Bourbon for Breakfast: 10th Anniversary Edition

by Jeffrey Tucker, Edward Peter Stringham (Foreword)

“We all need to be part of the project of reimagining freedom—of living outside the statist quo—else we will go the way of many societies and civilizations before us: host to a massive apparatus of power and imposition that strangles the growth and ingenuity of people, leading to a stasis that hardly anyone notices until it is too late.” ~Jeffrey Tucker

Bourbon for Breakfast, now in its 10th-anniversary edition published by the American Institute for Economic Research, is written in a whimsical way, but Tucker makes some very important points.

He counters the idea that bureaucrats, and the government itself, exist to help people. Tucker presents bureaucrats in a less than pleasing light, but his vision is not bleak. Rather than going on an angry diatribe that depresses the reader, Tucker describes ways to overcome problems that bureaucrats create, however big or small.

Bourbon for Breakfast spans economics, literature, fashion, and the good life in general. Why sit around being depressed about government when we can mock it and work to diminish its influence?

Jeffrey A. Tucker is Editorial Director for the American Institute for Economic Research. He is the author of many thousands of articles in the scholarly and popular press and eight books in 5 languages, most recently The Market Loves You. He is also the editor of The Best of Mises. He speaks widely on topics of economics, technology, social philosophy, and culture.

The American Institute for Economic Research in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was founded in 1933 as the first independent voice for sound economics in the United States. Today it publishes ongoing research, hosts educational programs, publishes books, sponsors interns and scholars, and is home to the world-renowned Bastiat Society and the highly respected Sound Money Project. The American Institute for Economic Research is a 501c3 public charity.

Genres: Economics, Nonfiction, Politics, Philosophy, Essays, Ebooks, Audiobook

472 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Jeffrey A. Tucker is Editorial Director for the American Institute for Economic Research. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Austrian Economics Center in Vienna, Austria, Honorary Fellow of Mises Brazil, founder and Chief Liberty Officer of Liberty.me, an adviser to blockchain application companies, past editorial director of the Foundation for Economic Education and Laissez Faire Books, founder of the CryptoCurrency Conference, and author of many thousands of articles in the scholarly and popular press and eight books in 5 languages. He speaks widely on topics of economics, technology, social philosophy, and culture.

Reviews

[Rick Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This man's spiritual power has been precisely this, that he has distinguished between custom and creed. He has broken the conventions, but he has kept the commandments." -from Manalive by G.K. Chesterton

Bourbon for Breakfast is all about breaking the conventions and keeping the commandments. Jeffrey Tucker discusses hacking your showerhead to outwit the federal government's tampering with water pressure, using higher flush toilets than can legally be bought, rolling stop signs in quiet neighborhoods, cooking with lard instead of fat-free spray, and following the old southern aristocratic tradition of drinking your morning coffee with a shot of bourbon. All of these things are taboo because of either societal convention or government meddling. But are any of them actually wrong?

Along with these essays, Tucker also teaches his reader how to dress like a man, discusses intellectual property laws (hint: he's against them), waxes eloquent on captialism and laissez-faire economics, and posits that maybe the police aren't really there for your protection after all.

I found the first half of the book incredibly entertaining. The last couple of chapters, made up of book and movie reviews, were kind of draggy for me; I can't say I share Tucker's taste in film and literature. Politically, I would put myself somewhere in the neighborhood of a libertarian-leaning distributist, so I agree with Tucker's ideas about 70% of the time. Everything he says, however, is stimulating and presented in a witty and clever way, so I was happy to go along for the ride and learn something new. If you're in the market for a sometimes whimsical, always thoughtful case for anarcho-capitalism, pick up a copy of Bourbon for Breakfast.

[Indy Quillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether you agree or disagree with Jeffrey Tucker, his essays will make you think. He’ll remind you what it means to live outside the statist quo and to never lose touch with what freedom really means, especially in these times.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book. It covers a wide range of topics from government to shaving to intellectual property.

Quotes:

You might say that water needs to be conserved. Yes, and so does every other scarce good. The peaceful way to do this is through the price system. But because municipal water systems have created artificial shortages, other means become necessary.

Make a visit to your local grocery and the bottled water section in particular. There are vast numbers of choices, with each supplier begging you to consume. But in public water markets, they demand that you conserve. State ownership and management of the means of production are the key reason.

Let us just suppose that the new microtanks do indeed save water. In the same way, letting people die of infections conserves antibiotics, not brushing teeth conserves toothpaste, and not using anesthesia during surgery conserves needles and syringes. Here is the truth that environmentalists do not face: Sometimes conserving is not a good idea. There are some life activities that cry out for the expenditure of resources, even in the most generous possible way. I would count waste disposal as one of those.

