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The Thomas Sowell Reader
These selections from the many writings of Thomas Sowell over a period of a half century cover social, economic, cultural, legal, educational, and political issues. The sources range from Dr. Sowell's letters, books, newspaper columns, and articles in both scholarly journals and popular magazines. The topics range from late-talking children to -tax cuts for the rich, - baseball, race, war, the role of judges, medical care, and the rhetoric of politicians. These topics are dealt with by sometimes drawing on history, sometimes drawing on economics, and sometimes drawing on a sense of humor.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
April 15, 2020
A wonderful collection of articles and essays written by Sowell. If you’ve read some of Sowell’s other books you will notice that many of the essays are from other great books he has written. Among the most notable chapters in this book are “The Economics of Discrimination,” “Marx the Man,” “Affirmative Action Around the World,” and “Patterns of the Anointed.” My favorite essay has to be “Patterns of the Anointed,” which covers social policies in the 1980s and above and how they were destructive. This book also gives you some insight into how his youth years were like growing up in Harlem.
July 4, 2012
I was surprised at the end of this weighty tome to find that I agree with most of what he said. Why? As an independent I tend to be a centrist in political matters and his reputation had been presented to me as a pretty hard core conservative which usually brings to mind a level of shrillness and inaccuracy that leaves me pretty cold. I tend toward being a liberal in social matters and a conservative in the fiscal arena so I was surprised that many of the social topics he discusses can be handled in a positive fashion while disclosing the inherent weaknesses in many favored liberal approaches. I think the reason I responded positively to his arguments is that they do not include the evangelical, "this is right because I say so" which is common in many tracts on the same subject. He appears a person one could work with, his prescriptions feature sound logic and verifiable proof. The book is well written and informative and I am glad I took the time to read it.
March 29, 2025
"Ideology is fairy tales for adults." Thus writes economist and conservative maven Sowell in a best-of volume shot through with ideology.
Though he resists easy categorization, the author has been associated with hard-libertarian organizations and think tanks such as the Hoover Institution for most of his long work. Here, he picks from his numerous writings, which have the consistency of an ideologue—e.g., affirmative action is nasty, period. It's up to parents, not society or the schools, to be sure that children are educated. Ethnic studies and the "mania for 'diversity'" produce delusions. Colleges teach impressionable Americans to "despise American society." Minimum wage laws are a drag on the economy. And so on. Sowell is generally fair-minded, reasonable, and logical. Still, his readers will likely convert to his cause, so he does not need to examine a problem's angles. (If it is true that most gun violence is committed in households where domestic abuse has taken place, then why not take away the abusers' guns as part of the legal sentencing?) Often, his arguments are brilliant, as when he examines the career of Booker T. Washington, who was adept at using white people's money to advance his causes while harboring no illusions that his benefactors were saints. Sometimes, though, Sowell's sentiments emerge as sustenance, as when he writes, in would-be apothegms: "Government bailouts are like potato chips: You can't stop with just one"; "I can understand why some people like to drive slowly. What I cannot understand is why they get in the fast lane to do it." The answer to the second question, following Sowell, might go thus: because they're liberals, and the state tells them to do it, to get in the way of hard-working real Americans. A solid, representative collection by a writer and thinker one either agrees with or not—and there's not much middle ground on which to stand.
Source: THE THOMAS SOWELL READER | Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Though he resists easy categorization, the author has been associated with hard-libertarian organizations and think tanks such as the Hoover Institution for most of his long work. Here, he picks from his numerous writings, which have the consistency of an ideologue—e.g., affirmative action is nasty, period. It's up to parents, not society or the schools, to be sure that children are educated. Ethnic studies and the "mania for 'diversity'" produce delusions. Colleges teach impressionable Americans to "despise American society." Minimum wage laws are a drag on the economy. And so on. Sowell is generally fair-minded, reasonable, and logical. Still, his readers will likely convert to his cause, so he does not need to examine a problem's angles. (If it is true that most gun violence is committed in households where domestic abuse has taken place, then why not take away the abusers' guns as part of the legal sentencing?) Often, his arguments are brilliant, as when he examines the career of Booker T. Washington, who was adept at using white people's money to advance his causes while harboring no illusions that his benefactors were saints. Sometimes, though, Sowell's sentiments emerge as sustenance, as when he writes, in would-be apothegms: "Government bailouts are like potato chips: You can't stop with just one"; "I can understand why some people like to drive slowly. What I cannot understand is why they get in the fast lane to do it." The answer to the second question, following Sowell, might go thus: because they're liberals, and the state tells them to do it, to get in the way of hard-working real Americans. A solid, representative collection by a writer and thinker one either agrees with or not—and there's not much middle ground on which to stand.
Source: THE THOMAS SOWELL READER | Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
November 11, 2025
I’m so impressed. Thomas Sowell’s voice sounds so similar to my own inner voice, in terms of personality, tone and ideas — only, his voice is much better articulated, knowledgeable, concise and powerful : )
This “Thomas Sowell Reader” compiles essays and excerpts from economist Thomas Sowell, an African American professor of economics and prominent political commentator (still alive and kicking at 94 or 95). The collection spans his work from the 1970s to 2012, addressing economics, education, race, and government overreach.
It reflects Sowell’s conservative perspective, grounded in data and practical reasoning. It also reflects much of his obvious frustration in having lived for many decades in academia, where 85% of his colleagues are liberal.
I wasn’t surprised when, chatting with an AI about Sowell’s work, the AI defined him as a “contrarian”. As an author who is often difficult to read because of his “contrarian” stances.
Now, most AI agents still source mainly from English text that is available online. Since the majority of online English text has a leftist bias (this is easily demonstrated) AI agents automatically absorb that bias, and spit it back out. Therefore, the “average” position for many AIs is slanted towards the left (just like the BBC and NPR: theoretically centrist, factually very leftist).
That’s how a conservative intellectual like Sowell becomes a “contrarian”, because for the AI, “mainstream” and “progressive” are somewhat interchangeable terms.
