What do you think?
Rate this book
Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand's Ideas Can End Big Government
A look at how our current crises are caused by too much government, and how Ayn Rand's bold defense of free markets can help us change course.
The rise of the Tea Party and the 2010 election results revealed that tens of millions of Americans are alarmed by Big Government, but skeptical that anything can or will be done to stop the growth of the state. In Free Market Revolution, the keepers of Ayn Rand's legacy argue that the answer lies in her pioneering philosophy of capitalism and self-interest –a philosophy that more and more people are turning to for answers. In the past few years, Rand's works have surged to new peaks of popularity, as politicians like Paul Ryan, media figures like John Stossel, and businessmen like John Mackey routinely name her as one of their chief influences. Here, Brook and Watkins explain how her ideas can solve a host of political and economic ills, including the debt crisis, inflation, overregulation, and the swelling welfare state. And most important, they show how Rand's philosophy can enable defenders of the free market to sieze the moral high ground in the fight to limit government. This is a fresh and urgent look at the ideas of one of the most controversial figures in modern history – ideas that may prove the only hope for the future.
The rise of the Tea Party and the 2010 election results revealed that tens of millions of Americans are alarmed by Big Government, but skeptical that anything can or will be done to stop the growth of the state. In Free Market Revolution, the keepers of Ayn Rand's legacy argue that the answer lies in her pioneering philosophy of capitalism and self-interest –a philosophy that more and more people are turning to for answers. In the past few years, Rand's works have surged to new peaks of popularity, as politicians like Paul Ryan, media figures like John Stossel, and businessmen like John Mackey routinely name her as one of their chief influences. Here, Brook and Watkins explain how her ideas can solve a host of political and economic ills, including the debt crisis, inflation, overregulation, and the swelling welfare state. And most important, they show how Rand's philosophy can enable defenders of the free market to sieze the moral high ground in the fight to limit government. This is a fresh and urgent look at the ideas of one of the most controversial figures in modern history – ideas that may prove the only hope for the future.
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2012
62 people are currently reading
1241 people want to read
About the author
Yaron Brook
22 books100 followersYaron Brook (Hebrew: ירון ברוק; born 1961) is an intellectual and political activist, and is the current president and executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute, a non-profit organization in Irvine, California, whose mission is to promote the novels of Ayn Rand and her philosophy of Objectivism.
As head of the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI), Brook has become a well-known advocate of Objectivism. His philosophical activism includes teaching and public lecturing at ARI-sponsored events and conferences held predominantly in North America, speaking and debating at numerous American universities, delivering seminars for businesses and corporations in the United States and abroad, and writing opinion editorials for leading newspapers and websites.
He is a columnist for Forbes.com and a contributing editor of The Objective Standard. He regularly speaks at universities, corporations, and professional and community groups across America, addressing a wide-range of current events and philosophical issues from an Objectivist perspective. He is a frequent radio guest on The Thom Hartmann Program, which is carried by the Air America Radio network, as well as a weekly guest on the Fox Business Network. He is a frequent guest on The Fox News Channel, on programs such as the Glenn Beck Program, and on CNBC programs such as On the Money and Morning Call. He has been interviewed for his expertise on the Middle East, foreign policy, economics and business ethics. Brook's writings and interviews have also appeared on Glenn Reynolds' Instapundit.
As head of the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI), Brook has become a well-known advocate of Objectivism. His philosophical activism includes teaching and public lecturing at ARI-sponsored events and conferences held predominantly in North America, speaking and debating at numerous American universities, delivering seminars for businesses and corporations in the United States and abroad, and writing opinion editorials for leading newspapers and websites.
He is a columnist for Forbes.com and a contributing editor of The Objective Standard. He regularly speaks at universities, corporations, and professional and community groups across America, addressing a wide-range of current events and philosophical issues from an Objectivist perspective. He is a frequent radio guest on The Thom Hartmann Program, which is carried by the Air America Radio network, as well as a weekly guest on the Fox Business Network. He is a frequent guest on The Fox News Channel, on programs such as the Glenn Beck Program, and on CNBC programs such as On the Money and Morning Call. He has been interviewed for his expertise on the Middle East, foreign policy, economics and business ethics. Brook's writings and interviews have also appeared on Glenn Reynolds' Instapundit.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
February 2, 2016
An easy read. But guilty of the same charges as the lady herself: straw-men, caricatures of ideologies, black-and-white thinking, no real-world exposure, 100% attention to simplistic logic and none to reality.
Addendum: FWIW, I enjoyed Rand's novels and was on her hero's side! But she does not represent reality fairly. Corporations are not interested in "collectivism" except when it bails them out. Socialism is less to be feared than corporate power, at least TODAY and HERE..
Addendum: FWIW, I enjoyed Rand's novels and was on her hero's side! But she does not represent reality fairly. Corporations are not interested in "collectivism" except when it bails them out. Socialism is less to be feared than corporate power, at least TODAY and HERE..
November 5, 2013
I received a free copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I am not familiar with Any Rand. So, part of the beginning of this book was a bit rough going for me! A lot of the philosophical ideas presented here are very different from the way the United States has evolved. Once I got digested the basic tenets, it was smooth sailing from there. This book is full of wonderful examples of how capitalism is the best system for everyone. It fully endorses laissez-faire capitalism over our current regulatory and entitlement state. It also explains why and covers just about every aspect of commercial endeavor!
The depressing part of that, for me, is to realize just how far away from that ideal state we have become. This process has been ongoing and will not be fixed overnight. The authors do have great ideas on reversing our current path, if only we would listen and change our direction.
Definitely recommended for anyone interested in our economy and reading about how governmental regulations have, and still are, making things worse for all of us!
Unfortunately, I am not familiar with Any Rand. So, part of the beginning of this book was a bit rough going for me! A lot of the philosophical ideas presented here are very different from the way the United States has evolved. Once I got digested the basic tenets, it was smooth sailing from there. This book is full of wonderful examples of how capitalism is the best system for everyone. It fully endorses laissez-faire capitalism over our current regulatory and entitlement state. It also explains why and covers just about every aspect of commercial endeavor!
The depressing part of that, for me, is to realize just how far away from that ideal state we have become. This process has been ongoing and will not be fixed overnight. The authors do have great ideas on reversing our current path, if only we would listen and change our direction.
Definitely recommended for anyone interested in our economy and reading about how governmental regulations have, and still are, making things worse for all of us!
October 2, 2012
I cannot recommend this book strongly enough! It is no exaggeration to say, this is the best book that I have read so far in 2012. Yaron Brook and Don Watkins tackle altruism as the ideological block to free markets (and free people) in our society while breaking down the altruists main two arguments: the Argument from Greed, and the Argument from Need.
These staunch defenders of Real Capitalism utterly demolish the idea the state intervention is responsible for the security that many Americans imagined they had prior to the 2008 financial crisis; and they explain how government intervention into the market can only lead to more intervention--and skyrocketing prices.
"Free Market Revolution" is a clarion call to liberty-loving people everywhere; now is the time to defend individual rights and expose the notion of group rights for the sham that it is. Buy this book today, call your library and ask that they get it, and if you're feeling in a more activist mood: buy it, and send it to a local successful businessman.
These staunch defenders of Real Capitalism utterly demolish the idea the state intervention is responsible for the security that many Americans imagined they had prior to the 2008 financial crisis; and they explain how government intervention into the market can only lead to more intervention--and skyrocketing prices.
"Free Market Revolution" is a clarion call to liberty-loving people everywhere; now is the time to defend individual rights and expose the notion of group rights for the sham that it is. Buy this book today, call your library and ask that they get it, and if you're feeling in a more activist mood: buy it, and send it to a local successful businessman.
February 4, 2021
Brook is a psycho
March 18, 2017
Ending Big Government? No. Only ending the portion of government spending going to the least well off in America. No mention of reducing corporate welfare, of increasing taxes for those who earn the most but pay less tax than ordinary workers. No mention of cutting defence. Or federal and state bureaucracies. Or doing anything about corporations and the financial services. Or opening up free trade.
Such a poorly written, diatribe against the people who get paid the least, pay out the most by people who would not know what it is like to not know where their next meal came from.
Such a poorly written, diatribe against the people who get paid the least, pay out the most by people who would not know what it is like to not know where their next meal came from.
August 12, 2017
Inspiring read! I have long time been a libertarian but now I am leaning more and more towards objectivism. Yaron Brook stresses (as Rand did) the importance of the morality of capitalism; it is a moral good to be selfish. This might seem like a contradiction and reading the book has made me understand what Rand actually meant by selfishness. The way she uses it basically means being rational and trying to the best of your ability make decisions which result in greater happiness for you. This makes sense to me and is what I try to apply in my life. It does not mean that you value money over everything else. Rand valued the creative powers of man and in her view (according to Brook) the money made from a business success is meaningful for an entrepreneur as it gives him or her more money to spend on his or her next creative project.
Brook argues that this is the only way to defend capitalism; otherwise the morality of organized religions and ideologies will manage to convince the masses of the inherent evil of making money for yourself.
(Footnote: After reading this book I attended a 10-day silent buddhist retreat so now I am trying to work out in my mind whether or not objectivism is compatible with buddhism.)
Brook argues that this is the only way to defend capitalism; otherwise the morality of organized religions and ideologies will manage to convince the masses of the inherent evil of making money for yourself.
(Footnote: After reading this book I attended a 10-day silent buddhist retreat so now I am trying to work out in my mind whether or not objectivism is compatible with buddhism.)
March 15, 2014
Free Market Revolution : How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government
by Yaron Brook and Don Watkins
- - a short report by Ron Housley - -
I was hoping for a tone that would capture some of Yaron Brook’s debates and lectures from over the past few years — Brook has offered up some compelling and passionate presentations in support of individualism and of government organized around protecting individual rights.
Today, leading into the 2012 election, we are confronted with Obama surging in the polls, with the entire media supporting Obama’s collectivist vision and with an electorate oblivious to the ideological assault against the individual.
We have the release of D’Souza’s movie (“2016: Obama’s America”) which has been greeted with deafening silence; and, we have the release of Joel Gilbert’s DVD (“Dreams From My Real Father”) which has attracted even less attention, if that was possible.
The whole thing makes my blood run cold — which is one step down from merely feeling empty.
How could a country with such a long history of stunning individual accomplishment be turned so quickly and so utterly to detest and demonize the very core of its former greatness? How can a people allow a minority of intellectuals to strip them of the very rights that made possible all their former prosperity? Why is their protest so timid and spineless?
Yaron Brook tells us that it is because they have not identified the corrosive effect of their having implicitly accepted the moral code of altruism.
Brook’s thesis is that the moral foundation of capitalism was never grasped nor accepted by Americans — and that omission has been the seed of America’s undoing.
The very soul of Obama now resonates with an increasing number of Americans who never developed a reverence for individual achievement (“You didn’t build that!”); his soul resonates with those who have been taught in the government schools that capitalism doesn’t work (“The free market: it doesn’t work! It has never worked!” — Osawatomie, KS speech, 2012); his soul supports the flagrant and destructive morality behind the entitlement state (“It’s good to spread the wealth around” and, “I believe in redistribution”).
