Give me a break: a review

My first book review. “Give Me a Break : How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media…” by John Stossel

I realize that I’ve been less than consistent about book reviews. The problem stems from the fact that its more enjoyable to read a new book than to review an old book. Consider this my first book review. I have just finished reading John Stossel’s new book “Give me a Break.” I can honestly say that it is without a doubt the best political analysis book by a news commentator I have ever read. The Left has tried to portray Stossel (and his book) as a Conservative corporate sellout; and the Right has tried to portray him (and his book) as a Secular leftist nut. The truth is neither. John Stossel is a Libertarian in the truest sense of the word, and this book reflects those ideas.

Over the course of this fairly short book Mr. Stossel talks about his early years in news broadcasting, his move to network television, and his conversion from a consumer reporters to a philosophically consistent libertarian. He succinctly extrapolates his frustration with most Liberal media as well as the corporate bought Conservative establishment, and pushes basic Jeffersonian freedoms. Stossel’s writing style, though not as strong as his broadcast style, is good enough to easily convey his opinions with only a couple analytical weaknesses in the book as a whole. Each opinion is supported by the kind of example one would come to expect from an investigative reporter. Stossel has one of the strongest grasps of economics I have ever seen from a broadcast personality. That economic understanding shines throughout the book (the Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman himself praises Stossel’s economic understanding.)

Even if you disagree with Stossel’s conclusions it is hard to ignore the arguments he make in “Give me a Break.” I would strongly encourage anyone who wants a “mainstream” understanding of libertarianism to read this book. It, more than any book I have read in recent memory, summarizes my personal beliefs (and our founding fathers beliefs) in the way government should work.