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The Libertarian Reader: Classic & Contemporary Writings from Lao-Tzu to Milton Friedman Paperback – February 17, 2015

by David Boaz (Editor)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 90 ratings
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“The most magnificent collection of libertarian writings ever published” (Laissez Faire Books).

An important collection of seminal writings on a movement that is rapidly changing the face of American politics, The Libertarian Reader links some of the most fertile minds of our time to a centuries-old commitment to freedom, self-determination, and opposition to intrusive government. This is the first comprehensive anthology of libertarian thought—from the Bible and Lao-Tzu to Hayek and Milton Friedman—to be published in one volume. The 68 selections from great libertarian writers are an intellectual feast, covering such key libertarian themes as skepticism about power, individual rights, spontaneous order, free markets, and peace.

For all independent thinkers, this unique sourcebook will stand as a classic reference for years to come, and a reminder that libertarianism is one of our oldest and most venerable American traditions.
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  1. Print length
    624 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    February 17, 2015
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.4 x 8.38 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    9781476752891
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1476752891
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Boaz is executive vice president of the Cato Institute. He is the author of Libertarianism: A Primer (an updated edition to be released in 2015 called The Libertarian Mind),and his articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. He lives in the Washington, DC, area.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1476752893
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster (February 17, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 624 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781476752891
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1476752891
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.26 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.4 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 90 ratings

About the author

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David Boaz

David Boaz

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David Boaz, the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, has played a key role in the growth of the libertarian movement. He is the author of "The Libertarian Mind: A Manifesto for Freedom" and editor of "The Libertarian Reader."

The earlier edition of "The Libertarian Mind," titled "Libertarianism: A Primer," was described by the Los Angeles Times as "a well-researched manifesto of libertarian ideas" and by Richard Epstein as "unit[ing] history, philosophy, economics and law—spiced with just the right anecdotes—to bring alive a vital tradition of American political thought." His other books include "The Politics of Freedom," the "Cato Handbook For Policymakers," "Liberating Schools," and "The Crisis in Drug Prohibition." His articles have been published in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, National Review, Slate, and the Encyclopedia Britannica.

He is a frequent guest on national television and radio shows and a popular speaker on college campuses and at corporate and community events.

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Top reviews from the United States

recycledwords
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and highly varied selections
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2014
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This book is an excellent compilation of highly varied readings which speak to the political philosophy of Libertarianism starting with I Samuel 8 pointing out the origin of kings is basically idolatry. That is something to really consider: how can a person of faith or of no faith want or need a king? How can a Christian or other faith based person tolerate a king/president/prime minister, etc when God is supposed to be their leader? How can an atheist refute the existence of a benevolent or malevolent god by their own authority and knowledge and yet submit to a king/president/prime minister or other such oligarch? How do we tolerate someone ruling over us when our "natural rights" as humans is self determination and liberty? Can we live without government? Certainly not because we now number in the millions upon hundreds of millions but I do believe that if we had faith in our god(s) or even just in ourselves we wouldn't allow oligarchs to rule. We would have a smaller, less expensive, much more efficient government that would be in existence only to serve us and provide justice in conflicts. Our leaders would be trustees accountable to the electorate instead of self-indulgent thieves taking the very life out of us and our children because we lack faith in ourselves.