The soul of Obama has captured the imagination of the millions who have never understood the role of individual rights in creating America’s massive prosperity.
I personally know people who unashamedly support the notion that it is their duty to take care of their fellow man. The notion is not even open for question; and they see no problem in coercing others join them in their chosen duty.
They see no problem when they cross that line from persuading others into forcing others to implement their own notion of moral duty. They see no necessary connection between a little force now and total (dictatorial) force later.
And so here we are on the precipice: The Fed (with majority support) has embarked on QE-Infinity, a program to print money regardless of its effect on the value of the dollar; Obama (with majority support) has embarked on a program of adding over $1-Trillion to the national debt every year.
The Quantitive Easing has never worked before, and there is no hint that it will “work” this time; but it will help destroy the life savings of honest men everywhere.
The massive spending has never “worked” before, and there is no hint that it will “work” this time; but it will help destroy the life savings of honest men everywhere. And it will help to buy more Democratic votes in the election. And, the ongoing massive DEBT increases will be Obama’s secret weapon to cut America down to size.
Nowhere in the book do the authors point out how altruism aligns with Obama’s clear personal mission to cut America down to size. That would be admitting a conspiracy theory, which may have undermined their attempt to focus on the moral case for capitalism.
But it does seem to me that Brook’s altruism thesis is the main reason why millions have bought into the approach of choosing the path into national bankruptcy. It’s because, as Brook points out, America feels that “it’s the right thing to do,” even if it obviously results in widespread pain, misery and personal destruction.
Few students today ever learn what capitalism even is; many are indoctrinated with the slogans of statism, instead. It is no wonder that our culture continues to move in the same direction.
Millions have been indoctrinated to accept conclusions without evidence. Millions have allowed forced self-sacrifice to be written into American law. And the majority of academics, politicians and journalists continue to support those millions every day.
Combine that with Obama’s quest to cut America down to size and we have a perfect formula for “fundamentally changing America.” As George Bush said, “it’s the vision thing.”
The millions seem to have a vision — and they have no concern that they haven’t thought it through.
THE DEBT CRISIS
The Media ask whether the debt is “sustainable.” But they never paint a clear picture for us of what “unsustainable” might look like. Yaron Brook tells us that there is now over $100-Trillion in unfunded government liabilities. In paying those liabilities, at some point we will each be reduced to poverty. A collapse (which has happened in history!) could do it suddenly. It doesn’t matter that the Millions never bothered to think it through.
I ordered copies of this book, sight unread, for distribution to interested friends. I have written a one-page book report. But I still have that sinking feeling going forward, wondering how much of my own life savings will be lost as our government continues to tax, borrow and redistribute.
Consider it your moral obligation to read and understand this book; maybe the two of us can slow down the juggernaut in time to escape with our lives.
It’s time to stop the attack on our pursuit of happiness. As Yaron Brook counsels: learn the case for capitalism and then speak it at every opportunity.
by Yaron Brook and Don Watkins
- - a short report by Ron Housley - -
I was hoping for a tone that would capture some of Yaron Brook’s debates and lectures from over the past few years — Brook has offered up some compelling and passionate presentations in support of individualism and of government organized around protecting individual rights.
Today, leading into the 2012 election, we are confronted with Obama surging in the polls, with the entire media supporting Obama’s collectivist vision and with an electorate oblivious to the ideological assault against the individual.
We have the release of D’Souza’s movie (“2016: Obama’s America”) which has been greeted with deafening silence; and, we have the release of Joel Gilbert’s DVD (“Dreams From My Real Father”) which has attracted even less attention, if that was possible.
The whole thing makes my blood run cold — which is one step down from merely feeling empty.
How could a country with such a long history of stunning individual accomplishment be turned so quickly and so utterly to detest and demonize the very core of its former greatness? How can a people allow a minority of intellectuals to strip them of the very rights that made possible all their former prosperity? Why is their protest so timid and spineless?
Yaron Brook tells us that it is because they have not identified the corrosive effect of their having implicitly accepted the moral code of altruism.
Brook’s thesis is that the moral foundation of capitalism was never grasped nor accepted by Americans — and that omission has been the seed of America’s undoing.
The very soul of Obama now resonates with an increasing number of Americans who never developed a reverence for individual achievement (“You didn’t build that!”); his soul resonates with those who have been taught in the government schools that capitalism doesn’t work (“The free market: it doesn’t work! It has never worked!” — Osawatomie, KS speech, 2012); his soul supports the flagrant and destructive morality behind the entitlement state (“It’s good to spread the wealth around” and, “I believe in redistribution”).
The soul of Obama has captured the imagination of the millions who have never understood the role of individual rights in creating America’s massive prosperity.
I personally know people who unashamedly support the notion that it is their duty to take care of their fellow man. The notion is not even open for question; and they see no problem in coercing others join them in their chosen duty.
They see no problem when they cross that line from persuading others into forcing others to implement their own notion of moral duty. They see no necessary connection between a little force now and total (dictatorial) force later.
And so here we are on the precipice: The Fed (with majority support) has embarked on QE-Infinity, a program to print money regardless of its effect on the value of the dollar; Obama (with majority support) has embarked on a program of adding over $1-Trillion to the national debt every year.
The Quantitive Easing has never worked before, and there is no hint that it will “work” this time; but it will help destroy the life savings of honest men everywhere.
The massive spending has never “worked” before, and there is no hint that it will “work” this time; but it will help destroy the life savings of honest men everywhere. And it will help to buy more Democratic votes in the election. And, the ongoing massive DEBT increases will be Obama’s secret weapon to cut America down to size.
