American Individualism

Although it is quite popular among historians and the media to portray Hoover in a negative light, this book evidences Hoover's thoughtfulness and brilliance that places him among the U.S.'s best minds of the time. Hoover details his theories of the regimentation of government, in a foresightful and eloquent manner. The book is in some ways a "groundbreaking" work that provides insight into the downsides of many of the depression-era "new deal" reforms. Hoover's economic philosophies have been traditionally neglected among historians and he has unjustifiably served as a scapegoat for the Great Depression and the excesses of the Roaring Twenties. Hoover presents in this book a survey of the alternatives to the American System of economic and political liberty and warns of the many dangers associated with government's entry into competitive markets. His concern for the protection of individual economic liberties serves as a bedrock upon which Friedman and others expanded many decades later. For supporters of Reaganesque philosophies who seek a unique historical perspective or for those interested in a minority perspective during the 1930s, this book is an underrecognized, underrated must-read!

I found this book surprising. I did because before reading this and all of Hoover's books, my view of him was largely based on the theme song from the TV show, "All in the Family." My views of the man also came mainly from the idea that Hoover, and he alone, was the cause of the Great Depression. This book, and his others are exciting to me because they are so contrary to what I thought I knew.