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More Liberty Means Less Government: Our Founders Knew This Well (Hoover Institution Press Publication ; No. 453)

More Liberty Means Less Government: Our Founders Knew This Well (Hoover Institution Press Publication ; No. 453)

List Price: $18.95
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A must read.
Review: As stated, this book is a must read for any person who wants to have a clear grasp of the issues of our day. As other reviewers have noted, this book is a collection of some of his syndicated columns that were previously published. That being said:

Dr. Williams writes with a style which is completely opposite of much of the intellegencia. His writings are straightforward and to the point. This book is worth the price just to read his wrtings about Dunbar High School, a primarily black school in a poor district of D.C. which yielded outstanding results in the 50's and 60's....until the great forces of public education intervened and destroyed that success. I urge anyone who is a great supporter of public education and who buys into the "education needs more money....Black schools can't succeed" philosophy to obtain a copy of this book. It may not change your mind, but it will challenge your thoughts.

Dr. Williams writings on affirmative action are equally superb. He, again in simple terms explains how the economics of affirmative action don't match up with the political rhetoric. Be not scared that he is an economist, he writes for the reader and not for himself, with practical examples easily understood by all. Walter Williams is a national treasure.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This book deserves 6 stars.
Review: Mr. Williams says things I've always believed, but was afraid to say aloud for fear of being thought of as intolerant, uncompassionate, or politically incorrect. Mr. Williams knows how people work and what they do to further their best interests (which is the study of economics) and explains it in a jovial and colloquial manner. READ it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Pay attention to this author!
Review: Of all the economists in this country, Walter Williams is the best communicator. Whether lecturing or writing, he has the genius to reduce every issue to it's truist form. His powers of reason then lead to the most objective conclusion. He delivers with revolutionary simplicity, humor and power. There is no doublespeak or phony rhetoric to impress with how much more he knows than the reader. His conclusions are so appropriate, I'd vote for him for president!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Skewer statists, watch them squirm
Review: One of a handful of exceptionally eloquent black libertarian thinkers, Professor Williams sees clearly and speaks bluntly. If you are not one of the fortunate few GMU students to attend his lectures, you have a chance here to get an idea of what you're missing. Each essay skewers a failed statist solution, whether left-wing public education or right-wing Aid to Dependent Corporations, setting them to roasting on the fires of reason. Economics is an extremely easy subject...to get completely backwards, upside down, and inside out. For a gyroscopic lock on the issues from the economist's perspective, get this book and Thomas Sowell's new Basic Economics.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A strong voice for liberty
Review: This book is a compilation of columns by America's strongest voice of liberty, Dr. Walter E. Williams. In this book Dr. Williams offers his common sense, freedom-loving take on the vital issues of the day. He addresses race and sex, government, education, environment, health, law and international affairs in a clear, straight-forward way that challenges the many liberal fallacies that have eroded our precious liberties. A must read for anyone wanting to expand their base of knowledge and unafraid to confront stark truths. Very excellent indeed

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A strong voice for liberty
Review: This book is a compilation of columns by America's strongest voice of liberty, Dr. Walter E. Williams. In this book Dr. Williams offers his common sense, freedom-loving take on the vital issues of the day. He addresses race and sex, government, education, environment, health, law and international affairs in a clear, straight-forward way that challenges the many liberal fallacies that have eroded our precious liberties. A must read for anyone wanting to expand their base of knowledge and unafraid to confront stark truths. Very excellent indeed

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This book is a reprint of great articles from Walter Williams. It is a shame we do not have more teachers like Williams in our schools. If only more people took economics.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: "Williams, needs work!"
Review: This book was basically not thought out very well. For example, on page 154 he states that, "While the Soviet Union has collapsed, communism is not dead. It has been repackaged under a new name: environmentalism. Communism is about extensive government regulation and control by elites and so is environmentalism." I agree. It was the outstanding environmental caring of the Soviet Union that lead it to dump radioactive waste into the Bering Sea. It was concern for the environment that made the USSR drain the Aral Sea(despite protest from environmentalists everywhere.). It was the Greens(Reds is outdated according to him)that devastated the forests of Siberia and nearly made the Siberian tiger extinct. If we are communists,then why do communist countries have the worst environmental records in the world( Siberia is the most polluted region on Earth.)? If the above isn't enough, lets look at some other claims. He tries to say that we don't need a national health care plan because it will limit our freedom. Assuming this is true, there are other things to think about. Like the fact that 40 million people lack health care coverage at all. 100 million more people lack adequate health care coverage. Many people I know don't have health coverage. They suffer while he talks about liberty. Wouldn't it be better to sacrifice some liberty to ensure that these peoples needs are being met? I think so. One last example. He claims that the minimum wage raises corporate costs and causes them to fire employees. Therefore he wants to repeal it. But he said so himself, corporations want to reduce costs. Therefore if the minimum wage is eliminated people already struggling to make ends meet will be walloped with lower wages and even those with with high wages will see there incomes fall. And he claims to be for common sense. This is far-right propaganda. I don't see how he claims or appears to think that he is a libertarian when he is so blatantly a Republican. I give this a 2 star review because it does give a interesting view of the right-wing libertarian mindset, but if it weren't for that I would give it a 1 star review. There is nothing revolutionary in this book, and you will not learn anything new, so save your money. If you must have this message though, read Larry Elder. It is the same message, and from the cover picture of his book you can see that Elder has nicer teeth.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent arguments from a brilliant writer
Review: Walter E. Williams is extremely gifted in his ability to present an argument. In More Liberty Means Less Government, Williams presents short articles that he has written (ranging from 1995 - 1997), each of these articles is a beautifully orchestrated example of the perfect argument from start to finish. Not only does Williams present a convincing argument for each topic, but he adjusts his balance of pathos, ethos, and logos depending on the topic he asses. When discussing many potentially controversial topics such as school vouchers or education reform, Williams first seeks to establish himself as a credible source on the topic, and frequently brings in more than one real life source on the topic. William's doesn't just quote some professor's work on education, he refers to the owner of a small private school in his area and HER opinion on how to solve the problem of our dismal education schools. Due to his brilliance of mind and communication, Williams is incredibly effective in presenting his political agenda, and creates a masterpiece in More Liberty Means Less Government.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Walter Williams Views on Economics and Politics
Review: Williams assembled this book using some of his favorite previously published columns. An economics professor and outspoken on political and social issues, Williams' views take on a libertarian/conservative flavor. And the columns he selected for this book are consistent in their analysis, with Williams always taking the pro- liberty position, regardless of topic.

This book includes sections titled "Race & Sex", "Government", "Education", "Environment and Health", "International", "Law and Society", and "Potpourri", which is a miscellaneous category that includes columns that do not fit into one of the other six. Each of these seven sections includes articles relating to that particular topic, with titles and dates of original publication.

Williams talks at length about economic issues, which should be expected given his background and his profession. But he is just as effective (many even more so) when he tackles personal issues in this book, like racism, sex equality, the failed war on drugs, and other non- economic topics. His greatest skill comes in the way he takes complicated topics and explains them using examples that anyone can relate to and understand.

If I had to make a few criticisms of this book, it would first be the fact that the book doesn't flow very well. Since it is comprised of a collection of previously published material, it doesn't read like a normal book. Also, I did notice a few typos and awkward sentences that are not always easy to follow. Williams writes in a style that attempts to use as few words as possible to get a point across. This is nice, for the sake of saving space. But it can sometimes prove to be inadequate for reading and effective communication.

Williams is considered a conservative, even though he is obviously not a social conservative, based on his views. He is often politically incorrect, which I admire and enjoy. Still, the fact that he is considered conservative will cause many to disagree with many of his opinions and forego giving this book a chance. However, I think the book is still worth a look regardless of political persuasion. Williams may not change your mind about a particular political or economic topic, but he will succeed at making you reconsider some of your positions or at least looking at them from a different perspective. His style is persuasive and convincing, even if you don't agree with him one- hundred percent.


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