Nowhere in the book do the authors point out how altruism aligns with Obama’s clear personal mission to cut America down to size. That would be admitting a conspiracy theory, which may have undermined their attempt to focus on the moral case for capitalism.
But it does seem to me that Brook’s altruism thesis is the main reason why millions have bought into the approach of choosing the path into national bankruptcy. It’s because, as Brook points out, America feels that “it’s the right thing to do,” even if it obviously results in widespread pain, misery and personal destruction.
Few students today ever learn what capitalism even is; many are indoctrinated with the slogans of statism, instead. It is no wonder that our culture continues to move in the same direction.
Millions have been indoctrinated to accept conclusions without evidence. Millions have allowed forced self-sacrifice to be written into American law. And the majority of academics, politicians and journalists continue to support those millions every day.
Combine that with Obama’s quest to cut America down to size and we have a perfect formula for “fundamentally changing America.” As George Bush said, “it’s the vision thing.”
The millions seem to have a vision — and they have no concern that they haven’t thought it through.
THE DEBT CRISIS
The Media ask whether the debt is “sustainable.” But they never paint a clear picture for us of what “unsustainable” might look like. Yaron Brook tells us that there is now over $100-Trillion in unfunded government liabilities. In paying those liabilities, at some point we will each be reduced to poverty. A collapse (which has happened in history!) could do it suddenly. It doesn’t matter that the Millions never bothered to think it through.
I ordered copies of this book, sight unread, for distribution to interested friends. I have written a one-page book report. But I still have that sinking feeling going forward, wondering how much of my own life savings will be lost as our government continues to tax, borrow and redistribute.
Consider it your moral obligation to read and understand this book; maybe the two of us can slow down the juggernaut in time to escape with our lives.
It’s time to stop the attack on our pursuit of happiness. As Yaron Brook counsels: learn the case for capitalism and then speak it at every opportunity.
February 5, 2023
"If you are rich and successful, stop apologizing for your wealth — if you earned it, it is a moral achievement."
October 23, 2012
This new book by Yaron Brook and Don Watkins appears at a crucially important time, addressing a bewildering question. How, after two centuries of incontrovertible evidence that capitalism works, can the public still demand—or, at least, be intellectually powerless to oppose—the ever-increasing expansion of government force into every corner of our lives?
The authors make the case that the answer is fundamentally a matter or morality. Americans have gradually accepted, perhaps largely through passive absorption, a moral code that is fundamentally opposed to liberty and free markets.
This book is valuable for its untangling of many of the alleged problems caused by the free market (which are invariably either caused by the government or are not problems at all). Its greatest achievement, however, is connecting those examples to the deeper moral issues, and showing that the moral code consistent with freedom and prosperity is one of rational self-interest, as articulated by Ayn Rand. If we are to restore liberty—or indeed, realize a freedom we have never yet fully achieved—it will require the moral revolution described in this excellent book. Read it.
And, of course, read Ayn Rand.
The authors make the case that the answer is fundamentally a matter or morality. Americans have gradually accepted, perhaps largely through passive absorption, a moral code that is fundamentally opposed to liberty and free markets.
This book is valuable for its untangling of many of the alleged problems caused by the free market (which are invariably either caused by the government or are not problems at all). Its greatest achievement, however, is connecting those examples to the deeper moral issues, and showing that the moral code consistent with freedom and prosperity is one of rational self-interest, as articulated by Ayn Rand. If we are to restore liberty—or indeed, realize a freedom we have never yet fully achieved—it will require the moral revolution described in this excellent book. Read it.
And, of course, read Ayn Rand.
January 5, 2015
It might sound strange to say this, but my main gripe with Free Market Revolution is that it's too optimistic. If that statement turns you off, then you might like this book.
I agree that laissez faire capitalism is the only economic system compatible with individual liberty, and for that reason I champion it. However, I'm a bit more cynical than Brook and Watkins; I think the only way it can succeed is in a rational, honest society. Our country is neither of those things, and it seems to get more irrational and dishonest by the minute. I think the economic and politic systems championed by Ayn Rand in her lifetime are the logical extensions of her philosophy.
This book didn't convince me that it can work the other way around. I don't buy into the premise that switching up the economic system will cause everyone in the country (or the world) to see how great a free market is, and then work backwards to a rational, pro-individual philosophical system. Because of that, I can't accept Brook and Watkins's premise that shifting to a truly free market will solve all of America's problems, and we'll all live happily ever after in a rational Utopia. It'll take a lot more work than that.
I agree that laissez faire capitalism is the only economic system compatible with individual liberty, and for that reason I champion it. However, I'm a bit more cynical than Brook and Watkins; I think the only way it can succeed is in a rational, honest society. Our country is neither of those things, and it seems to get more irrational and dishonest by the minute. I think the economic and politic systems championed by Ayn Rand in her lifetime are the logical extensions of her philosophy.
This book didn't convince me that it can work the other way around. I don't buy into the premise that switching up the economic system will cause everyone in the country (or the world) to see how great a free market is, and then work backwards to a rational, pro-individual philosophical system. Because of that, I can't accept Brook and Watkins's premise that shifting to a truly free market will solve all of America's problems, and we'll all live happily ever after in a rational Utopia. It'll take a lot more work than that.
November 11, 2012
For anyone with any decent understanding of psychology and economics, this book was a review in common sense. For anyone without any decent knowledge of those areas this book is a must read. For those who are completely anti-business, this ought to be required reading before entering into any kind of discussion around politics, economics, or monetary policy. Sadly, there are entirely too few of the first group and entirely too many of the latter groups. Those who read this book are likely to not need to bother, and those who most need to will never bother.
