Striking the Root

by Lawrence W. Reed

In this volume, Lawrence W. Reed identifies the root of many of America’s evils a failure to recognize that government rests on the use of force. This fundamental feature of government may be a boon when used to protect our individual freedoms, but it is a bane when used to diminish these freedoms in pursuit of a political faction’s idea of a good cause.

Although he has no radio show or nationally syndicated column, Reed, past president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Michigan, is one of the most quietly influential people in the American freedom movement today. It is fitting, then, that this volume draws primarily on his past columns for The Freeman, an unpretentious magazine with a resonant voice that has reached some of America’s most prominent people, including a onetime presidential hopeful named Ronald Reagan. In that tradition of plain speaking, Reed demonstrates that the clarion call of liberty will always find an audience, even in a world clamoring for chains. 97 pages.

Genres: Politics

97 pages, Kindle Edition

About the author

Lawrence W. Reed is the president of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and the author or editor of several books, including Excuse Me, Professor: Challenging the Myths of Progressivism. Before joining FEE, he served as president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan, and chaired Northwood University’s department of economics. Reed has written some 1,500 articles for newspapers and magazines worldwide. He is a frequent guest on radio and television.

Reviews

[ThoughtCriminal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book on true liberty and the problem of bureaucracy and government!

I loved this! Resonated greatly with me! A collection of brief and to the point writings on the problems of being governed and why we need to learn how to govern ourselves and interact voluntarily. While pointing out some of the negatives we are surrounded by, the author goes into more positive and solution oriented areas and why we should be more responsible for ourselves and not have the state be the middle man between ourselves and our neighbors. "If you don't govern yourself, someone else will govern you, " Lawrence Reed.

[Trudy Pomerantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. A series of essays that Reed had written over a number of years that present the Libertarian (Classical Liberal ?) view on political and freedom issues.

[Brian Ogstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, short, book linking liberty (defined as personal freedom) and character. Reed shows how you cannot have one without the other.

[Eric Reidsma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essays on Liberty. I received this book as a gift. Some great reminders what liberty is. Some really resonated with me and some not so much.