The Joy of Freedom: An Economist's Odyssey

I spend a large amount of time searching for books that explain economics in compelling, non-jargony language. There are distressingly few such good books. This book by David Henderson, though, is certainly one of these few.The reader need not have ever studied economics to enjoy this book. And even the reader who holds a PhD in the subject will not only enjoy this book, but will also learn from it -- learn how to communicate better as well gain even deeper insights into the ways markets and politics work.One reason why economics is such an enduring subject is that continued reflection on its principles never stops deepening our understanding of the world. David Henderson is among the very finest guides to the fascinating subject of economics. I sincerely hope that all citizens will read this book -- and that all economists will read it twice.

There is a saying that people don't care what you know until they know that you care. In "The Joy of Freedom," Dr. Henderson not only articulates what he knows, he demonstrates that he cares.I've been an advocate of freedom for many years and the last thing I need to read is another primer on why the free market is better than the heavy hand of government intervention. This intellectual argument has been won many times over, but we still live in a world dominated by pro-interventionist view points. Why is this? Because trying to win people's minds without also winning their hearts is futile. This is where we as freedom advocates have so often failed. We have been so busy concentrating on the intellectual arguments that we have forgotten that we are trying to appeal to people. Human beings that need to be reassured that we have values that they share and that we care about the same things that they care about.This is where "The Joy of Freedom" is so wonderful. We don't just see into the author's mind, we also see into his heart. This book is not just an intellectual argument for freedom, but is also David Henderson's personal story and that is what sets the book apart from and clearly above other books that cover similar material.I'm certain that there isn't a single economic explanation in this book that I've haven't heard before (as I said, I've been around this topic for awhile), but I still loved this book because it touched me on a personal level. I think it will also personally touch many readers for whom the intellectual arguments are new territory.To David Henderson I can only say, "Thank you for sharing."

In the mid-80s, I took a casual poll of free market leaders: What are the top-five free-market books for a novice to read?Every one of them put Henry Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson" on his or her list, typically at the top.If I were to repeat the poll now, I suspect Hazlitt's classic will have a contender for first place, my friend David Henderson's "The Joy of Freedom." Henderson seduces the reader with his personal stories, like why as a college kid in Canada he resigned from a great summer job measuring trees. His stories are so much fun to read that learning economics kinda sneaks up on you. Indeed, it's Henderson's charm that is the anti-dote for what von Mises called the "Anti-Capitalist Mentality." (BTW, Mises' book of that title was on many 'top-five' lists, and Bastiat's "The Law" was on every list.)You'll want an extra copy or two of "Joy of Freedom" for lending to friends who do not share your love of freedom, especially those who will even argue about its meaning.

David Henderson is my friend and I helped him with this book, so I suppose I'm biased. But my familiarity can help you decide whether to buy this book or not. The Joy of Freedom is the work of an exceptional teacher who has a skill for communicating economic concepts. It is the result of his lifelong desire to understand the world, to better himself, and to help others. As the reader, we walk side by side with David as he struggles to understand complex and important issues. He tells us stories from his life, from childhood through his successful career as an economist. The result is an interesting, easy-to-read, understandable, and enjoyable book about some of the more pressing problems of our time. How many other books can make that claim? If you care about your personal retirement assets, your ability to get good health care, the education of yourself or your children, your rights and security, the inner workings of the government, the laws of economics, discrimination, or the environment, this book has something for you. You don't have to agree with everything Dr. Henderson says. In fact, because he is such a good thinker and communicator, his path of discovery should help you on your own, whatever course it may take. Charles L. Hooper, coauthor Making Great Decisions in Business and Life

As a professional economist who is constantly looking for better ways to communicate the essence of economics to non economists, I couldn't be more enthusiastic about Henderson's The Joy of Freedom. Without mind numbing diagrams and equations, Henderson conveys more economic understanding than any of the standard text books I know--and I know a lot of them, having written a few myself. And it is not just economic concepts and the standard perspective on economic efficiency that he communicates so compellingly. With a personal story beautifully woven into the narrative, Henderson shows how humane and socially concerned economists can be (and generally are). Read this book and find out that economists can be passionate in wanting to make this world a better place, and have real guide posts in going about it, guide posts that elevate the ideal of freedom to the central organizing principle. The next time I teach a principles courses I'm going to do my students a tremendous favor by using David Henderson's The Joy of Freedom: An Economists Odyssey as the main text.