December 2, 2012
This is the best new book on Objectivism that I've read in many years.
This book thoroughly describes the necessary moral defense of capitalism and integrates that through an entire description of what is wrong and what it would take to fix it. It tackles particulars of current politics in a way that is generally missing in works of political philosophy, at least in good ones. I'm utterly glad that I read it.
This book thoroughly describes the necessary moral defense of capitalism and integrates that through an entire description of what is wrong and what it would take to fix it. It tackles particulars of current politics in a way that is generally missing in works of political philosophy, at least in good ones. I'm utterly glad that I read it.
October 9, 2012
I'm already on board with every idea in this book, and yet I enjoyed reading it as inspiration, clarification, and for the simple pleasure of contemplating what a fully-free, capitalistic society would look and feel like.
February 5, 2022
Нэпко хэвлэлийн газрын Монголоор орчуулсан хувилбарыг нь уншиж дуусгалаа. Зарим нэг үг үсгийн, утга найруулгын алдаанаас бусдаар чанартай сайн орчуулагдсан санагдлаа. Айн Рандын Капитализмыг өмөөрөх үзэл санаа, философитой өмнө нь хальт танилцаж байсан ч энэ номоор илүү дэлгэрэнгүй ойлголтуудыг авч чадав. Түүний Капиатализмын талаарх үзэлтэй танилцахыг хүссэн хүмүүст энэхүү номоор үндсэн утга санааг нь бодит амьдрал дээрх жишээгээр баяжуулан энгийн ойлгогдохуйц хүргэж чаджээ.
Номын хамгийн чухал санаа нь laissez-faire буюу төрийн оролцоо байхгүй цэвэр капиталист эдийн засаг бол хөгжил дэвшилд хүргэх ЭЗ-н төгс хувилбар гэжээ. Мэдээж тийм эдийн засагтай улс орон өнөөдөр байхгүй ч гэлээ хүн амьдралаа өөрийн бүтээлч сэтгэлгээ, цэвэр хөдөлмөрөөр бүтээх буюу эрсдэлээ өөрөө дааж, бие даан хөгжихийн чухлыг онцолсон нь таалагдлаа. Халамжийн төр залхуу иргэдийг бүтээдэг гэдгийг би өнөөдрийн нийгмээс харж буй тул дээрх санааг бусдад ч, өөртөө ч сануулж баймаар санагдав.
Гэхдээ ард иргэд бид данхар төрийг агшахыг шаардаж ундууцаж суухаас илүүтэй өөрт буй ур чадвар, хязгааргүй сэтгэх эрх чөлөө, хийж бүтээх потенциалаа тултал нь ашиглахыг хичээх ёстой юмсанж. Ялангуяа хийж бүтээх, түүнийгээ өмчлөх, арилжаа солилцоо хийх эрх чөлөөтэй оронд амьдарч байгаа тохиолдолд айдас эргэлзээгүй хүсэл мөрөөдөл рүүгээ тэмүүлэх ёстой мэт. Гэвч төрөөс өгч буй халамжуудаас эхлээд бизнес эрхлэх тухайд гарсан олон хууль тогтоомжууд нь саад бэрхшээл болоод байдаг юм байж. Гэхдээ би өөрөө оролдож үзээгүй тул өнөө цагт манай оронд улс төрчид бизнес эрхлэгчдийг хэрхэн зовоодгийг бодитойгоор шүүмжлэн хэлэхэд эрт санагдаж байна.
Номын хамгийн чухал санаа нь laissez-faire буюу төрийн оролцоо байхгүй цэвэр капиталист эдийн засаг бол хөгжил дэвшилд хүргэх ЭЗ-н төгс хувилбар гэжээ. Мэдээж тийм эдийн засагтай улс орон өнөөдөр байхгүй ч гэлээ хүн амьдралаа өөрийн бүтээлч сэтгэлгээ, цэвэр хөдөлмөрөөр бүтээх буюу эрсдэлээ өөрөө дааж, бие даан хөгжихийн чухлыг онцолсон нь таалагдлаа. Халамжийн төр залхуу иргэдийг бүтээдэг гэдгийг би өнөөдрийн нийгмээс харж буй тул дээрх санааг бусдад ч, өөртөө ч сануулж баймаар санагдав.
Гэхдээ ард иргэд бид данхар төрийг агшахыг шаардаж ундууцаж суухаас илүүтэй өөрт буй ур чадвар, хязгааргүй сэтгэх эрх чөлөө, хийж бүтээх потенциалаа тултал нь ашиглахыг хичээх ёстой юмсанж. Ялангуяа хийж бүтээх, түүнийгээ өмчлөх, арилжаа солилцоо хийх эрх чөлөөтэй оронд амьдарч байгаа тохиолдолд айдас эргэлзээгүй хүсэл мөрөөдөл рүүгээ тэмүүлэх ёстой мэт. Гэвч төрөөс өгч буй халамжуудаас эхлээд бизнес эрхлэх тухайд гарсан олон хууль тогтоомжууд нь саад бэрхшээл болоод байдаг юм байж. Гэхдээ би өөрөө оролдож үзээгүй тул өнөө цагт манай оронд улс төрчид бизнес эрхлэгчдийг хэрхэн зовоодгийг бодитойгоор шүүмжлэн хэлэхэд эрт санагдаж байна.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2020
One of the best books I've read (or heard, to be precise) this year. From the beginning of the book, from the outset, he asks us: What do you think is wrong with the world? With the spirit of capitalism diminishing, with the welfare state increasing, with ever more encroachment on the values of liberty and so on? Brook tells us that it has to do with something we rarely associate with to address this kind of problem. It has to do with something we don't often talk about in explicit terms. It has to do with morality. And the moment he said that I was hooked.