In the most outrageous act of disposal extremism ever, I dumped a full gallon of hot grease straight into the sink and watched with pride as it slid lazily and effortlessly down. Again, where’s the downside?

We put up with this for the same reason that we put up with lost mail, potholes in roads, dilapidated schools, depreciated money, and a clogged court system: because these services are monopolized by government.

In the end, we ended up on the other side of the great divide between freedom and tyranny, all symbolized by the contrast between the coins of the past and the coins of the present. It is reality versus fiat, independence versus dependence, value that lasts versus value that is the whim of the transitory political class.

What if staying at work—even earning money—is the best way to serve the community? What if that person is a pharmacist or a doctor or a website worker who is helping to provide people vital information about religion or health or some other vital issue? Labor for wages is just as much a contribution to society as working somewhere else for free.

Do we really need to save trees anyway? Does someone know the optimal number of trees that are supposed to be alive on the planet at any one time?

Capitalism is so darn good at what it does that it can even bamboozle muddleheaded socialists to cough up money for its products; that’s wonderful.

The market society uses private gain to achieve social good, via the mechanism of mutually beneficial exchange.

We tell the youth that they are better off being mall rats than fruitful workers. We tell them that they have nothing to offer society until they are 18 or so. We convey the impression that work is a form of exploitation from which they must be protected.

We can see that it is perfectly absurd to attempt to fashion national policy around the interests of only one party to an exchange. To try to keep house prices high and rising cheats the first-time buyer. To keep them low cheats the current owner… The only real answer here is to let the free market rule, which is another way of saying that people should be free to come to their own agreements about the prices they are willing to pay or accept for this and that.

The only way to retain exclusive possession of an idea is never to share it with anyone.

Patents and trademarks have done nothing to keep Gucci and Prada and Rolex impersonators at bay. But neither have the impersonators killed the main business. If anything, they might have helped, since imitation is the best form of flattery.

The Internet age has taught that it is ultimately impossible to enforce IP. It is akin to the attempt to ban alcohol or tobacco. It can’t work. It only succeeds in creating criminality where none really need exist.

What you are not permitted to do in a free market is use violence in the attempt to create an artificial scarcity, which is all that IP legislation really does.

Once ideas are known by others, they are copied. They cannot be owned in the conventional sense… The only way to possess an idea as exclusive property is to never share it with another person.

After a week, you can even give up the oil and use only warm water. You will find that you will be able to shave ever more swiftly and with ever more abandon. A man can shave his whole face in 20 seconds without a single abrasion.

Elevated dressing causes people to behave better… You need: one or two suits in blue or grey; a blue or black jacket or sports coat; a jacket for Summer (khaki or blue cotton or, if you want to be really fancy, seersucker); a tweed jacket for Winter; year-round grey wool trousers (light or dark or both); a few pairs of khakis; Three white and three blue shirts; a selection of ties.

It cannot be ruled out that a stable home with two responsible parents of the same sex would be a better setting for raising children than an unstable home with parents of different sexes or a single-parent household.

Mothers, you see, are way too stupid to know to tell their kids not to suffocate themselves with plastic bags, which is why we need a Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Always remember that there is no better time for smoking and drinking than when you are young, when your system can handle it. As you grow older, you never know the ways in which the body will fight back against your dreams to smoke and drink heavily forever.

The naïveté of good-government ideology is more widespread than is usually supposed.

The Left is scandalized by a government that plunders foreign nations and spies on its citizens’ private lives, but urges that same government to plunder property owners and spy on their commercial lives. The Right is disgusted by a government that slathers billions on deadbeats and ne’er-do-wells, but wants the same government to squander billions on military contractors and goons that enforce bad law.

A government perceived as righteous is more dangerous than one that is looked upon with suspicion.

Sometimes corrupt government can actually be better than good government, if it means that unjust and unworkable laws can be bypassed through bribes and graft.

As government grows ever bigger in the guise of doing good, its capacity for doing evil expands at a far more rapid rate.

We go about our lives assuming that there is some magic force of history that causes quality work to last and inferior works to fall by the wayside. What a myth.

Lenin pointed out, “it is nonsense to make any pretence of reconciling the State and liberty.”