The book’s strength is Sowell’s ability to present clear, evidence-based arguments. His essays on economics rely on real-world data like job loss statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On education, he uses historical enrollment figures to argue that school choice improves outcomes, pointing to charter school performance in cities like New York.
On race, he draws on census data to question affirmative action’s effectiveness, suggesting that it creates dependency by prioritizing group outcomes over individual merit (the fact that DEI policies are still alive, although weakened, is something that I find insane).
These are all arguments rooted in tangible results rather than theoretical ideals. This contrasts with liberal approaches, which often lean on abstract concepts like systemic inequality or educational equity, relying on academic models that lack specific, measurable outcomes (see full article below).
The one critique that I have is about the inexplicable editorial choice to hide the dates of every essay, as if time and history weren’t crucial to put each essay into context. Baffling. Or maybe the editor was afraid that readers would find a book of “old” essays not very compelling? I don’t know. They are all extremely valid still today. If nothing else, the public discourse around these topics has worsened.
Other arguments include:
“Cultural Factors Outweigh Systemic Racism”:
Sowell argues that differences in economic and social outcomes among racial groups stem more from cultural practices and historical behaviors than from systemic racism. He cites data on immigrant groups like Asians and Jews, who overcame initial disadvantages through strong family structures and work ethics, suggesting culture, not oppression, drives success.
“Affirmative Action Distorts Merit”:
Expanding on his critique, he contends that affirmative action policies lower standards for minorities, leading to underperformance in higher education and jobs. Using college graduation rate disparities and employment data, he claims this creates a cycle where beneficiaries are set up to fail, contrasting with liberal views that emphasize structural barriers as the primary cause.
“Income Gaps Reflect Individual Choices”:
Sowell asserts that income inequalities between racial groups are largely due to individual and family decisions, such as education attainment and marriage rates, rather than discrimination. He points to historical census data showing Black families with two parents had income parity with Whites by the 1940s, arguing that policy should focus on personal responsibility rather than redistribution.
He quotes Frederick Douglass: “My politics in regard to the negro is simply this: Give him fair play and let him alone, but be sure you give him fair play. He is now a man before the law. ”
This is intelligence and wisdom prevailing over emotions.
“Historical Context Misused”:
He challenges the narrative that slavery’s legacy fully explains current racial disparities, using comparative data from other countries where slavery existed but economic outcomes differ. He suggests that focusing on past injustices distracts from addressing present-day behaviors and policies, opposing liberal reliance on historical guilt as a framework for inequality.
Sowell’s biographical essays at the end of the book are SO moving.
This is a man who has experienced and known real hardships, and yet lifted himself up thanks to the people who loved him, and thanks to his own intellect, courage and determination.
God bless you, Dr. Sowell!
—
And finally, here is one of the many essays found in this book, titled: “The survival of the left”.
“BIOLOGISTS EXPLAIN how organisms adapt to their physical environment, but ideologues also adapt to their social environment. The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive.
The academic world is the natural habitat of half-baked ideas, except for those fields in which there are decisive tests, such as science, mathematics, engineering, medicine;and athletics. In all these fields, in their differing ways, there comes a time when you must either put up or shut up. It should not be surprising that all of these fields are notable exceptions to the complete domination by the left on campuses across the country.
In the humanities, for example, the test of deconstructionism is not whether it can produce any tangible results but whether it remains in vogue. So long as it does, professors skilled in its verbal sleight-of-hand can expect to continue to receive six-figure salaries.
You might think that the collapse of communism throughout Eastern Europe would be considered a decisive failure for Marxism, but academic Marxists in America are utterly undaunted. Their paychecks and their tenure are unaffected. Their theories continue to flourish in the classrooms and their journals continue to litter the library shelves.
Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it. Even countries that were once more prosperous than their neighbors have found themselves much poorer than their neighbors after just one generation of socialistic policies. Whether these neighboring countries were Ghana and the Ivory Coast or Burma and Thailand, it has been the same story around the world.
Discredited elsewhere, the nostrums of the left live on in public television.
Nor is economic failure the worst of it. The millions slaughtered by Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot for political reasons are an even grimmer reality.
People who live and work in a world where there is a business bottom line, an athletic scoreboard, a military battlefield or life-and-death surgery may find it hard to fully appreciate the difference between that kind of world and one in which the only decisive test is whether your colleagues like what you are saying.
Academia is only one of the places where wholly subjective criteria rule;and where leftists predominate. Endowed institutions such as foundations and museums likewise often face no test other than what like-minded people find “exciting” and what enables those who run these institutions to get the heady feeling that they are “making a difference.” The same is true of cultural institutions supported involuntarily by the taxpayers, such as the Smithsonian or the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities.
Taxpayer-supported “public” radio and television are similarly insulated from reality and similarly dominated by the left, not only in the United States but in other countries as well. All the nostrums of the left that have brought hunger to millions in countries which used to have surplus food to export, all the pretty words and ugly realities that have caused millions more to flee the lands of their birth, these nostrums live on in public television;much like old classic movies with familiar lines that the audience of aficionados can recite along with the characters on the screen.
These endowed and insulated institutions, often full of contempt for the values of American society and Western civilization, are not the only bastions of the left counter-culture. So are Hollywood and Broadway. Although show biz faces the financial need to get an audience, the truth of what they portray is hardly crucial. If they can make it punchy and sexy, then those who complain about historical inaccuracies and ideological bias can be dismissed as irrelevant pedants. Why are leftists able to crowd out other kinds of people from these places? Because those who are willing to subject themselves to the test of reality, whether as a businessman in the marketplace or as a surgeon in an operating room, have many other places in which to work and live. They do not need special sheltered niches in which to hide and to cherish their precious notions.
Darwinian adaptation to environment applies not only to nature but also to society. Just as you don’t find eagles living in the ocean or fish living on mountain tops, so you don’t find leftists concentrated where their ideas have to stand the test of performance.
Dr. Thomas Sowell is an economist and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution in Stanford, Calif.”
