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David Boaz

Libertarianism: A Primer Hardcover – January 15, 1997

by David Boaz (Author)

4.6 70 ratings

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Details libertarianism's roots, central tenets, solutions to contemporary policy dilemmas, and future in American politics

Print length

314 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Free Press
Publication date

January 15, 1997
Dimensions

5.75 x 1.25 x 8.75 inches
ISBN-10

0684831988
ISBN-13

978-0684831985
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

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Felix R Perez

A good book for those who are curious, against or in favor of Libertarianism

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2011

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Quote from the book: "Libertarianism is the view that each person has the right to live his life in any way he chooses so long as he respects the equal rights of others."

Libertarianism is most often the subject of ridicule and mockery. It's a great straw man for politicians, since they can say "Give me half your cash or the Libertarians will take away (insert govt agency)!"

Despite the ridicule, David Boaz gives an excellent defense of Libertarianism. The book could have been written yesterday, since the predictions and issues remain important till this day. He shows us life before social security, welfare, medicare and public education. Much of the social safety net was provided by family, community and other private organizations. Bad decisions were limited by personal accountability. Almost all of the elderly had access to healthcare. And before public education, much of society paid for the education they wanted. As it turns out, government came along and began "providing" these services once society had made them ubiquitous and cheap via voluntary exchange. Although society back then was far poorer, it still managed to provide for those in need.

How can Boaz be so confident that society will rise up and provide these services without a gun to their collective head? Because government has inflated the costs through its inefficiencies. If Americans took home more of their own pay, in our current age of great material wealth, they could provide (or demand) these services for a fraction of the cost.

The book does not go so deep into any one subject that the casual reader will become very bored. Boaz is persuasive, humorous and positive about America's Libertarian future. I doubt even the most ardent government supporter could read this book without agreeing with much of the author's conclusions.

Overall, this is a great book for those who are curious, opposed or in favor of Libertarianism.

A favorite quote from the book: "As government controls more of society, who controls government becomes more important."

One person found this helpful

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M. Strong

Small government and big individual freedom? I'm in.

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2005

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How refreshing! A political philosophy that puts its faith in the ability of people to accomplish things without the oversight of some gargantuan government. Boaz does a wonderful job of laying out the basic ideas of Libertarianism without getting at all technical.

Libertarianism espouses the freedom of the individual, harkening back to the bedrock philosophy of this country's founders. Boaz describes Republicans as your father - always telling you what to do because he knows best; and Democrats as your mother - wiping your nose and trying to do everything for you because you can't handle it. Libertarians, says Boaz, want to treat you as an adult.

Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it gives you a different perspective from which to look at today's most contentious issues. What you discover is that we assume a whole lot that we shouldn't - frequently what we assume in an argument about how the Government should handle something is that they should be handling it in the first place! Boaz and Libertarians argue that in all but a tiny handful of instances the answer is absolutely not.

Highly recommended for anyone who is frustrated with the current system and is looking for a more satisfying alternative, or for anyone who just wants another perspective on our system.

14 people found this helpful

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Broad Reaching Treatise on Libertarian Thought

Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2013

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If you are looking to become familiar with Libertarian thought and philosophy, this book is one of the easiest and most approachable books in the canon. David Boaz writes for the reader interested in understanding the basis of Libertarian thought, the basics of Libertarian philosophy, and the tenents of Libertarian governance. Covering history, philosophy and modern/current issues and trends in big government, Boaz looks at the past, present and future of the state and the big-government policies that led us to our current condition. Pragmatic and practical, Boaz provides the reader with a strong argument for a Libertarian America in the 21st Century.

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SteveC

A convincing case argued with conviction

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2000

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As an introduction to libertarianism, David Boaz's "Libertarianism: A Primer" is often compared with Charles Murray's "What It Means to Be a Libertarian" which also came out in 1997. They are both excellent, but completely different in style and approach. Where Murray's book is "a personal interpretation," David Boaz ranges widely, with lots of references to the many contributors to libertarian thought. Murray's book is more concise and a quicker read, but Boaz packs in a lot more material, making a more overwhelming argument. Both are modern explanations of libertarianism, with refined arguments benefiting from the experience and academic developments of recent years.
For someone completely new to libertarianism looking to get started, I would recommend Murray's book first, then David Boaz's Primer, and finally Boaz's Libertarian Reader.

62 people found this helpful

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J. J. Marold

Libertarianism

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2006

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Well written and very logical. David Boaz states his case well but doesn't try to "sell" his philosophy. He provides a good definition of what a Libertarian is, and isn't. He leaves the decision up to the reader - are you a Libertarian? Many people hear the tag "Libertarian" and have a (negative) knee jerk reaction without understanding what the term "Libertarian" really means. These are the people who really need to read this book. Also, people who consider themselves Libertarians should read this book to solidify their philosophy.

5 people found this helpful

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RedFox

Libertarianism - explained

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2010

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This is an outstanding book, especially as a first read regarding a libertarian philosophy. Boaz not only explains classic liberal development and application of libertarianism to today's issues, he offers suggestions for addressing our present day loss of liberty and the unfortunate advance of socialism in America today. This is a much better source regarding libertarianism than "The Conscience of a Libertarian" (Root)and the solutions suggested are less radical, clearly thought out and more rationally adopted. I would also recommend "A Return to Common Sense" (Mullen) as a fine companion for this book.

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Frank Reibold

Großartige Einführung in den Liberalismus

Reviewed in Germany on June 3, 2005

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Ich habe lange nach einer guten Einführung in das Thema "Liberalismus" gesucht und sie mit diesem Buch endlich gefunden.
Zu Beginn wird der Liberalismus im politischen Spektrum eingeordnet (weder rechts noch links) und man erfährt, warum sich die klassischen Liberalen jetzt Libertäre nennen: Die Linken bzw. Progressiven haben das Wort "liberal" für sich vereinnahmt, sodass eine neue Bezeichnung gefunden werden musste.
Danach werden die Geschichte des Liberalismus (und damit der Demokratie) und die Grundbegriffe des Liberalismus dargestellt (Freiheit des Bürgers, vor allem gegenüber dem Staat).
Den größten Teil des Buches nimmt die Anwendung dieser Grundbegriffe auf aktuelle politische Themen (u. a. Bildung, Umweltschutz, Martkwirtschaft) ein.
Im Anhang ist ein Test abgedruckt, mit dem man die eigene politische Einstellung (rechts, links, liberal, totalitär) einordnen kann.
Das Buch ist sehr gut gelungen. Zum Thema "Marktwirtschaft" empfehle ich als weiter führende Lektüre "Economics for Dummies".

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Mr. R. E. Evans-lacey

A good book. Though not exactly a page turner

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2016

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A good book. Though not exactly a page turner.

Rodrigo Silva

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2015

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Amazing !

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