Monday, October 8, 2012

Yes, with Less We Can


      In only three and a skosh more weeks we can all exhale as the media tells us who won the elections (though the president will actually be elected in December) and our lives will return to normal for two years.  Well mostly normal. Meanwhile, things are heating up, getting ready to boil over with polls, ads, leaflets, and media pundits jumping at us from all angles. While I don't want to add to all this, I was asked to review a book that fits right into  what is happening so I thought now is the time to introduce Mark Grannis and his new book. 
       There are four people running for president who have a mathematical chance of winning - Jill Stein (Green), Governor Gary Johnson (Libertarian), President Barrack Obama (Democrat), and Governor Mitt Romney (Republican). For the most part we understand what the Democrats and the Republicans believe and how they would likely govern but how about the Greens or the Libertarians? Who are these people and what would they do with the power of pen and purse? Mark Grannis brings light to this in his new book, showing we can do so much more with so much less.


Less We Can: The Case for Less Government, More Prosperity, and More Security

  • Paperback: 184 pages
  • Publisher: Thoroughfare Books (May 31, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 061562300X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0615623009

From Amazon:
     Libertarian Mark Grannis explains why so many of the best things in life expand when government shrinks; why less government means more liberty, more prosperity, and more security. Instead of approaching every social problem with the unstated assumption that there must be a government solution, Grannis argues in this collection of essays that we can take care of ourselves and each other with much less government “help” than politicians have tried to give us.

About the book:
       This easy to read book is divided in two main parts - 1) Overview of the Main Issues and 2) Selected Lessays. At the end of the book there is a summary of a Libertarian Balanced Budget for 2012. Grannis skillfully and interestingly covers issues ranging from environmental concerns to immigration to abortions through fiscal responsibility. Each section is short and quick to read with many clear examples a reader can easily understand. For instance Grannis describes how the Audubon Society allowed oil and gas drilling in a protected environment they owned but protested the drilling in ANWR. A contradiction you say? Not so fast, says Grannis. This makes perfect sense to a Libertarian and I believe if you read this, you will also understand why it makes sense.

My Take
    I enjoyed reading the book.  I especially loved the first part of the book. It is written in common sense plain English even when talking about some very complex issues. But this is not a simple, large print, short on text book.  It is a full bodied text covering many issues, that is sure to help the reader develop a good working knowledge of some basic Libertarian beliefs. The examples Grannis uses to illustrate his points are well thought out and relate to the his subject without us, as readers, having to dig deeper to find out what he is driving at. The really nice thing about this book is you can read any one issue or 'lessay' quickly and they don't have to be read in  book order.  Want to know more about the economy, jump to that section. Pick up on the issues dear to you and leave the rest be for now. I also found the balanced budget for 2012 quite revealing. 

Recommendation:
    I recommend this for anyone who likes learning about the issues of our day, politics, or simply want to know more about the other choices on the ballot.  


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