This is just the first selection. Books could be written in response to any one of the fascinating readings in this book. It is a fabulous primer for those interested not just in the Libertarian party but also those interested in developing a coherent political philosophy of their own. A thoughtful reading of this book may or may not change your party affiliation but it will wake you up.
8 people found this helpful
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SteveC
5.0 out of 5 stars The Signpost I Was Looking For
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 1999
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A couple of years ago I got interested in libertarianism and had to scrounge for a reading list. Where to get started? Then this book came out, exactly what I had been looking for. While one might quibble about the choice of authors (e.g. I would have preferred P.J O'Rourke or Dave Barry over the humorless Ayn Rand), it is obviously impossible to put in one volume all the great libertarian thinkers, let alone all the great works. This book does an excellent job, and includes in an appendix a list of further recommended reading for which there wasn't room. This was the signpost that I needed, and I still refer to it frequently. The companion volume, The Libertarian Primer, of which Boaz is author rather than editor, is also good and an easier read
That it came out so late (1997) reflects libertarians' tendency to arrogance, underestimating the need to market their abstract product and educate the populace. The Cato Institute, of which Boaz is vice president, is now rapidly making up for lost time.
42 people found this helpful
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The Kekistani
4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Valuable Source
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2022
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Another must read for those exploring the libertarian school of thought, all the important names are mentioned or quoted, all the necessary books referred to.
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Dennis M
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Complete Libertarian Overview
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2015
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Truly a mind-expanding book, with a very diverse series of libertarian readings. I wish this compendium was available when I was much younger. David Boaz did a fine job of introducing each reading, and assembling them into one handy source. Most readings are 3-5 pages, so you can easily read several, and then take a breather to think about the topics and points made by the author. Highly recommend to read, and reread, and it will remain in my library for a long time. I really good introduction to many authors, and their important works. It has led me to many sources I hadn't read previously.
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Trent Goldsmith
5.0 out of 5 stars Bit and Pieces at a Time will suffice
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2015
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Boaz is a master at explaining the Libertarian point of view. I have seen him on Stossel and other TV shows and just can't get enough of his insight. He is one of the reasons I am a Libertarian. I read his "Libertarianism: A Primer" and Charles Murray's "What it Means to Be a Libertarian" and was totally changed forever. This book is a collection of famous writing throughout history supporting the Libertarian view. Boaz was masterful at assembling it. Highly recommended for reading bits and pieces at a time.
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Clayton Halper
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book, good condition
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019
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I bought a used version of this book. It was in great condition. It was an amazing book, I loved reading it. It’s a great read for anyone who already considers themselves libertarian, anyone who leans libertarian, or anyone who wants to just learn about a different ideology.
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1.0 out of 5 stars Misprint Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2020
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I got a misprint book somehow. Not sure how exactly that happened, but I ordered a replacement and hopefully I receive the correct book this time.
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1.0 out of 5 stars Misprint Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2020
I got a misprint book somehow. Not sure how exactly that happened, but I ordered a replacement and hopefully I receive the correct book this time.
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JT
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing collection of writings on Libertarian themes
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2015
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David Boaz provides an amazing collection of historical writings which explain the Libertarian themes of life, liberty, and property from diverse points of view. The subjects discussed include history, politics, economics, sociology, philosophy, and morality. This is a great reference book to have on the study of liberty, and makes a great companion to The Libertarian Mind: A Manifesto for Freedom (also by Boaz).
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Top reviews from other countries

Dr. Saurav
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in India on June 15, 2019
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Useful for students and teachers of POLITICAL SCIENCE and also people who are interested in libertarian thought
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os
5.0 out of 5 stars A 'big read', but WORTH IT!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2013
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Libertarianism as you might expect has a long history and many different strands of thought attached to it. This handy compendium brings together the many disparate writers in this tradition, some of whom would not necessarily have identified themselves as libertarian at the time of writing their various tracts and others who are well renowned for their thoughts on this subject. So you have the usual suspects, Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, Ayn Rand and J.S Mill along side Lao-Tao (a philosopher from 6th Century China) and the author of 'Frankenstein', Mary Wollstonecraft. It is a fascinating read, either to consume in one go or to dip into when opportunity or inclination present themselves. What ever your political views this book will challenge what you think you 'know' and 'believe'. It has had that effect on me.

The core of Libertarian thought is the right of the individual to exist and the idea of consent. Rights can not be conferred; they exist as a central fact of a person's life. Without rights society or individuals can not be said to be `free'. Freedom in this context essentially means the right to live without presuming on the 'rights' of others or having others impose on us unduly. Society so can be said to exist, operates through a variety of networks. These networks involve negotiation and exchange. Most social and individual needs can be met by the market, Libertarians claim. Allow markets to set price and this will indirectly incentivise socially desirable behaviour through the mechanism of the free market (example: carbon credits) and suddenly individuals cooperate without needing to be directed,furthering their own interests and in so doing create side benefits that impact on wider society. More importantly markets create incomes,employment, choice, higher output, competitive pricing and innovation. Markets are good for people because they are a symbol of,and created by individual freedom. The exciting thing about this line of thinking is that presupposes that there is no big 'end game' or imagined social optimum as outlined by some paternal all -knowing central authority. In other words, individuals and society are free to set their own vision of the future.