“Another strange notion pervading whole peoples is that the State has money of its own; and nowhere is this absurdity more firmly fixed than in America. The State has no money. It produces nothing. It existence is purely parasitic, maintained by taxation; that is to say, by forced levies on the production of others. ‘Government money,’ of which one hears so much nowadays, does not exist; there is no such thing. One is especially amused at seeing how largely a naïve ignorance of this fact underlies the pernicious measures of ‘social security’ which have been foisted on the American people. In various schemes of pensioning, of insurance against sickness, accident, unemployment and what-not, one notices that the government is supposed to pay so-much into the fund, the employer so-much, and the workman so-much… But the government pays nothing, for it has nothing to pay with. What such schemes actually come to is that the workman pays his own share outright; he pays the employer’s share in the enhanced price of commodities; and he pays the government’s share in taxation. He pays the whole bill; and when one counts in the unconscionably swollen costs of bureaucratic brokerage and paperasserie, one sees that what the workman-beneficiary gets out the arrangement is about the most expensive form of insurance that could be devised consistently with keeping its promoters out of jail.” Albert Jay Nock

It is easier to seize wealth than to produce it; and as long as the State makes the seizure of wealth a matter of legalized privilege, so long will the squabble for that privilege go on.

Twain is offering a perspective on the commercial culture of a society of entrepreneurial freedom: it is driven not so much by the demand for material reward but by the desire for discovery and achievement, with the money serving as a measure of success rather than the end itself.

Like Huck Finn, the so-called robber barons found their treasure but also gave vast sums of it away.

Restricting the flow of information through conventional copyright relies upon state interference to make a non-scarce thing—information—artificially scarce.

[Rube] Goldberg seems to have been very solid on politics too. All the drawings in the politics section show government as the most complicated and unworkable machinery of all.

Copyright and patents are not part of the natural competitive order. They are products of positive law and legislation, imposed at the behest of market winners as a means of excluding competition. They are government grants of monopolies, and, as neoclassical economists with a pro-market disposition, [Boldrin and Levine] are against monopoly because it raises prices, generates economic stagnation, inhibits innovation, robs consumers, and rewards special interests.

It is surely not a far-flung hope that someday societies will learn to reject the militarism and regimentation of the Right without embracing the collectivism and violence against property offered by the Left.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a strange but insightful little book. It's a collection of essays grouped by topic, so I'll split my review into sections to follow the book.

Section 1: Water and Life. 2/5 stars.

While some of the essays make sense in light of the rest of the book, this was not a good way to begin. By immediately decrying government regulation over something that seems trivial to most people, he immediately causes anyone who is not a libertarian to lose interest in what he has to say. This is the book's greatest flaw.

I will put in a plug for the essay on municipal garbage collection, which is one of the strongest in the book. My dad worked as a garbage collector for a private company for about 15 years, so Tucker's essay resonated very strongly with me.

Section 2: Commerce. 4/5

Great stuff, even if I feel that I've read a lot of it before. Tucker eloquently argues for such controversial ideas as removal of minimum wage laws, without doing so in a way that is likely to offend people who disagree.

Section 3: Technology. 5/5

A fantastic examination of the problems of copyright law and IP in general. Tucker's writing is brilliant. I often talk about IP when discussing politics, so I can now recommend that my friends read these essays. And since Tucker doesn't believe in IP, they are available free online!

Section 4: Crime. 5/5

By far the best section in the book. Everything wrong with our justice system can be summed up in these 5 essays. I'll recommend these essays to basically everyone I know.

Sections 5 and 6. Health and Manners and Food. 1/5

The worst sections in the book. I care about what Tucker says about politics. I could not care less about his views on culture. He comes across as a stuffy old white man when he needs to reach out to other groups. Furthermore, the anti-gay and strongly pro-Western culture biases are a real turn-off for serious libertarians. Really? Your favorite music is liturgical chant? What a great way to present yourself as relevant.

Sections 7 and 8. Books and Movies. 4/5

Fun and interesting commentaries on the political messages behind famous books and movies. I've read and seen about half of these, so it was a good balance between commentary and recommendations for future reading/watching.

[Anthony Papillion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wondering how to live free in a world full of arbitrary rules and restrictions? This book will show you how. A collection of essays by a great thinker from the Mises Institute, this book will inspire, challenge, and maybe even make you laugh. A definite read for anyone interested in freedom and liberty.

[Robert Case · Rating 2 out of 5]

There not much constructive I can say about this derisive book. The humor was flat, the writing predictable, and the content, unmemorable.

[Dylan Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an essay collection taken from various online blogs. The essays explore a wide range of issues from health and wellness, to criminal justice, business advice, and reviews of books and movies. What ties it all together is the libertarian outlook of all of the commentary. Mr. Tucker's writing is very entertaining and easy to read, in addition to being highly thought provoking. He knows how to present big ideas in bite-sized chunks. Its a great read for anyone to wants to see the ideas of liberty in practice.

