A saint said "Let the perfect city rise.
Here needs no long debate on subtleties,
Means, end,
Let us intend
That all be clothed and fed; while one remains
Hungry our quarreling but mocks his pains.
So all will labor to the good
In one phalanx of brotherhood."

A man cried out "I know the truth, I, I,
Perfect and whole. He who denies
My vision is a madman or a fool
Or seeks some base advantage in his lies.
All peoples are a tool that fits my hand
Cutting you each and all
Into my plan."

They were one man.

Yesterday I learned that neither @Undisciplined nor I have read this book when I had asked whether it might be good one for the ~econ hobbyist.

The book caught my attention because -- being muser I am -- I was dawdling before work one day reading some of the author's poetry. Cool, a real renaissance man, thought I! (The above poem was reprodiced from Part 1.)

So a book club was suggested, to which I had to give some thought. Book clubs are hard to coordinate digitally and assigning deadlines, guidelines etc. are just ... well, not very Libertarian, maybe.

but what are others saying about the book?

The reviews on goodreads exhibit about exactly as much divisiveness as I usually look for ....

I'm a generally a minarchist... but support local tyrannies in some cases. Ultimately, I'm a utilitarian. I'm a pussy compared to Friedman.

And

The main body of the book itself is predictably well-executed but will probably leave most libertarians nodding their heads and everybody else scratching theirs – in 160 pages Friedman discusses all the classic ways in which private property and absence of coercion can lead to a well-functioning society that requires little state (Part II) or no state (Part III). Part II is perfectly reasonable and almost practical, part III is a theoretical pipe dream, logically consistent but almost surely impractical

&

The Machinery of Freedom is a comparatively easy and short read, compared to the other libertarian manifestos, and so especially recommendable to beginners.

. . . Are a few that stuck out.

so what the Book Club?

Well, there won't be one, sadly. But as alternative, i shall do something else -- a book non-club.

Periodically (hereby am not committing to any regularity) i shall post reflections from my reading.

Anyone else is welcome to participate by:

• reading along
• commenting, inquisitively
• posting their own reflections

Every part has a poem included at the beginning. These, I'll also try to engage with.

So here goes. Part 1 loading .....