The book is a beyond excellent (but very simple and modest) introduction to Ayn Rand's philosophy of human happiness, i.e. Objectivism. And just like how physics evolved from Natural Philosophy, Cognitive Science evolved from the Philosophy of Mind, and economics evolved from political philosophy, there will be in the future (I hope) a science of happiness, and it will be Objectivism.
I will definitely complement this book with more of Ayn Rand's books. And I will get them when I am in New York next time.
The book is a beyond excellent (but very simple and modest) introduction to Ayn Rand's philosophy of human happiness, i.e. Objectivism. And just like how physics evolved from Natural Philosophy, Cognitive Science evolved from the Philosophy of Mind, and economics evolved from political philosophy, there will be in the future (I hope) a science of happiness, and it will be Objectivism.
I will definitely complement this book with more of Ayn Rand's books. And I will get them when I am in New York next time.
November 4, 2012
This is an excellent book. I approve its message. (It is presidential election season.) The book is a methodical, reasoned analysis of the self-inflicted big government altruism that is bankrupting us. It offers logical steps to reclaim the good of free market capitalism and individual rights through Ayn Rand's common-sense philosophy of objective, RATIONAL self-interest. I cannot emphasize RATIONAL, and MORAL, enough. It's not rocket science, brain surgery, or tooo deeeep for any of us to understand. "I swear--by my life and my love of it--that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." (p.79, from Atlas Shrugged p. 1069.) MORAL in that you will not ask another to live for your sake.
I could write a book about this book but it's in my own best interest to re-read it again at least one more time. It's an easy read, barely over 200 pages. It is very well footnoted which leads me to believe the authors did a LOT of homework. I like that. Facts, not whimsy.
It is a great economics primer. With our economy and personal savings rate being what it is or isn't one can't get too much education in economics. Even you progressive, liberal, european socialist types (you know who you are) might consider reading this just to find out what those evil life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness types are thinking. I mean, seriously, it's not like anyone is asking you to read the individualist's version of Saul Alinsky or Mein Kampf for cryin' out loud. This book is loaded with great thought. You can find generous samplings to preview in online stores. The book isn't expensive to buy and it's available in audio or e-book versions. Give it a shot. It might just be in your own RATIONAL self-interest.
I could write a book about this book but it's in my own best interest to re-read it again at least one more time. It's an easy read, barely over 200 pages. It is very well footnoted which leads me to believe the authors did a LOT of homework. I like that. Facts, not whimsy.
It is a great economics primer. With our economy and personal savings rate being what it is or isn't one can't get too much education in economics. Even you progressive, liberal, european socialist types (you know who you are) might consider reading this just to find out what those evil life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness types are thinking. I mean, seriously, it's not like anyone is asking you to read the individualist's version of Saul Alinsky or Mein Kampf for cryin' out loud. This book is loaded with great thought. You can find generous samplings to preview in online stores. The book isn't expensive to buy and it's available in audio or e-book versions. Give it a shot. It might just be in your own RATIONAL self-interest.
January 6, 2013
This book makes the case for a radical change in the relationship between the individual and government. Brook and Watkins argue that government should be out of the picture entirely except when it comes to protecting clearly defined rights of individuals — rights that allow individuals to pursue their own happiness. The authors argue also that only a morality that upholds your own individual happiness as the ultimate goal—i.e., a morality that recognizes self-interest as a virtue—can get us to a laissez-faire society. This is a controversial idea, at least to those who aren’t already fans of the philosopher referenced in the subtitle. But Brook and Watkins take pains to explain and show what real self-interest consists of, and what it doesn’t. E.g., Bernie Madoff was not selfish. At all.
FMR is very readable, but not because it's a lightweight book with little substance. It's readable because the authors do a masterful job of logically building their case and of illustrating their arguments with real-life examples. The clear explanations of how government destroys by interfering in places it doesn't belong (i.e., most places) will make you angry. The authors' vision of the possibilities of life in a true laissez-faire society will make you eager to achieve it.
FMR is very readable, but not because it's a lightweight book with little substance. It's readable because the authors do a masterful job of logically building their case and of illustrating their arguments with real-life examples. The clear explanations of how government destroys by interfering in places it doesn't belong (i.e., most places) will make you angry. The authors' vision of the possibilities of life in a true laissez-faire society will make you eager to achieve it.
June 12, 2014
An interesting book with compelling ideas on how to improve the American economy - basically, roll it back to how it was when we WERE productive (pre-FDR welfare state).
It would be nice if politicians would listen to the message that this book and many others have made clear - progressivism doesn't work. Social welfare programs serve only one purpose - subtle class warfare.
Ayn Rand seeks to do what others haven't even tried to do: prove a moral basis for selfishness. Rational self-interest is moral - and it helps others to better their own situation, instead of being satisfied with handouts and a victim mentality.
Much food for thought in this one. Read it, then give it to your friends - and tell them to pass it on, too!
I'd recommend this for anyone interested in Objectivism, Ayn Rand, economics, the free market, the liberty movement, anarcho-capitalists - heck, just about everybody that wants to see the size and scope of our government diminish, and our prosperity return.
It would be nice if politicians would listen to the message that this book and many others have made clear - progressivism doesn't work. Social welfare programs serve only one purpose - subtle class warfare.
Ayn Rand seeks to do what others haven't even tried to do: prove a moral basis for selfishness. Rational self-interest is moral - and it helps others to better their own situation, instead of being satisfied with handouts and a victim mentality.
Much food for thought in this one. Read it, then give it to your friends - and tell them to pass it on, too!
I'd recommend this for anyone interested in Objectivism, Ayn Rand, economics, the free market, the liberty movement, anarcho-capitalists - heck, just about everybody that wants to see the size and scope of our government diminish, and our prosperity return.
January 1, 2014
I am not a regular political or even economic reader but found this book exceptionally relevant to the economic problems the USA (and thereby most first world nations) find themselves in at this time (2013). Any Rands's idea are interesting in the perspective of protecting the value businesses bring to society and how we need to better leverage the human spirit and ingenuity to solve our economical problems, not simply discount business as only for profit motivated by greed. RATIONAL self-interest is and has been a part of human motivation since our beginnings, the key is not to try to over "fix" a system when man uses it for harm but rather be aware of its shortcomings and react more promptly when we see its weaknesses being extorted.
December 11, 2012
A must read!!! Definitive demonstration on how a "Free Market Revolution" regarded as the solution of America's problem.
Moreover, Rand's fundamental law/ideas illustrate on moral value...that at the deepest level, moral defense of the profit motive would have show that it is selfish.......and that is a good thing.
Yaron Brook; This is the Free Market Revolution: It is the idea that economic freedom can flourish only in America that celebrates selfishness--- the individual pursuit of his rational, long-term self-interest---as a virtue.
Moreover, Rand's fundamental law/ideas illustrate on moral value...that at the deepest level, moral defense of the profit motive would have show that it is selfish.......and that is a good thing.
Yaron Brook; This is the Free Market Revolution: It is the idea that economic freedom can flourish only in America that celebrates selfishness--- the individual pursuit of his rational, long-term self-interest---as a virtue.
November 6, 2013
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
The book was very good and very informative. The book explains how Ayn Rand's morality of selfishness is necessary to direct our political actions toward having an economy of Capitalism. At the same time it shows how altruism, being your brother's keeper, will and necessarily must send us down the road to destruction by sacrificing all the good things we have. I would, however, read Ayn Rand's oeuvre before reading this book to have a better understanding of the philosophy.
October 8, 2013
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see what real capitalism really is and those who might be interested in the practical application of Ayn Rand's ideas, without all the stuff that gets Objectivism labelled a cult. Might also educate all the lefties out there as to what is wrong with the current liberal agenda, and why the current conservative agenda is no answer.
November 12, 2012
Highly recommended and particular pertinent after the 2012 election in the discussion about why the Republicans lost. The target audience is those who already sympathize with free market ideas (e.g. tea party activists).
January 11, 2013
Provides excellent background on "how we got to where we are now" as well as the Industrial Revolution and the history of Capitalism. Goes beyond simply ranting about what's wrong and provides practical, realistic solutions.
Read
March 11, 2013I found this book to be very inspiring.
January 26, 2014
It wasn't literally this book that was paradigm-shifting for me, but objectivism as introduced and preached by Yaron Brook.
November 22, 2012
Great book! I recommend this book to anyone who voted for Obama or Romney, and anyone who is concerned about the economy and erosion of individual rights.
January 21, 2023
It’s an underwhelming defense of Ayn Rand’s Libertarianism. Setting aside the whacko religious tone of their proselytizing (“...the free market is an ideal—a profoundly, perfectly, flawlessly moral economic system—and that anyone who opposes it to whatever extent is wrong.”), they don’t offer much you couldn’t get from the Libertarianism article on Wikipedia.
Enough has been said by others about Libertarianism, so I’ll focus on this book's unique contribution to the discussion: a spirited endorsement of Rand’s Libertarianism as the only morally right and good economic philosophy. The thesis runs something like:
Personal happiness is morally good. You must be rational and productive to be happy. Trading with other rational, productive people is mutually profitable, bringing more happiness to both parties.
This is Rand’s “rational selfishness.” They contend (without evidence): “Rational selfishness says that the interests of men don’t conflict—not so long as they’re rational. The essence of a moral existence is pursuing your interests without sacrificing yourself or other people."
It’s a half-assed argument, but here are just a few unaddressed issues with it:
* What about other moral goods, besides personal happiness?
* Is rationality the only thing required to be happy?
* Their moral justification for Rationality is straight appeal to nature: “Reason [...] is our basic survival tool, and so rationality is our basic virtue.”
* Even if you think appeals to nature work, consider other human behaviors besides purely self-interested rationality. E.g. the evolutionary psychology of altruistic behaviors in families, communities, etc. that sacrifice the individual yet are highly beneficial to the survival of the group.
* Even if personal happiness is the ultimate moral good, the way you achieve it might figure into the moral calculus. You can’t just build a chain of Rationality → Productivity → Trade → Profit → Happiness, and then say that because happiness is good for the individual, the way they get there is good for society.
Failing a proper moral defense of Libertarianism invalidates much of what they wrote in the rest of the book. But it least it was a quick read.
Enough has been said by others about Libertarianism, so I’ll focus on this book's unique contribution to the discussion: a spirited endorsement of Rand’s Libertarianism as the only morally right and good economic philosophy. The thesis runs something like:
Personal happiness is morally good. You must be rational and productive to be happy. Trading with other rational, productive people is mutually profitable, bringing more happiness to both parties.
This is Rand’s “rational selfishness.” They contend (without evidence): “Rational selfishness says that the interests of men don’t conflict—not so long as they’re rational. The essence of a moral existence is pursuing your interests without sacrificing yourself or other people."