[Shane Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akin to his other collection of essays presented as a book, It’s A Jetson’s World, this one explores a multitude of social life discrepancies through the classical liberal lens. These collections are fun due to their random coverage of issues and ideas. There are many fun historical facts and lessons strewn throughout. If you were a regular reader of Tucker’s blogs and articles over time I assume you could skip Bourbon For Breakfast because it is simply a collection of previous works.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and mostly lighthearted take on libertarian economic thought. I learned that liberalism used to mean something totally different than it does today, and that my life will be exponentially better if I will just turn up my water heater like 20 degrees higher than the damn bureaucrats insist.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple stories that point out small ways limits are absorbed into our daily lives. I raised the temperature on my water heater to 130 degrees after reading this. Simple change that has made an impact on something as small as rinsing dishes.

[Bryce Eickholt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is near perfect, even the few things I disagreed with were still worth the read. It covers all kinds of all kinds of topics even unusual topics that were quite a treat.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. This is a collection of essays and blog-posts which really isn't my style. Please take that into account in my rating. Tucker has an interesting history tied in with the Ludwig von Misses Institute and with Libertarian thought.

Over all Tucker has a style that is much to pleased with himself, I believe that he laughs at all his own jokes... a lot! This is not a terrible condition if you are actually funny; and sometimes Tucker is, but just sometimes. There is a great deal of useful information buried in this book, I like the idea of turning up the water heater to 130 degrees (it does make a difference). I also took his advice on giving up the shaving foam for a splash of baby oil (after a week my face feels better then it has in thirty years). There is also some very interesting insight into some elements of libertarian thought that I had not considered or at least not considered enough.

In all my lists of "Libertarian Fiction" I never saw Garet Garrett; but I am interested ingiving him a try after Tucker's reviews and comments. I am the son of an inventor; and I have a great deal of difficulty with Tucker's views on intellectual property. His arguments against IP however are both strong and solid and I feel now that I have to give this some serious thought. I will probably also pick up "Against Intellectual Property" of course that would mean trying to find a copy of "Justifying Intellectual Property " for under $50 as well. I do like authors that bring me new ideas and new books to read. There is a lot of good information and interesting thoughts in this book, you just need to do a lot of digging to find those buried treasures. If you are a free thinker, or already have a Libertarian bent this is an interesting read, but it is not for the un-initiated.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeffrey Tucker is eccentric and oddly charming. He finds beauty and wisdom where few others think to look. I like that about him.

I don't share Jeffrey's social values of dinner table manners and etiquette and proper clothing and so-forth, but even those chapters I found interesting if for no other reason than to appreciate his consistency in applying the libertarian worldview. I read those chapters as him saying, "I neither can nor would force this upon you, but I have every right to think of you as a barbarian for your refusal."

Well Mr Tucker, even this barbarian found your essays amusing and stimulating.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

a delightful collection of tucker's essays on a wide range of topics, including etiquette, mark twain, child labor, the shift toward militarism in the mainstream political right wing, morning indulgences, men's wardrobes, intellectual property, cooperation, getting fired, wastrels and spider-man. He is the modern-day, bowtie-wearing gentleman anarchist whose optimistic, creative thinking can serve as a primer to market anarchism, the antidote to social movements embracing violence and destruction. I would strongly recommend his book "it's a jetson's world", which is a celebration of peace, innovation and creativity.

[Zachary Moore]

Fun collection of essays dealing with conventional libertarian themes as applied to aspects of our daily lives (cough medicine, stop signs, etc) as well as the essays that make Tucker perhaps the first libertarian lifestyle columnist. Makes for wonderful light reading with suggestions for further study-- I finished the whole book in less than three days.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book! I've known of this book for a couple of years, but the title did not inspire me. Tucker relates some of the most important lessons on liberty and Austrian economics in easy to read language, using modern illustrations.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book of whynots. You will think you're reading about a shower head or a sprinkler system, but then you find yourself pondering some of the great social and economic issues of human civilization. Not every chapter is equally intriguing, but most are.

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining with lots of good advice.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written collection of articles by Jeffrey Tucker on growing bureaucracy, free market economics, intellectual property, the jail system, as well as culture and the arts.

[Gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book brought to light many points I had never thought of. However, the style was at times "forced". i do recommend it though.

[Abdulaziz Hasan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, i haven't read the whole thing but I was soooo bored when I have reached page 22. This book is a set of articles that criticizes almost everything in the US which i am not part of.

[Deanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

joyful book with practical living tips. really fun read.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

[Michael Kaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of essays by the eternal optimist Jeffrey Tucker (tucker.liberty.me). Well-written and profound, yet easy to read with wit and energy.