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The Man with the Big Red Balloon
In the dead of night, 50 farmers escape an evil king's tyranny.
The farmers travel west and found their own Apple Valley.
It is paradise on earth, a place where anyone can succeed.
They start businesses, open shops, and toil the miles of apple trees across their new town. Their hard work brings them reward.
But one day, a mysterious stranger - The Man - comes to Apple Valley with a stark warning.
Apple Valley, he claims, is running out of fresh air.
The stranger hoists a Red Balloon into the sky.
Then, he tells them that their children will one day be fighting over the last gasps of air inside this balloon.
If the people concede to his wisdom and give him control to remake their town, he promises fairness for all...
But at what cost?
The Man with the Big Red Balloon is a satire about the temptations of economic utopia.
It is a warning about leaders who rise quickly and mean to rule the lives of others.
And it is an ideal read for those debating the Green New Deal in America.
The farmers travel west and found their own Apple Valley.
It is paradise on earth, a place where anyone can succeed.
They start businesses, open shops, and toil the miles of apple trees across their new town. Their hard work brings them reward.
But one day, a mysterious stranger - The Man - comes to Apple Valley with a stark warning.
Apple Valley, he claims, is running out of fresh air.
The stranger hoists a Red Balloon into the sky.
Then, he tells them that their children will one day be fighting over the last gasps of air inside this balloon.
If the people concede to his wisdom and give him control to remake their town, he promises fairness for all...
But at what cost?
The Man with the Big Red Balloon is a satire about the temptations of economic utopia.
It is a warning about leaders who rise quickly and mean to rule the lives of others.
And it is an ideal read for those debating the Green New Deal in America.
222 pages, Paperback
Published December 21, 2016
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5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 4, 2017
It's been a long time since I've read a book and thought, "I wish I had been required to read this in high school", but that's exactly how I felt reading The Man with the Big Red Balloon. The book is an allegorical tale about the economy, the face of government, and the many different reasons the systems we have in place today are so flawed. It teaches the basics of economics, while demonstrating (or, warning the reader, rather) the slippery slope of sacrificing more time and money for the common good.
The plot is straightforward. In a utopian town, people conduct business and live life by working hard and operating in a closed system of supply and demand. Every business that thrives does so because it has a perfect niche to fill that simplifies life for others or provides something they can't do themselves. Conflict happens when a character introduces the concept of governing or overseeing others instead of working for himself to make sure everything is fair for everyone. In the quest for fairness, people give up more and more of their money, equating to more of their time until there isn't anything left to give.
It's a conservatively leaning cautionary tale that is worth checking out. The prose makes it an easy read, but it's smart and enjoyable and you'll be thinking about how many hours you work each day for other people long after you're through.
The plot is straightforward. In a utopian town, people conduct business and live life by working hard and operating in a closed system of supply and demand. Every business that thrives does so because it has a perfect niche to fill that simplifies life for others or provides something they can't do themselves. Conflict happens when a character introduces the concept of governing or overseeing others instead of working for himself to make sure everything is fair for everyone. In the quest for fairness, people give up more and more of their money, equating to more of their time until there isn't anything left to give.
It's a conservatively leaning cautionary tale that is worth checking out. The prose makes it an easy read, but it's smart and enjoyable and you'll be thinking about how many hours you work each day for other people long after you're through.
January 14, 2017
I read the whole thing in a day as it was engrossing from start to finish. This is a great book, a baseball bat to the side of the head of statism and one of the best libertarian, pro-freedom works of fiction since at least Animal Farm.
It's an easy read, but covers a lot of deep areas of economics, politics, and more in a sweet narrative about a farm community that is run over by do-goodism. The book is about a small town that has built a thriving economy. But one day, a new leader pushes this narrative that everyone should have the same amount of food and money at the end of the day. It becomes a very solid comedic knock on socialism and shows plain as day what happens when people with no experience running an industry get put in charge of that industry. If that doesn't sound familiar, look at Washington or Venezuela for insight on how these things typically turn out.
But the story really kicks in when the true antagonist arrives to town and invokes a crisis that is so deep and mysterious that it taps into the real fear of the citizens. Unable to disprove this threat is not real, they must make a choice. What follows is a classic showdown of those seeking truth against those seeking power. This book will make you laugh hysterically but also make you think deeply about your political views.
Highly recommend it.
It's an easy read, but covers a lot of deep areas of economics, politics, and more in a sweet narrative about a farm community that is run over by do-goodism. The book is about a small town that has built a thriving economy. But one day, a new leader pushes this narrative that everyone should have the same amount of food and money at the end of the day. It becomes a very solid comedic knock on socialism and shows plain as day what happens when people with no experience running an industry get put in charge of that industry. If that doesn't sound familiar, look at Washington or Venezuela for insight on how these things typically turn out.
But the story really kicks in when the true antagonist arrives to town and invokes a crisis that is so deep and mysterious that it taps into the real fear of the citizens. Unable to disprove this threat is not real, they must make a choice. What follows is a classic showdown of those seeking truth against those seeking power. This book will make you laugh hysterically but also make you think deeply about your political views.
Highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews