What do you think?
Rate this book
DO-GOODERS: Our history of well-intentioned yet harmful policies
This may be the only book a person needs to read to understand economics and public policy decisions!
This book takes deep dives into some of the most consequential public policy decisions in American history. Join us as we decode the obscure science of money and demonstrate the folly of artificial prices. We'll eavesdrop on President Nixon's secret White House tapes to hear firsthand the twisted logic that brought us one of the worst economic policies of our time. How did Social Security come to break almost all of its original promises? Who is harmed by compassionate policies like housing subsidies, the War on Poverty, or the minimum wage? What does the U.S. Constitution say about Abortion Rights, the Affordable Care Act, or Gun Control? Homelessness? The War on Drugs? Bitcoin? Modern Monetary Theory? Universal Basic Income? How can we claw our way out of massive financial holes caused by excessive spending?
Looking for a modern, updated examination of free market economics and Capitalism, along the lines of Milton Friedman, Friedrich F.A. Hayek, Thomas Sowell, or Adam Smith? Do you have a friend or loved one who wants to understand the differences between Capitalism, Marxism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism, Corporatism, Anarchy, and Laissez-Faire economics?
Meticulously researched, with over 1,100 citations and footnotes, this book attempts to present a coherent perspective on freedom, prosperity, and the role of government, and presents a solid framework by which public policy can be evaluated with an emphasis on minimal harm, liberty, and the evolution of humanity. We'll study the blunders of Franklin Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Theodore Roosevelt, George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, and many others.
Why have so many government policies caused so much damage, destruction, unfairness, and inequality in the world? Are our leaders sadists, self-dealing, or just stupid? Recently political discussions have become divisive, with tribes that talk past each other, each ascribing ill intent to the other. A purpose of this book is to show that policy advocates and policymakers, generally, are not bad people. Their policies are often well-intentioned, but they can do more harm than good when failing to consider myriad unintended consequences. The medicine can be worse than the disease.
This book attempts to deconstruct the thought patterns of policy advocates, delving deeper, beyond first-order cause-and-effect rationality. We will try to get to second- and third-order thinking, predicting changes in incentives, and anticipating unintended consequences. We will break the narratives, then lay out a framework by which policy proposals can be analyzed, attempting to avoid the maleffects of bad policies created by good people.
Evolution demands that the stories we tell ourselves—our narratives—are true. Civilizations have vanished from the earth, undone by the well-meaning policies of powerful leaders. Can we predict which widely-accepted policy proposals will cause unintended harm? What is the appropriate role for government?
This is not an afternoon read. The content is equivalent to four typical politico-economic books. This is college-level material delivered so anyone can comprehend. Each time you close the book, you will feel like you finally understand economics and can properly evaluate public policy proposals.
Every word is worth reading.
This book takes deep dives into some of the most consequential public policy decisions in American history. Join us as we decode the obscure science of money and demonstrate the folly of artificial prices. We'll eavesdrop on President Nixon's secret White House tapes to hear firsthand the twisted logic that brought us one of the worst economic policies of our time. How did Social Security come to break almost all of its original promises? Who is harmed by compassionate policies like housing subsidies, the War on Poverty, or the minimum wage? What does the U.S. Constitution say about Abortion Rights, the Affordable Care Act, or Gun Control? Homelessness? The War on Drugs? Bitcoin? Modern Monetary Theory? Universal Basic Income? How can we claw our way out of massive financial holes caused by excessive spending?
Looking for a modern, updated examination of free market economics and Capitalism, along the lines of Milton Friedman, Friedrich F.A. Hayek, Thomas Sowell, or Adam Smith? Do you have a friend or loved one who wants to understand the differences between Capitalism, Marxism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism, Corporatism, Anarchy, and Laissez-Faire economics?
Meticulously researched, with over 1,100 citations and footnotes, this book attempts to present a coherent perspective on freedom, prosperity, and the role of government, and presents a solid framework by which public policy can be evaluated with an emphasis on minimal harm, liberty, and the evolution of humanity. We'll study the blunders of Franklin Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Theodore Roosevelt, George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, and many others.
Why have so many government policies caused so much damage, destruction, unfairness, and inequality in the world? Are our leaders sadists, self-dealing, or just stupid? Recently political discussions have become divisive, with tribes that talk past each other, each ascribing ill intent to the other. A purpose of this book is to show that policy advocates and policymakers, generally, are not bad people. Their policies are often well-intentioned, but they can do more harm than good when failing to consider myriad unintended consequences. The medicine can be worse than the disease.
This book attempts to deconstruct the thought patterns of policy advocates, delving deeper, beyond first-order cause-and-effect rationality. We will try to get to second- and third-order thinking, predicting changes in incentives, and anticipating unintended consequences. We will break the narratives, then lay out a framework by which policy proposals can be analyzed, attempting to avoid the maleffects of bad policies created by good people.
Evolution demands that the stories we tell ourselves—our narratives—are true. Civilizations have vanished from the earth, undone by the well-meaning policies of powerful leaders. Can we predict which widely-accepted policy proposals will cause unintended harm? What is the appropriate role for government?
This is not an afternoon read. The content is equivalent to four typical politico-economic books. This is college-level material delivered so anyone can comprehend. Each time you close the book, you will feel like you finally understand economics and can properly evaluate public policy proposals.
Every word is worth reading.
550 pages, Hardcover
Published December 17, 2024
1 person is currently reading
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 9, 2025
I just finished reading Do-Gooders and found it to be well-written and very thorough. It offers a compelling perspective that’s both informative and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review