Radicals for Capitalism by Brian Doherty

The folks at the trade mag Library Journal had some nice things to say about Radicals. I can’t find the full review online for public access, but here are my favorite excerpts:

[a] serious, comprehensive history of libertarianism, a political philosophy of minimal government intrusion into private lives. With their opposition to government, regulations, and taxes, libertarians may sound like modern conservatives, but they are a different breed: conservatives often hope to legislate morality, an intervention that libertarians despise….The familiar names-Milton Friedman, F.A. von Hayek, Ayn Rand-are here, along with the less well known, such as Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter Rose. Libertarians as an organized party have barely made a dent in U.S. elections, but their ideas have strongly influenced successful politicians. Thus, this scholarly and far-reaching account is necessary for collections of modern American history and politics.