your trying to find out exactly why the policies of Obama, Pelosi and Reid are so destructive to our country or you just want to arm yourself with knowledge to get your liberal friends to see the light - you will not be disappointed if you buy this book.

Most of the columns are 2 or 3 pages in length, so it's perfect to carry on the bus, waiting in line somewhere or on your lunch break.

Doctor Williams presents his material in a clear and concise manner. I enjoyed this book so much that I have bought additional copies for my children and friends.

The book reprints several years of Williams' newspaper essays. As a result, it is a series of short expositions of the folly of our modern government, both of Democrats and Republicans. His main objection, though, is to the misunderstanding by most of our citizens of the meaning and value of individual liberty. Some of his arguments are cast in general terms, but at least half are based on a careful use of hard economic data, such as his pointing out that very few people who completed high school, married and stayed that way, and avoided activities that would put them in jail are poor, at least past their 25th birthday. When controlling for factors such as this, there is no difference in income between whites and blacks.

He makes several arguments based on a clear understanding of basic economics and politics. For example, he points out that it would be much cheaper for the government simply to pay steel workers displaced by foreign competition $100,000 a year to sit on the beach than to impose costs of $800,000 per saved job on the rest of the economy. But, of course, we wouldn't do that because then we would have to face these costs directly.

Perhaps half of the essays essentially rehash material from earlier ones, so reading can be a bit tedious. Still, his several basic points are worth repeating, so read the book, but don't expect organizatinal brilliance.

This book should be required reading for all people who fancy themselves intellectuals. Mr. Walter E. Williams is right on in his expressions of our constitution and how it relates to our daily lives. Mr. Williams illustrates how our government is being corrupted and allowing our representatives and senators to abuse power and manipulate their posititions for personal gain.

Mr. Williams explores the controversial issues of race in America with an eye-opening candor that refreshes and makes the reader think outside his comfort zone. This is a great book and a must read.

This is an excellent collection of Libertarian essays on the wrongs that big government, or Statism, can bring. Not just a polemic railing against the Bush, Pelosi Reid and Obama's big spending, massive government intrusions against personal liberty and freedom. Dr. Williams comes up with solutions to those problems.