About the Book
In his academic work, Robert Higgs has dissected the government's shrewd secret excesses that lead to the Welfare State, the Warfare State, and the Administrative State. For several decades he has unstintingly chronicled the federal, state, and local governments' malfeasance in these many areas of life that all levels of government have intruded upon without Constitutional mandate. In this book, however, are essays that show a whimsical, introspective, and personal side of this world renowned scholar. From the myth that the government has derived its powers from the consent of the governed to the role of independent experts in formulating monetary and fiscal policy; from the government's duplicity in announcing the unemployment rate in a given month to how the state entraps us, if you want to see a true polymath at work, these lofty, serious, sad, and illuminating essays will educate you beyond what you had thought possible about life, liberty, and the economy.
About the Author :
Robert Higgs is senior fellow in political economy for the Independent Institute and the editor of the Institute's quarterly journal, the Independent Review. He is also the author of several books, including Against Leviathan, Competition and Coercion, Delusions of Power, Neither Liberty Nor Safety, Resurgence of the Warfare State, and The Transformation of the American Economy 1865–1914, and the recipient of numerous awards, such as the Gary Schlarbaum Award for Lifetime Defense of Liberty and the Lysander Spooner Award for Advancing the Literature of Liberty. He lives in Lafayette, Louisiana. Judge Andrew P. Napolitano currently serves as the senior judicial analyst Fox News Channel (FNC) and provides legal analysis on both FNC and Fox Business Network (FBN). He is the author of five books: Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws; The Constitution in Exile, a New York Times bestseller; Dred Scott's Revenge; Lies the Government Told You, also a New York Times bestseller; and A Nation of Sheep. His writings have been published in several newspapers, including the Baltimore Sun, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in New York City.
Review :
"In his latest book Taking a Stand, Robert Higgs laments that his mother should not have let him become an economic historian. That's the only error he makes in 99 pithy chapters that debug a virtual database of statist fallacies for government controls. For example, World War II is not proof that astronomical government spending fixed the economy after decades of New Deal spending failed--but it is proof that when one-fifth of the population is forced to fight in a war or to work to support the war effort, the statistical unemployment rate goes down. Everyone interested in freedom should read this book to understand clearly how economic reasoning and political realism apply to ongoing debates over the ever-increasing control that government exerts on our lives."--T.J. Rodgers, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
"More than anyone in our time, Robert Higgs wrestles with 'James Madison's Dilemma, ' that is, if we have created a government powerful enough to protect our rights and liberties, what is to prevent it from taking away those very rights and liberties? One may not agree with all of his recent musings in Taking a Stand, but they are invariably thought-provoking and admirable."--Richard E. Sylla, Henry Kaufman Professor of the History of Financial Institutions and Markets, New York University
"No voice today for peace and liberty is as clear, as consistent, as learned, as insightful, and--this is important--as passionate and resonant as that of Robert Higgs. The pages of Taking a Stand prove me correct."--Donald J. Boudreaux, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for the Study of Public Choice, George Mason University; Co-Editor, Café Hayek
"Robert Higgs begins Taking a Stand by thanking his students. But his list is much too short, for we are all his students. Often funny, and usually subversive of the conventional wisdom, this book spans a short period (2009-14) in Bob's marvelously productive life. Chapters range from serious engagements with economic affairs to heartfelt eulogies--Bob's 'goodbye' to Manuel Ayau cannot be read without tearing up--to parodies of the rock song 'American Pie' and the poem 'The Raven.' It is hard to convey the depth and value of this timely yet timeless book. But if Francis Bacon could be crossed with P.J. O'Rourke, that would come close."--Michael C. Munger, Professor of Political Science, Economics and Public Policy, and Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program at Duke University
"Robert Higgs has been pounding Leviathan since before most of today's libertarians were born. He has awakened new generations of students to the perils of unleashed politicians and lawless bureaucrats. In Taking a Stand, his passion and principles continue to fire folks up to stand up for their rights and liberties."--James Bovard, author, Freedom in Chains, Lost Rights, and Terrorism and Tyranny