This “Thomas Sowell Reader” compiles essays and excerpts from economist Thomas Sowell, an African American professor of economics and prominent political commentator (still alive and kicking at 94 or 95). The collection spans his work from the 1970s to 2012, addressing economics, education, race, and government overreach.
It reflects Sowell’s conservative perspective, grounded in data and practical reasoning. It also reflects much of his obvious frustration in having lived for many decades in academia, where 85% of his colleagues are liberal.
I wasn’t surprised when, chatting with an AI about Sowell’s work, the AI defined him as a “contrarian”. As an author who is often difficult to read because of his “contrarian” stances.
Now, most AI agents still source mainly from English text that is available online. Since the majority of online English text has a leftist bias (this is easily demonstrated) AI agents automatically absorb that bias, and spit it back out. Therefore, the “average” position for many AIs is slanted towards the left (just like the BBC and NPR: theoretically centrist, factually very leftist).
That’s how a conservative intellectual like Sowell becomes a “contrarian”, because for the AI, “mainstream” and “progressive” are somewhat interchangeable terms.
The book’s strength is Sowell’s ability to present clear, evidence-based arguments. His essays on economics rely on real-world data like job loss statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On education, he uses historical enrollment figures to argue that school choice improves outcomes, pointing to charter school performance in cities like New York.
On race, he draws on census data to question affirmative action’s effectiveness, suggesting that it creates dependency by prioritizing group outcomes over individual merit (the fact that DEI policies are still alive, although weakened, is something that I find insane).
These are all arguments rooted in tangible results rather than theoretical ideals. This contrasts with liberal approaches, which often lean on abstract concepts like systemic inequality or educational equity, relying on academic models that lack specific, measurable outcomes (see full article below).
The one critique that I have is about the inexplicable editorial choice to hide the dates of every essay, as if time and history weren’t crucial to put each essay into context. Baffling. Or maybe the editor was afraid that readers would find a book of “old” essays not very compelling? I don’t know. They are all extremely valid still today. If nothing else, the public discourse around these topics has worsened.
Other arguments include:
“Cultural Factors Outweigh Systemic Racism”:
Sowell argues that differences in economic and social outcomes among racial groups stem more from cultural practices and historical behaviors than from systemic racism. He cites data on immigrant groups like Asians and Jews, who overcame initial disadvantages through strong family structures and work ethics, suggesting culture, not oppression, drives success.
“Affirmative Action Distorts Merit”:
Expanding on his critique, he contends that affirmative action policies lower standards for minorities, leading to underperformance in higher education and jobs. Using college graduation rate disparities and employment data, he claims this creates a cycle where beneficiaries are set up to fail, contrasting with liberal views that emphasize structural barriers as the primary cause.
“Income Gaps Reflect Individual Choices”:
Sowell asserts that income inequalities between racial groups are largely due to individual and family decisions, such as education attainment and marriage rates, rather than discrimination. He points to historical census data showing Black families with two parents had income parity with Whites by the 1940s, arguing that policy should focus on personal responsibility rather than redistribution.
He quotes Frederick Douglass: “My politics in regard to the negro is simply this: Give him fair play and let him alone, but be sure you give him fair play. He is now a man before the law. ”
This is intelligence and wisdom prevailing over emotions.
“Historical Context Misused”:
He challenges the narrative that slavery’s legacy fully explains current racial disparities, using comparative data from other countries where slavery existed but economic outcomes differ. He suggests that focusing on past injustices distracts from addressing present-day behaviors and policies, opposing liberal reliance on historical guilt as a framework for inequality.
Sowell’s biographical essays at the end of the book are SO moving.
This is a man who has experienced and known real hardships, and yet lifted himself up thanks to the people who loved him, and thanks to his own intellect, courage and determination.
God bless you, Dr. Sowell!
—
And finally, here is one of the many essays found in this book, titled: “The survival of the left”.
“BIOLOGISTS EXPLAIN how organisms adapt to their physical environment, but ideologues also adapt to their social environment. The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive.
The academic world is the natural habitat of half-baked ideas, except for those fields in which there are decisive tests, such as science, mathematics, engineering, medicine;and athletics. In all these fields, in their differing ways, there comes a time when you must either put up or shut up. It should not be surprising that all of these fields are notable exceptions to the complete domination by the left on campuses across the country.
In the humanities, for example, the test of deconstructionism is not whether it can produce any tangible results but whether it remains in vogue. So long as it does, professors skilled in its verbal sleight-of-hand can expect to continue to receive six-figure salaries.
You might think that the collapse of communism throughout Eastern Europe would be considered a decisive failure for Marxism, but academic Marxists in America are utterly undaunted. Their paychecks and their tenure are unaffected. Their theories continue to flourish in the classrooms and their journals continue to litter the library shelves.
Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it. Even countries that were once more prosperous than their neighbors have found themselves much poorer than their neighbors after just one generation of socialistic policies. Whether these neighboring countries were Ghana and the Ivory Coast or Burma and Thailand, it has been the same story around the world.
Discredited elsewhere, the nostrums of the left live on in public television.
Nor is economic failure the worst of it. The millions slaughtered by Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot for political reasons are an even grimmer reality.
People who live and work in a world where there is a business bottom line, an athletic scoreboard, a military battlefield or life-and-death surgery may find it hard to fully appreciate the difference between that kind of world and one in which the only decisive test is whether your colleagues like what you are saying.
Academia is only one of the places where wholly subjective criteria rule;and where leftists predominate. Endowed institutions such as foundations and museums likewise often face no test other than what like-minded people find “exciting” and what enables those who run these institutions to get the heady feeling that they are “making a difference.” The same is true of cultural institutions supported involuntarily by the taxpayers, such as the Smithsonian or the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities.
Taxpayer-supported “public” radio and television are similarly insulated from reality and similarly dominated by the left, not only in the United States but in other countries as well. All the nostrums of the left that have brought hunger to millions in countries which used to have surplus food to export, all the pretty words and ugly realities that have caused millions more to flee the lands of their birth, these nostrums live on in public television;much like old classic movies with familiar lines that the audience of aficionados can recite along with the characters on the screen.
These endowed and insulated institutions, often full of contempt for the values of American society and Western civilization, are not the only bastions of the left counter-culture. So are Hollywood and Broadway. Although show biz faces the financial need to get an audience, the truth of what they portray is hardly crucial. If they can make it punchy and sexy, then those who complain about historical inaccuracies and ideological bias can be dismissed as irrelevant pedants. Why are leftists able to crowd out other kinds of people from these places? Because those who are willing to subject themselves to the test of reality, whether as a businessman in the marketplace or as a surgeon in an operating room, have many other places in which to work and live. They do not need special sheltered niches in which to hide and to cherish their precious notions.
Darwinian adaptation to environment applies not only to nature but also to society. Just as you don’t find eagles living in the ocean or fish living on mountain tops, so you don’t find leftists concentrated where their ideas have to stand the test of performance.
Dr. Thomas Sowell is an economist and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution in Stanford, Calif.”
July 29, 2018
Beyond superb. Not only the best economics of specific nuance that I've ever read, but also the most exactly and succinctly worded. Some of these I have read reprinted as 2 page definitions or essay articles in numerous other publications. But to have them all together!
The following article divisions should be read and reread in all levels of education- and in each and every ethnicity or national background:
The Money of Fools
Life at the Bottom
Cruel "Compassion"
The Anti-American Americans
Union Myths
The Economics of Crime
The "Compassion" Racket
The Pattern of the Annointed
Love Those Killers!
Aborted Knowledge
"Friends" of Blacks (This one should be read every year of schooling at least once, as it contains historical and empirical data upon racial adjustments in schools etc. and what that result has harvested.)
Multiculturalism Cult
Wasting Minds
Glimpses of Academe
There are more quotes that are prime superb by the dozens in every single article- even his Random Thoughts section. Those I listed above are not even 1/2 of what's in this combination reader. Some of the economics and business sections are not true just for the USA, but for every system. About what PRODUCES progress, value, goods and not only what redistributes them.
This book becomes more brilliant by the year. Each and every projection he made upon economics of urban environments for schooling and much else has occurred precisely as he foresaw.
It's a keeper. Worth buying just for the references and quotable gold alone!
The following article divisions should be read and reread in all levels of education- and in each and every ethnicity or national background:
The Money of Fools
Life at the Bottom
Cruel "Compassion"
The Anti-American Americans
Union Myths
The Economics of Crime
The "Compassion" Racket
The Pattern of the Annointed
Love Those Killers!
Aborted Knowledge
"Friends" of Blacks (This one should be read every year of schooling at least once, as it contains historical and empirical data upon racial adjustments in schools etc. and what that result has harvested.)
Multiculturalism Cult
Wasting Minds
Glimpses of Academe
There are more quotes that are prime superb by the dozens in every single article- even his Random Thoughts section. Those I listed above are not even 1/2 of what's in this combination reader. Some of the economics and business sections are not true just for the USA, but for every system. About what PRODUCES progress, value, goods and not only what redistributes them.
This book becomes more brilliant by the year. Each and every projection he made upon economics of urban environments for schooling and much else has occurred precisely as he foresaw.
It's a keeper. Worth buying just for the references and quotable gold alone!
June 15, 2012
If you have not read Thomas Sowell, this may be the place to start. He writes about many things, in general, but I will try to boil it down to a few descriptive words. Sowell is an economist. He is an intellectual. He is African American. He writes with precision and some warmth about economics, politics, racism, and the US government. His writing tends to be in the essay style which can take some effort for me to delve into.
He will surprise you. He firmly believes that ideas can be tested and measured for effectiveness and takes issue with those in power who have adopted big ideas but refuse to put any measurement to them.
This book is a collection of very short articles for those of us with short attention spans. He explores many subjects that he has written about over his long career. He takes a very unpopular stand on many things.
Slavery is in the past and blacks are owed nothing.
We live in a society where it is popular to create victims for every incident.
Individual responsibility is disappearing quickly.
It is not the governments job to "take care of everyone".
And many more such thoughts. Unlike many authors and pundits, Sowell supports his assertions with clearly presented examples and references. He is not a smoke and mirrors kind of guy. The writing and the arguments are quite clear - that is his goal. To be clear.
He will surprise you. He firmly believes that ideas can be tested and measured for effectiveness and takes issue with those in power who have adopted big ideas but refuse to put any measurement to them.
This book is a collection of very short articles for those of us with short attention spans. He explores many subjects that he has written about over his long career. He takes a very unpopular stand on many things.
Slavery is in the past and blacks are owed nothing.
We live in a society where it is popular to create victims for every incident.
Individual responsibility is disappearing quickly.
It is not the governments job to "take care of everyone".
And many more such thoughts. Unlike many authors and pundits, Sowell supports his assertions with clearly presented examples and references. He is not a smoke and mirrors kind of guy. The writing and the arguments are quite clear - that is his goal. To be clear.
March 5, 2018
To quote Thomas Sowell:
Well, this frames his conservative-intellectual ideology in a great light.
Here's an idea, here's my reasoning - now it's up to you to come to your own conclusions.
I began reading this under the mantra - I believe it was Nate Silver who said this - that a person who likes ideas actively reads those who do not share his or her viewpoint.
Well Thomas Sowell does not share my viewpoint in any way - but he does make you think. He comes from an ultra-conservative angle, and then argues it well.
In this day and age it's mild - he refrains from insulting anyone or even bringing up names. He attacks institutions and ideas, and that is it.
The only criticism I have is the same that I pushed against Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay - is that Sowell doesn't surprise.
After you get used to his arguments, pick an issue, and you can guess what he is going to say before he says it. It's just that he comes from a conservative viewpoint.
If you're a conservative, get this - it acts as a go-to source - whatever issue you want, he'll have a well-argued, if not unpredictable, argument on the issue.
If you're liberal or anything else - still read it anyway. It will challenge you, but in a good way.
My hope is that this large selection of my writings will reduce the likelihood that readers will misunderstand what I have said on many controversial issues over the years. Whether the readers will agree with all my conclusions is another question entirely. But disagreements can be productive, while misunderstandings seldom are.
Well, this frames his conservative-intellectual ideology in a great light.
Here's an idea, here's my reasoning - now it's up to you to come to your own conclusions.
I began reading this under the mantra - I believe it was Nate Silver who said this - that a person who likes ideas actively reads those who do not share his or her viewpoint.
Well Thomas Sowell does not share my viewpoint in any way - but he does make you think. He comes from an ultra-conservative angle, and then argues it well.
In this day and age it's mild - he refrains from insulting anyone or even bringing up names. He attacks institutions and ideas, and that is it.
The only criticism I have is the same that I pushed against Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay - is that Sowell doesn't surprise.
After you get used to his arguments, pick an issue, and you can guess what he is going to say before he says it. It's just that he comes from a conservative viewpoint.
If you're a conservative, get this - it acts as a go-to source - whatever issue you want, he'll have a well-argued, if not unpredictable, argument on the issue.
If you're liberal or anything else - still read it anyway. It will challenge you, but in a good way.
August 9, 2021
Whenever you pick up a book by Thomas Sowell, you can count on being much more informed and educated upon finishing it than you were before. Having read quite a few of them, I would be hard pressed to point out a favorite, until I read The Thomas Sowell Reader by Thomas Sowell; it is a one-volume introduction to over three decades of the wide-ranging writings of one of America's most respected and cited authors. Most of the others I have read focused on a specific topic or issue and provided an in-depth analysis with plenty of supporting facts and references. This book was more like a buffet that addressed a variety of Dr. Sowell's earlier writings that are mostly still relevant to this day. "These selections from the many writings of Thomas Sowell over a period of a half century cover social, economic, cultural, legal, educational, and political issues. The sources range from Dr. Sowell's letters, books, newspaper columns, and articles in both scholarly journals and popular magazines. The topics range from late-talking children to "tax cuts for the rich," baseball, race, war, the role of judges, medical care, and the rhetoric of politicians. These topics are dealt with by sometimes drawing on history, sometimes drawing on economics, and sometimes drawing on a sense of humor. The Thomas Sowell Reader includes essays on:* Social Issues* Economics* Political Issues* Legal Issues* Race and Ethnicity* Educational Issues* Biographical Sketches* Random Thoughts!"
"My hope is that this large selection of my writings will reduce the likelihood that readers will misunderstand what I have said on many controversial issues over the years. Whether the reader will agree with all my conclusions is another question entirely. But disagreements can be productive, while misunderstandings seldom are." -- Thomas Sowell
Highly recommended for all readers!
"My hope is that this large selection of my writings will reduce the likelihood that readers will misunderstand what I have said on many controversial issues over the years. Whether the reader will agree with all my conclusions is another question entirely. But disagreements can be productive, while misunderstandings seldom are." -- Thomas Sowell
Highly recommended for all readers!
July 26, 2025
While I generally agree with Thomas Sowell, I got tired of his book's format, mostly 2 to 3 page vignettes. But he leads off with a rewrite of the Grasshopper and the Ant story, and it’s great. He adds Lefty the ant, who’s been to college! “I’m in public service,” Lefty said loftily. “I want to ‘make a difference’ in this world.” —available on the Kindle sample, nearby, which you should definitely get. 5+ stars!
And the sample will definitely give you a good idea of whether to go on to the book, in a half-hour or so of reading.
The other part of the book that was gripping was his autobiographical sketch at the end. And I see that Sowell has written an autobiography, "A Personal Odyssey," which I may want to try. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_... for an outline of his life. He's 95!
Sowell was born in 1930. His dying father asked an aunt to adopt him, she did, and the baby moved in with his great-aunt in Charlotte, NC. In 1939, his adoptive family moved to Harlem. His adoptive parents separated, and his adoptive mother fell on financial hard times. But Sowell qualified for Stuyvesant High School, a selective school that gave him a good education. He was able to go to college later, got advanced degrees, including his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago. He went on to a long academic career, accumulating both honors and brickbats. Sowell wrote that it was much harder for black students who came later to succeed as he did. In particular, he wrote that the use of racial quotas and affirmative action made the achievements of blacks (and other minorities) look suspect. Not least to themselves....
I’m in awe of his achievements, and agree with him that mush-minded “progressives” are doing great damage to the people they are trying to help. But, y’know, I’m a technical guy. I’m basically allergic to this stuff, and wish it would just go away. Can’t we all just get along?
And the sample will definitely give you a good idea of whether to go on to the book, in a half-hour or so of reading.
The other part of the book that was gripping was his autobiographical sketch at the end. And I see that Sowell has written an autobiography, "A Personal Odyssey," which I may want to try. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_... for an outline of his life. He's 95!
Sowell was born in 1930. His dying father asked an aunt to adopt him, she did, and the baby moved in with his great-aunt in Charlotte, NC. In 1939, his adoptive family moved to Harlem. His adoptive parents separated, and his adoptive mother fell on financial hard times. But Sowell qualified for Stuyvesant High School, a selective school that gave him a good education. He was able to go to college later, got advanced degrees, including his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago. He went on to a long academic career, accumulating both honors and brickbats. Sowell wrote that it was much harder for black students who came later to succeed as he did. In particular, he wrote that the use of racial quotas and affirmative action made the achievements of blacks (and other minorities) look suspect. Not least to themselves....
I’m in awe of his achievements, and agree with him that mush-minded “progressives” are doing great damage to the people they are trying to help. But, y’know, I’m a technical guy. I’m basically allergic to this stuff, and wish it would just go away. Can’t we all just get along?
December 30, 2012
words as the money of fools, rent control, 4xabuse and poverty when no marriage, foreigners not entitled, retrain responsibility, little authority to ?, pitcher Ruth fences, unions for unions, economy is trade offs vs singular govt unions and price controls and govt medical care, scarce resources with alternative uses, crime drops 89% with guns in home, bias in science welcomed, ideas have to work or not-ed govt, late term condemned by ama, geography, ed breakdowns, demonized producers subsidized non-producers canonized complainers, honest afraid of court and criminals are not, convince parasites they are victims, if can’t learn both sides of issue don’t bother to vote, provers prove what jerks they are, envy breeds anger and loss of money and freedom as hitler mao lenin stalin and now class warfare politicians, can’t do just one bailout, to help others tell truth to help self tell what desire, entitled vs gratitude is sad vs happy, no policy can change past, exempting from criticism is most harmful, evading truth is complicated, intimidation of disagreement is tragedy, waste to reason with unreasonable, learn what fool was before, human rights orgs degenerate to extortion, laugh at absurdity, maintain trust vs repair, non judgmental is judgmental, ivan the inappropriate.
March 20, 2020
Един от любимите ми икономисти и политически автори, вече на преклонна възраст (над 80, но се държи) публикува поредната си книга, този път със събрани есета.
Томас Соуел е просто невероятен - написал е десетки книги и няма нито една слаба между тях, а от вижданията му за икономиката, политиката и обществото блика толкова здравомислие и начетеност че изпитвам физическо удоволствие като го чета.
Томас Соуел е просто невероятен - написал е десетки книги и няма нито една слаба между тях, а от вижданията му за икономиката, политиката и обществото блика толкова здравомислие и начетеност че изпитвам физическо удоволствие като го чета.
April 10, 2025
Love Sowell.
September 11, 2016
If you need a bathroom reader that’s well above the average, this would make a great choice—most of these essays are two pages long. Each section leads off with newspaper essays; then ends with some longer essays for more depth on the topic. The longer pieces are either written for this book, or are excerpted from earlier books by the author.
These essays provide short, packed introductions to Sowell’s approach to economics, and his research into other social problems facing the United States and the world today. It’s a great choice for a first book if you haven’t read any of his other books yet; and if you haven’t, you should.
It’s also a great choice if, like me, you have read some of his books but want a collection of his newspaper writings.
And as a complete change of subject, the larger essays on the influence of geography on culture are very useful for gamers and fantasy writers looking for tips on world-building.
He also includes a very short biographical sketch of himself in the final section which is interesting, and ties into some of his essays on race and economics.
These essays provide short, packed introductions to Sowell’s approach to economics, and his research into other social problems facing the United States and the world today. It’s a great choice for a first book if you haven’t read any of his other books yet; and if you haven’t, you should.
It’s also a great choice if, like me, you have read some of his books but want a collection of his newspaper writings.
And as a complete change of subject, the larger essays on the influence of geography on culture are very useful for gamers and fantasy writers looking for tips on world-building.
He also includes a very short biographical sketch of himself in the final section which is interesting, and ties into some of his essays on race and economics.
March 20, 2017
This isn't my normal type of book. I don't normally enjoy things that are highly political, but I do like things that make me think. And make me think, Sowell did.
I thought I'd be getting more into economics, but it turns out that Sowell has a mind for a wide variety of things from a unique standpoint. Sowell was born in the "old south" and in poverty. He gives a small account of what it was like growing up with a loving family, poverty, and narrowly escaping things that would poison his mind and heart -- like racism and abuse.
Topics that Sowell writes on in this book from his experiences and view are:
- Social issues
- Economics
- Political issues
- Legal issues
- Race and ethnicity
- Educational issues
He ends the book with a biographical sketch of himself and some random, uncompleted thoughts.
Sowell has a lot of conservative points of view, but I wonder if they aren't more "classical liberal". I'm no political expert by a long shot, so the labels are meaningless to me. Instead, I like to focus on themes and values that stood out.
The theme that stood out the most to me about this book was that if you hold someone to higher standards, remind them that they are better than a handout, that they can rise to the occasion and be a truly amazing person. He gives several pages of sources of evidence for these ideas as well.
In the end, it's a good, dense read. The chapters range from two pages to several pages, so you can read just a chapter a day. Sowell's writing is good enough, though, that you'll find it easy to breeze through a few chapters at a time without issue. That alone made it very, very enjoyable.
I thought I'd be getting more into economics, but it turns out that Sowell has a mind for a wide variety of things from a unique standpoint. Sowell was born in the "old south" and in poverty. He gives a small account of what it was like growing up with a loving family, poverty, and narrowly escaping things that would poison his mind and heart -- like racism and abuse.
Topics that Sowell writes on in this book from his experiences and view are:
- Social issues
- Economics
- Political issues
- Legal issues
- Race and ethnicity
- Educational issues
He ends the book with a biographical sketch of himself and some random, uncompleted thoughts.
Sowell has a lot of conservative points of view, but I wonder if they aren't more "classical liberal". I'm no political expert by a long shot, so the labels are meaningless to me. Instead, I like to focus on themes and values that stood out.
The theme that stood out the most to me about this book was that if you hold someone to higher standards, remind them that they are better than a handout, that they can rise to the occasion and be a truly amazing person. He gives several pages of sources of evidence for these ideas as well.
In the end, it's a good, dense read. The chapters range from two pages to several pages, so you can read just a chapter a day. Sowell's writing is good enough, though, that you'll find it easy to breeze through a few chapters at a time without issue. That alone made it very, very enjoyable.
June 8, 2019
“It is amazing how many people seem to think that government exists to turn their prejudices into laws.” ... Sowell has the remarkable ability to succinctly express truth. Sowell’s usual pattern is to take an issue, and break it down with remarkable depth and clarity. The Thomas Sowell Reader, on the other hand, briefly touches on a wide spectrum of issues, allowing the reader to get a glimpse of his thoughts in more breadth than usual.
This book is a compilation of Sowell’s columns and essays over time: social issues, economics, political issues, legal issues, race and ethnicity, educational issues, and biographical sketches.
Sowell is the greatest economist, sociologist, and philosopher of our times. Do yourself a favor and enjoy these fine works.
This book is a compilation of Sowell’s columns and essays over time: social issues, economics, political issues, legal issues, race and ethnicity, educational issues, and biographical sketches.
Sowell is the greatest economist, sociologist, and philosopher of our times. Do yourself a favor and enjoy these fine works.
September 14, 2021
It is insightful to read Sowell's 'biographical sketches' at the end of the book as they provide a context for his political views. These include libertarian opinions about gun ownership and operations of the free market, heavy criticism of the welfare state and social policy, and conservative pet peeves such as abortion rights (or, rather, a lack thereof). While some of Sowell's criticism of the political left is apt and justified (such as the supposed will to help others selflessly often being a mere pretense for the desire to exert power over others), his writings often go beyond a mere intellectual challenge to their arguments and stray into personal insults. Thus, his contempt for members of what he calls the 'anointed' or 'intelligentsia' (likely meant to encompass intellectuals in the humanities) is evident throughout the book. After reading through all essays in the first half of the book, I proceeded to skip many in the second half as my skimming of them indicated that they were merely recyling opinions stated in earlier works. I found his essays on economics most instructive and would not hesitate to recommend them to others. As for his other work, it is so consistenyly laden with emotional and irrational undertones that I think you're better off reading other conservatives.
December 2, 2013
An excellent first exposure to Thomas Sowell, covering a large variety of subjects, many of them political in nature. He has a plethora of other books worth reading that go more in depth on topics such as economics or race politics.
While it might not sit well with people who staunchly support the current political 'left', try something outside your comfort zone. People who don't identify with the 'left', unlike like many 'conservative' or 'right wing' hosts of today which dissolve into shouting matches over stuff that really doesn't matter, Sowell says it like it is without yelling or name calling, instead with simple, sometimes painful, honesty. Often he doesn't just bemoan what is wrong with policies, he gives a solution as well. This world needs more "old-fashioned" folks like him.
While it might not sit well with people who staunchly support the current political 'left', try something outside your comfort zone. People who don't identify with the 'left', unlike like many 'conservative' or 'right wing' hosts of today which dissolve into shouting matches over stuff that really doesn't matter, Sowell says it like it is without yelling or name calling, instead with simple, sometimes painful, honesty. Often he doesn't just bemoan what is wrong with policies, he gives a solution as well. This world needs more "old-fashioned" folks like him.
March 20, 2020
I wish I could give this book six stars! I thoroughly appreciated every chapter of this engaging book which covered a wide diversity of topics—from economics to racism and from education to geography. With the last few chapters fresh in my mind, I'll mention that I found Dr. Sowell's treatment of world geography to be quite informative and fascinating. Likewise, his brief autobiographical sketch was a great way to wrap up the collection of essays since it provided an inside look at the author himself after learning how he views the world—which is a mark of thoughtful editing. Now that I've finally read this, I fully understand why it has changed so many lives and altered so many opinions. I've already added it to my list of favorites.
December 9, 2023
If you're a conservative this one is right in your wheelhouse. He learned his profession at the knee of Milton Friedman at the Univ of Chicago.
If you're a liberal... well so was Mr Sowell early in life. So you can learn something from his thoughts and writings.
If you're a black man or woman you should read this one to see that conservative values are not just for white folks. Sowell is a champion for equality and is not an Uncle Tom. His keen intellect and economic mind puts forth ideas that are just plain common sense.
Thomas Sowell makes so much sense with his logic and reasoning that I am surprised a conservative President has never appointed him to a cabinet position or called him up for advice. He's just that smart!
If you're a liberal... well so was Mr Sowell early in life. So you can learn something from his thoughts and writings.
If you're a black man or woman you should read this one to see that conservative values are not just for white folks. Sowell is a champion for equality and is not an Uncle Tom. His keen intellect and economic mind puts forth ideas that are just plain common sense.
Thomas Sowell makes so much sense with his logic and reasoning that I am surprised a conservative President has never appointed him to a cabinet position or called him up for advice. He's just that smart!
July 25, 2018
Excellent. Should be required reading in public high schools to provide balance to the leftist agendas being taught there. Mr. Sowell speaks in a clear and concise way. Yes, he often uses sarcasm and biting wit but to me it just at a dash of cayenne to what he has to say. ;) Absolutely refreshing to have a black man be strong and unapologetic in his conservative beliefs.
I particularly enjoyed this collection of essays because it was such a wide variety of topics. It helps to show many facets of conservative thought applied to issues of today. I am looking forward to reading more of his material and also that of Walter Williams.
I particularly enjoyed this collection of essays because it was such a wide variety of topics. It helps to show many facets of conservative thought applied to issues of today. I am looking forward to reading more of his material and also that of Walter Williams.
November 17, 2012
Excellent read! The book should have been titled "Common Sence." The book would have been worth reading for just the last chapter, Random Thoughts. This book was a collection of segments from a varitey of Sowell books. I hav eread several of his other publications and the book just made me want more.
September 8, 2017
Thomas Sowell has a way of addressing important and controversial areas in a simple, logical, and succinct way. This was a very interesting read on a wide variety of topics. Some chapters were short and some were long, and you can jump around easily. So this is a good book to have on hand when you only have a few minutes, or if you have a whole evening available. Highly recommended.
February 8, 2021
“Essential” should’ve been worked somewhere into the title. Always a quick wit and sharp pen, Sowell is easily and quickly read here. I have picked up and put down this volume many times over the past few years, which has suited its format well. There is much to be reaped from his prolific writings.
January 30, 2013
America's pre-eminent economist. Everything by him makes total sense.
March 28, 2024
Great sampling of Sowell’s wisdom. I especially liked his explanation of how plain old geography has often been the greatest determining factor to any people’s or nation’s success… and his roast of Karl Marx.
May 23, 2018
A good book to start with for people wanting to gain an insight or introduction in Thomas Sowell and his works. For those who have read some of his other books, there is some overlap (as is normally the case) however overall there is enough material that I hadn't seen to warrant the purchase and the score.