Central to this idea is the protection of property rights. Individuals labour because they enrich themselves in what ever way they consider best. They will make mistakes but they will slowly edge towards finding out how to orientate themselves in order to maximise their preferred outcomes. Self- interest is not a sin. Individuals for instance may often use their wealth for socially desirable projects. Self -interest does not preclude charity, in fact it enables it. Only those with a surplus can give to others. Hence in the absence of the state, individuals are now freer and more willing to help their fellow citizens. As there is no other agent of beneficence, individuals, charities and religious organisations can cooperate to aid those who are perceived to need it. Libertarianism is not about the tyranny and steel hard grasp of exploitative indifferent markets, it is about how goods and services are to distributed in the absence of 'big brother'. In other words free markets 'localise' decision making in order to maximise individual welfare. Whilst in contrast governments seek to look at aggregates like employment, inflation and income distribution and hope to address these issues with 'one size fits all' policies that frequently do more harm then good.

Libertarianism also suggests that government is a rent seeking operation that takes in taxes at one end, dispenses largesse at the other while siphoning off the residue for its own purposes. Governments often act with the minimum of consent. It is sobering to think that states are responsible for wars. Even the worst serial killer in history could never be capable of the sort of extortion, mass murder and acquisitiveness that many states have indulged in ,in the name of ideals like nationalism or protection of some assumed 'interest' or other. So the role of the state has to be heavily restricted- perhaps to defence, justice and basic administrative tasks. In this way, freedom is safeguarded. Governments like 'order', by which they mean behaviour that is regulated to support the status quo. Markets however thrive on change. As tastes change or prices change, market participant's change, they must in order to survive and /or maximise their best interests.

The chapters I found particularly interesting where on the subject of the irrelevance of government. Read john Perry Barlow on the 'future of government' and you will have some insight into the current debate of should London declare independence. History is going full circle, back to the city states that the Greeks and our medieval forbears knew so well. The most amusing essay title by the way goes to `If you're paying, I'll have Top Sirloin' by R. Roberts. Many a true word spoke in jest!

Libertarianism seems to be the stuff of the extremes- the swivel-eyed social outcast, Jeremiah like prophesying doom of our statist economies because of wasted tax monies, lack of enterprise and ambition and welfarism.The cause isn't helped because many people worry about words like 'Free markets', 'self interest' and the 'chaos' that small government imply. The problem is, libertarians haven't explained themselves cogently enough. Many of the ideas are too much in the abstract. What would a world of small government be like for you and me? Its time Libertarians got out of the world of ideas and looked at concrete cases. What for instance does Libertarianism have to say about welfare for the poor and the control of monopolies? How would a Libertarian party work the necessarily messy process from the mixed - market to the free market ideal?

Consider where many Western governments find themselves. If state corporatism is not the answer then what is? No party as currently configured could currently get elected on a 'pure' Libertarian ticket. Yet the growing consensus is that the post war boom is and truly over. New challenges have arrived and so new responses have to be made. But it is not for government to formulate that response. It is by individuals looking to their own self interest (however defined) to make their own future. Therefore citizens should be pay less tax, business face less tariffs and regulation, and there should be less restriction on labour and capital movement in order for people to be free to do as they wish. After all individuals like you and I don't worry about 'GDP', we worry about our own GDP and therefore should be free to maximise it!

So a 'The Libertarian Reader' is an invigorating read: offering many interesting insights, challenging many a precious notion and not without the occasional sprinkling of humour and sense of humanity. To me `Libertarian' thinking is like a cold shower- not always comfortable, not always the `right answer' but it clears away the dreamy misconceptions that fog the mind when half asleep.Recommended.
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ThoughtFood1984
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2016
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10/10
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in Canada on December 15, 2016
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About half of the way through the reader. My mind had been blown a few times by the content. Not only am I learning about the roots and concepts of libertarianism, I am learning how allied my thinking and beliefs are to those roots and concepts. I wish I had discovered this in university.
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Anonima
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2015
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