It’s a half-assed argument, but here are just a few unaddressed issues with it:
* What about other moral goods, besides personal happiness?
* Is rationality the only thing required to be happy?
* Their moral justification for Rationality is straight appeal to nature: “Reason [...] is our basic survival tool, and so rationality is our basic virtue.”
* Even if you think appeals to nature work, consider other human behaviors besides purely self-interested rationality. E.g. the evolutionary psychology of altruistic behaviors in families, communities, etc. that sacrifice the individual yet are highly beneficial to the survival of the group.
* Even if personal happiness is the ultimate moral good, the way you achieve it might figure into the moral calculus. You can’t just build a chain of Rationality → Productivity → Trade → Profit → Happiness, and then say that because happiness is good for the individual, the way they get there is good for society.
Failing a proper moral defense of Libertarianism invalidates much of what they wrote in the rest of the book. But it least it was a quick read.
June 7, 2021
What a fantastic book for grasping the nature of Capitalism.
Free Market Revolution explains for the layman what Capitalism is, i.e. what moral-political-economic principles Capitalism is founded on; why Western societies are rejecting it, and what it will take to for you to win back the freedoms your life deserves.
This books highlights some of the most important historical events - as well as the philosophic arguments made - which have caused the erosion of our property rights, and the unprecedented growth of Big Government we see all around us today. This book explains in clear terms the cause of the regression of our freedoms and provides a solution and a moral ideal to strive towards.
What distinguishes this book from others in its genre are the moral arguments that it provides. Whilst many defences of capitalism have been made before, what has always been lacking is a proper defence of capitalism on moral terms. This book provides that moral code, a code of rational selfishness, drawn from Ayn Rand’s philosophy Objectivism.
Yaron and Don show why only a consistent, unwavering, principled commitment to rational egoism will save capitalism, nothing less will do. It is the failure of liberty-minded people to embrace this moral code which has embolden the Statists, allowed them to seize the moral high ground, and then to dictate the terms of the debate on the belief that they are morally superior. Free marketeers no longer have any excuses. It’s time to learn the moral code, integrate it with the economic principles of the great free market economists and start winning the debate for Freedom.
Free Market Revolution explains for the layman what Capitalism is, i.e. what moral-political-economic principles Capitalism is founded on; why Western societies are rejecting it, and what it will take to for you to win back the freedoms your life deserves.
This books highlights some of the most important historical events - as well as the philosophic arguments made - which have caused the erosion of our property rights, and the unprecedented growth of Big Government we see all around us today. This book explains in clear terms the cause of the regression of our freedoms and provides a solution and a moral ideal to strive towards.
What distinguishes this book from others in its genre are the moral arguments that it provides. Whilst many defences of capitalism have been made before, what has always been lacking is a proper defence of capitalism on moral terms. This book provides that moral code, a code of rational selfishness, drawn from Ayn Rand’s philosophy Objectivism.
Yaron and Don show why only a consistent, unwavering, principled commitment to rational egoism will save capitalism, nothing less will do. It is the failure of liberty-minded people to embrace this moral code which has embolden the Statists, allowed them to seize the moral high ground, and then to dictate the terms of the debate on the belief that they are morally superior. Free marketeers no longer have any excuses. It’s time to learn the moral code, integrate it with the economic principles of the great free market economists and start winning the debate for Freedom.
September 16, 2025
I was really tempted to be a contrarian and rank the book highly for the comedic aspect, but it's honestly not even worth that much. Horrendously dated, Yaron Brook's 2012 political treatise about Ayn Rand's politics about capitalism is an extremely poor read, even from a literary (and not political) perspective.
With several examples of internal contradictions (e.g. "in a truly free market, consumers get to pick their own living conditions" -> "the government ruined the economy because it made it more affordable for consumers to pick their own living conditions"), blatant misunderstandings of regulatory practices & licensure (e.g. Brooks seems to suggest that the reason that Elevator Inspectors exist is because of quality assurance, and seems to argue against their existence... but inspectors check to ensure that maintenance is performed; he seems to confuse them with Quality Assurance inspectors), and long-winded, hypocritical complaints about the "cruel depictions of rich industrial capitalists", this book is a chore to get through. I could nitpick many aspects of it, but I don't think anyone picks up this book expecting it to be more than it was: a hasty haphazard attempt to push political conversations during the 2012 U.S. Presidential election. With all of the dramatic shifts and cultural developments of the last 13 years, I think it best that this book remain as a relic of its time.
If you already don't agree with any aspect of Ayn Rand's philosophy, this book is not going to convince you otherwise. If you do agree with Ayn Rand's philosophy, then this book was never necessary.
With several examples of internal contradictions (e.g. "in a truly free market, consumers get to pick their own living conditions" -> "the government ruined the economy because it made it more affordable for consumers to pick their own living conditions"), blatant misunderstandings of regulatory practices & licensure (e.g. Brooks seems to suggest that the reason that Elevator Inspectors exist is because of quality assurance, and seems to argue against their existence... but inspectors check to ensure that maintenance is performed; he seems to confuse them with Quality Assurance inspectors), and long-winded, hypocritical complaints about the "cruel depictions of rich industrial capitalists", this book is a chore to get through. I could nitpick many aspects of it, but I don't think anyone picks up this book expecting it to be more than it was: a hasty haphazard attempt to push political conversations during the 2012 U.S. Presidential election. With all of the dramatic shifts and cultural developments of the last 13 years, I think it best that this book remain as a relic of its time.
If you already don't agree with any aspect of Ayn Rand's philosophy, this book is not going to convince you otherwise. If you do agree with Ayn Rand's philosophy, then this book was never necessary.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews