Striking The Root (Hardcover)

by Lawrence W. Reed (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
America needs Larry Reed's Striking the Root and needs it today. Please buy it. As Americans sense their freedoms slipping away, Reed arms his readers with the fundamental knowledge of liberty needed to defeat the arguments of the burrowed bureaucrats and politicians draining society of its creative power. Even better, there's no need to return to college to get a degree in economics, political science, sociology or economics: Reed has done the work for you. Now, just spend a few hours absorbing his wisdom. You will be inspired and empowered, and your hope in America will be renewed! --Paul Kengor, Author of The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, Executive Director of The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College --From the cover

Larry Reed has a rare talent for expressing classic ideas about individual liberty in fresh, new ways. If all liberty's champions were this clear, concise, and entertaining, we'd be much further along the road to freedom. --Sheldon Richman, Author of Separating School & State, Editor of The Freeman --From the cover

Larry Reed's thinking is penetrating, informative and clear. These superb columns, written over 15 years, outline and illuminate the basic laws of economics, politics and human nature. He eloquently demystifies government and explains civil society in essays that are a pleasure to read. --Burton W. Folsom Jr., Author of The Myth of the Robber Barons, Charles Kline Professor of History and Management at Hillsdale College --From the cover

Product Description
In this volume, Lawrence W. Reed identifies the root of many of America's evils today: a failure to recognize that government rests on the use of force. This fundamental feature of government may be a boon when used to protect our individual freedoms, but it is a bane when used to diminish these freedoms in pursuit of a political faction's idea of a good cause. This volume draws primarily on his past columns for The Freeman, an unpretentious magazine with a resonant voice that has reached some of America's most prominent people, including a onetime presidential hopeful named Ronald Reagan. In that tradition of plain speaking, Reed demonstrates that the clarion call of liberty will always find an audience, even in a world clamoring for chains.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 97 pages
• Publisher: Mackinac Center; 1st edition (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890624721
• ISBN-13: 978-1890624729
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,815,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fundamentals of Individual Liberty, January 26, 2009

By	Eric L. Larson (West Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lawrence Reed's book provides the reader with an excellent foundation to liberty on a variety of subjects. The great thing about this book is each piece is no more than a few pages long (it is a collection of previous editorials or magazine articles) that beautifully strike at the root of the voices of collectivism. A great book to loan to a friend to get them interested in liberty and freedom because they are in small bite size parts which when read in whole form a consistent and thorough explanation of why liberty is important and superior to the ideas of collectivism/socialism.

5.0 out of 5 stars Striking the Root is helpful, September 12, 2008

By	Burton W. Folsom Jr. (Hillsdale, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

STRIKING THE ROOT is a series of short essays that capably defend free markets. Reed is an economist but many of his columns use history to suggest that liberty is historically the best way to promote prosperity for rich and poor alike. Many of these essays are foundational--they defend free markets as a prerequisite to a good society.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction to Studies of Liberty and Freedom!, August 7, 2008

By	Elisabeth Larsen "The Dog Walker" (Midland Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a victim of the public school educational system, I wish I had this book in high school and college when my teachers and professors were trying to fill my brain with socialist nonsense. It would have made defending my libertarian views that much easier. This is a very easy book to read and each essay makes its own point very clearly and succinctly without the convoluted jargon that text book writers like. This would make a great first text book for high school age homeschoolers as well as public school victims, who want to know how to defend their right to a REAL education.