Customer Reviews

A Treatise on Political Economy

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I am very disappointed in the quality of the book. Not the author but the printing. My copier makes better prints from scanned material and that is what this is right down to a crease in a page that's printed. For $30 print it properly or at least use a better copier.

Anyone interested in economics, but afraid to tackle it due to it's abstract reasoning and theories needs to pick up Jean Baptiste Say's "Treatise on Political Economy". Say, a free market liberal, was an admirer of Adam Smith, but was also critical of his views on the Labor Theory of Value. Say, an ardent republican, and participator in the French Revolution, was also an admirer of Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson with whom he corresponded.

Say believes government policy should stimulate frugality, risk taking, and investment. Say provides a very complelling arguement against excessive regulation, unequal privilege, high taxes, and corporations. Say,although a free marketeer, does not see pure benevolence in corporations, he see them for what they are: chartered privelged companies with government favor. This favor imperils economic freedom and destroys individual risk taking. Say advocated the abolition of monopolies, trade restrictions, and subsidies to corporations.

Say also shows his Enlightenment ideals of public spirit and the diffusion of knowledge. He relates the proper role for government as the propmotion of public schools, academies, libraries, canals, roads , bridges and military defense. Say although a thorough liberatrian, was not a worshipper of social darwinism. Say feared huge concentrations of wealth, luxury, and privilege as destructive to a free economy and republcan values.

If you love freedom and republican government, this is a classic.

The publisher is [...] These books are reprints based on material scanned from old books AND IT IS OUTRAGEOUSLY ILLEGIBLE!!! When you pick up the book you realize that no human has ever touched this to proofread it - the text went from an old book, through a scan, and onto this page - and you cannot understand it. There are goobly-gock typos in every line, no table of contents. Unbelievable what people do for money.