Some of the insights and knowledge Thomas Sowell has on a range of issues are truly refreshing and goes some lengths to get you to think anew about issues perhaps you thought resolved in your own mind. I think where this is most pronounced is on the issues of race and ethnicity as well as the interesting passages on the disparities in geography, education and crime.
One particular example that has stuck with me from the book is in a passage about American society:
" Some people think the issue is whether the glass is half empty or half full. More fundamentally, the question is whether the glass started out empty or started out full.
Those who are constantly looking for the "root causes" of poverty, of crime, and of other national and international problems act as if prosperity and law-abiding behaviour were so natural that it is their absence that has to be explained. But a casual glance around the world today, or back through history, would dispel any notion that good things just happen naturally, much less inevitable."
In particular, the first paragraph struck me as incredibly profound and applicable to many aspects of one's life and one's assessments on life.
Some of the insights and knowledge Thomas Sowell has on a range of issues are truly refreshing and goes some lengths to get you to think anew about issues perhaps you thought resolved in your own mind. I think where this is most pronounced is on the issues of race and ethnicity as well as the interesting passages on the disparities in geography, education and crime.
One particular example that has stuck with me from the book is in a passage about American society:
" Some people think the issue is whether the glass is half empty or half full. More fundamentally, the question is whether the glass started out empty or started out full.
Those who are constantly looking for the "root causes" of poverty, of crime, and of other national and international problems act as if prosperity and law-abiding behaviour were so natural that it is their absence that has to be explained. But a casual glance around the world today, or back through history, would dispel any notion that good things just happen naturally, much less inevitable."
In particular, the first paragraph struck me as incredibly profound and applicable to many aspects of one's life and one's assessments on life.
November 26, 2018
Thomas Sowell is one of my favourite scholars of all time. His witty, straight-forward, simple way of explaining things made 'The Thomas Sowell Reader' an eye opening book.
He breaks down political issues, social issues, race relations, economics and many other perspectives to the table. The main theme of the book centres around the fact that in Thomas Sowell's perspective, many social liberal policies were done with good intentions, but resulted in catastrophic consequences. By providing a different perspective to the 1960s historically, he debunks a number of claims by progressive historians that it was a 'great' period. He wants to see the minimum wage laws dropped, see the welfare state gutted for the reasons he has mentioned. Incentivising bad behaviour is not positive for society; this was essentially his message. The market will correct itself like it did under Calvin Coolidge.
Affirmative actions caused mismatching in universities, political correctness overblown out of proportions, public sector activities not held accountable by those responsible, the destruction of the African American family structure, erosion of tradition, the significance of geography and more.
Simply brilliant and a fascinating libertarian-conservative perspective.
He breaks down political issues, social issues, race relations, economics and many other perspectives to the table. The main theme of the book centres around the fact that in Thomas Sowell's perspective, many social liberal policies were done with good intentions, but resulted in catastrophic consequences. By providing a different perspective to the 1960s historically, he debunks a number of claims by progressive historians that it was a 'great' period. He wants to see the minimum wage laws dropped, see the welfare state gutted for the reasons he has mentioned. Incentivising bad behaviour is not positive for society; this was essentially his message. The market will correct itself like it did under Calvin Coolidge.
Affirmative actions caused mismatching in universities, political correctness overblown out of proportions, public sector activities not held accountable by those responsible, the destruction of the African American family structure, erosion of tradition, the significance of geography and more.
Simply brilliant and a fascinating libertarian-conservative perspective.
May 5, 2012
Recommend for the newest reader to Thomas Sowell, covers his work on Economics, Race and the Political Scene. A little to much emphasis on Intellectuals and Society, but could see why considering it is a recent book that covered a lot of the same ground as his previous works. The only excerpt that didn't work for me was the section on Geography and Racial behavior.
For my money Thoms Sowell is one of the most important thinkers certainly on the Conservative side of the aisle and although he would cause many liberals heads to explode who aren't open to his ideas I feel like many people I know on the left or center-left would do well to at least try to get through this book. It may not change your mind, but it may make you work harder to come up with better counter arguements to the conservatives point of view other then "fairness" and "social justice."
Overall, his books are well researched and reflect a thoughtfulness not seen with many writers let alone those who propose to be intellectuals.
For my money Thoms Sowell is one of the most important thinkers certainly on the Conservative side of the aisle and although he would cause many liberals heads to explode who aren't open to his ideas I feel like many people I know on the left or center-left would do well to at least try to get through this book. It may not change your mind, but it may make you work harder to come up with better counter arguements to the conservatives point of view other then "fairness" and "social justice."
Overall, his books are well researched and reflect a thoughtfulness not seen with many writers let alone those who propose to be intellectuals.
August 11, 2017
Thomas Sowell’s collection of short columns and medium length essays spans a variety of social and political topics, but stretches to include even geography and the history of baseball. As an economist, Sowell lends an economic perspective to these issues by discussing how behavior is incentivized and the second and third order effects of actions that often go overlooked in more typical analysis. The result is a refreshingly concise and common-sense approach that simplifies otherwise obscured subjects. Although the reader may be saddened to realize the damage that well-intentioned government intervention has caused to the economy, race relations, and education in the modern world, she will be encouraged to learn that markets have succeeded in the past and prosperity is within reach if our society embraces individual freedom and rationality. The wisdom and humor emanated through Sowell’s writing make The Thomas Sowell Reader an enlightening and fulfilling experience.
January 15, 2013
Good read. A lot of short pieces on social issues politics, economics, race, education, along with personal reflections, as well as a couple of humor pieces. Sowell is extremely blunt but not inflammatory. A free market economist, he's intent at identifying incentives and looking at physical factors. His piece on the effect of geography on regional economies is fascinating, reminiscent of Jared Diamond. In this collection, I prefer the longer pieces to the shorter magazine articles. His personal stories about growing up in North Carolina and Harlem in the 30's and 40's are also excellent. I recommend this to anyone who wants to see the positions of conservatives and classical liberals laid out without any rancor. Sowell is well worth many readings.
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