The discovery of freedom;: Man's struggle against authority (The Right wing individualist tradition in America) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

"There's a book you should read," Ruth Dazey, my secretary, said one day.

Preoccupied, I nodded. Pencil and pad at hand I said, "Title and author, please."

"Discovery of Freedom by Rose Wilder Lane."

I scribbled the information. "Fine. Thanks."

It took awhile to locate a copy. Discovery of Freedom wasn't available in book stores, but a worn volume was finally found in a used book emporium and the purchase was made. I took the book home with me and began to read it that very evening.

I was captivated, enthralled, caught up in the grandeur of the concepts which marched one after another across the pages.

Here is an epic depicting the story of humanity. It provided a backdrop and spotlighted performances by its stars. It is philosophy and history at the same time. But it is a record of human history, not a story of generals or politicians, preening and strutting before the masses. It is about the people who build the bridges, cut down the trees, plant the crops, sail the seas, who mine and manufacture, who have children and who suffer and survive and somehow manage to make life possible and even pleasant.

It is a story which contains wry humor, satire, and much wisdom. And there is a thread of wisdom which can shake a person to the roots. I couldn't put the book down. I absorbed everything in it. Or, perhaps more accurately, the book absorbed me. It is one of the great books of the twentieth century. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

The impact of Discovery creeps up on you. It begins with sentiments that seem simple and even self-evident. But as you proceed, you find yourself simply understanding so much about the world we live in that you should have known, but didn't. That is the power of the novelist at work: Lane makes you see the truth, and comprehend it, too.--Roy A. Childs, Jr. in Laissez Faire Review -- Roy A. Childs, Jr. in Laissez Faire Review

[This is] a work that is so powerful it may well have launched the modern freedom movement. Originally published in 1943, Discovery had the impact of a lightening bolt, setting intellectual fires that burn brighter than ever among the modern intellectuals who are leading the growing assault on government control of our lives.

This is a book of timeless importance. It must be read by anyone who is seriously interested in the heritage of liberty--not just in America, but the world over. And reading it is a joy. Lane, who is said to have written the book 'at white heat,' was at once a brilliant thinker and a gifted storyteller.

This book is a withering attack on statism, nationalism, and what Nobel Laureate F. A. Hayek calls the 'fatal conceit' of national economic planning. It is an intellectual tour de force that stood up to the collectivist paradigm of its time and pointed the way to rediscovering the principles of the American Revolution--a true revolution unlike those of the Old World that 'are revolutions only in the sense that a wheel's turning is a revolution.' Her exciting description of the revolutionary period (you can tell she wishes she'd been there to lend a hand to Paine, Mason, Jefferson and the gang) is the best of a brilliant book.

Rose Wilder Lane was a truly remarkable woman. Like Jefferson, she attacked life, living it to the fullest, as adventurer, journalist, world traveller, iconoclast, and just prior to her death, war corespondent in Vietnam. Not surprisingly, the clear-eyed determination and supercharged energy she brings to attacking the enemies of liberty in Discovery is unique among prominent proliberty writers. -- Ed Crane, president, Cato Institute --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 262 pages
• Publisher: Arno Press (1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0405004257
• ISBN-13: 978-0405004254
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,729,317 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise, clear, educational, thorough, and interesting!, October 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Discovery of Freedom: Man's Struggle Against Authority (Paperback)

This is not only the clearest, most concise book of the worth, and means of achieving, individual freedom, but it reads like a well written novel. Insights from her travels; whether having dinner with the King of Albania, or visiting the centuries old cave dwellings in the same country or dealing with the mindless red tape in Paris, Ms Lane sifts through the socialist failures past and present in a thorough, yet entertaining fashion. Anyone with even a passing interest in the philosophy of freedom will benefit from this book. And libertarian book addicts will also learn something from the Timeliness of this 50 year old book, re-published this year.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sparkling perspective on the nature of our species, July 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Discovery of Freedom: Man's Struggle Against Authority (Paperback)

"Here lies a planet, whirling in sunlit space..." From the opening words throughout the book to the concluding "...set the whole world free" Lane grabs you by the cerebellum and doesn't let go.

(By the way, this book is not by Hanz Sennholz, it's by Rose Wilder Lane, daughter of Laura Engalls Wilder.)

She admitted later that she'd introduced technical errors having written it "at white heat", yet the principles are as sound and unimpeachable as ever you'll read. If you've ever wondered about the nature of liberty and the history of freedom--from Jesus through Mohammed to America--read this book!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historic Book, July 20, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Discovery of Freedom: Man's Struggle Against Authority (Paperback)

History does not lie (unless liberals re-write it), and Lane uses it most effectivly to illuminate the folly and fraud of the perceived need for government interference in the affairs of economics and the lives of citizens. The book opens with an eloquent statement of the human condition that is a rudimentary prerequisite to any discussion of political philosophy, but commonly ignored. Lane then proceedes to expose one governmental failure after another, in chronological order, plagued by monarchy, collectivism, religion and the peoples own ingrained belief that they must be governed. This book will make you thirsty for more history!