« Democrats and National Security | Main | Galactica Blogging: Flesh and Bone »

February 22, 2005

Choice

You know you've arrived when you get an email from the editor of a magazine asking if you'd like a copy of a collection of articles the magazine has just published. OK, maybe you haven't arrived, but it's still pretty cool, particularly when it's a magazine you already subscribe to and greatly enjoy: Reason. I can't necessarily say that I would have bought the book anyhow only because my reading list tends to grow faster than I can get through the books, but I do believe that my endorsement is based strictly on the quality of the book, because I enjoyed the Hell out of it.

Choice collects some of the best articles from Reason from recent years and packages them with a pair of introductions from Drew Carey and Chris Hitchens. The editors did a great job of collecting articles, as this collection gathers a number of favorites I recalled from my own subscription alongside older articles I was quite pleased to have the chance to read. The philosophy of each article is generally consistent in favoring a more libertarian view of government, laying out the case in generally calm and reasoned tones that pursue argument rather than simple shouting. The various authors have their own roads to this goal, making the book a quick read even at 300+ pages.

Choice is a great read regardless of political persuasion because the articles do a good job of following the facts to a conclusion rather than cherry-picking facts to support a conclusion. Liberals and conservatives will each find things to support and decry here, and they will all be challenged. Choice also includes a number of interviews with luminaries like Norman Borlaug and Milton Friedman (and even Drew Carey).

If you're looking for something to support your point of view, Choice may not be for you. But if you're looking for a collection of articles that will challenge you, this is the place to start. So what are you waiting for?