Review of Re-Enlightening
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Kutloano Makhuvhela
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- Latest Review: Re-Enlightening by Erik Hare
Review of Re-Enlightening
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Re-Enlightening" by Erik Hare.]
Economics and politics are like saliva and tongue. You do not find one without the other. In order for people to attain freedom, they must ask themselves what kind of economic system they want to fashion and champion for themselves. There are many systems proposed out there; some have come and gone, while others have remained and thrived. But what are those, and which one should we know is the best for us if we are to have a free, democratic society that is thriving under common law? Re-Enlightening by Erik Hare is here to educate you about many economic systems out there and help you make a decision.
The book opens with this: ‘The aim of this work is to establish a framework for understanding, discussing, and developing the economic choices made by any political system. This perspective should be judged entirely on the basis of its value for accomplishing those goals.’ The author gives a thorough explanation of the role economics plays in the political sphere. The author agrees that the resources are limited, so like it or not, we have to find a system to best allocate these resources to the deserving people if we want to see progress. He goes back in history to show how ancient empires and dynasties like the Roman Empire and the Ming Dynasty came to solve these problems. After that, the author informs us about the economic-political order we live in to show how far we have come and how far we still have to go.
The author then goes in-depth on many types of economic systems. Without even passing a judgement, the author explains each and tells us how it is different from the other and how it was invented, by whom, and why. We are shown a vivid contrast between the top-down and bottom-up economic systems. Then we go to the attributes of each system. What is an autarkic system? What is a shared economic system? What is a market-based economy? How do they differ from each other?
This book was such a good read. I never thought I would enjoy it like this because economics is not my strongest suit. Yes, I had an idea of some economic systems we have out there and what each means for a regular person and the country at large, but there were many I was ignorant of and others totally new to me. The author’s explanation skills, complemented by his writing skills, made sure I didn’t feel out of depth but, if anything, accommodated. This branch of study, which is consequential, was explained in layman’s terms for everyone to understand and enjoy.
The author achieved this by writing short sentences that were concise and attention-grabbing. There was no economics jargon to intimidate. The reading experience, therefore, was a smooth one. I found myself nodding and having my aha-moment at every turn of the page. Another thing that impressed me was how the book was organised. The chapters had headings, and there were then subheadings. This made the book more navigable and easy to soak in the information because of the chronologically organised content. What’s more, the subheadings were numbered, so I could follow the author’s train of thought. The book felt more like a live presentation Than a textbook. It included quotes from other books to expand on most of the points raised. The bibliography at the end lists all the books for further reading if interested.
Another thing I liked was the shortness of the book. Other authors would have tried dragging the book, even when each point was covered. They were most likely going to repeat themselves or add unnecessary points. Not this author. After every important thing was covered, the author concluded nicely. For fast readers, they would be done with it in one reading. Lastly, I loved the intention behind the book. It was about informing, educating, and exposing one to these economic systems and their implications. All of this was achieved without coming across as preachy.
There’s nothing to critique in the book, let alone to dislike. This was cemented by the fact that it was exceptionally edited. I did not find any errors. With all I have said above about this book, I have no other choice but to rate it the highest score of five out of five stars. I would strongly recommend it to social science, political science, and economics students and enthusiasts. People of all ages would enjoy it because what it covers affects all of us. This is an important book. It will appeal to those who like learning new information and like to be informed.
******
Re-Enlightening
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Economics and politics are like saliva and tongue. You do not find one without the other. In order for people to attain freedom, they must ask themselves what kind of economic system they want to fashion and champion for themselves. There are many systems proposed out there; some have come and gone, while others have remained and thrived. But what are those, and which one should we know is the best for us if we are to have a free, democratic society that is thriving under common law? Re-Enlightening by Erik Hare is here to educate you about many economic systems out there and help you make a decision.
The book opens with this: ‘The aim of this work is to establish a framework for understanding, discussing, and developing the economic choices made by any political system. This perspective should be judged entirely on the basis of its value for accomplishing those goals.’ The author gives a thorough explanation of the role economics plays in the political sphere. The author agrees that the resources are limited, so like it or not, we have to find a system to best allocate these resources to the deserving people if we want to see progress. He goes back in history to show how ancient empires and dynasties like the Roman Empire and the Ming Dynasty came to solve these problems. After that, the author informs us about the economic-political order we live in to show how far we have come and how far we still have to go.
The author then goes in-depth on many types of economic systems. Without even passing a judgement, the author explains each and tells us how it is different from the other and how it was invented, by whom, and why. We are shown a vivid contrast between the top-down and bottom-up economic systems. Then we go to the attributes of each system. What is an autarkic system? What is a shared economic system? What is a market-based economy? How do they differ from each other?
This book was such a good read. I never thought I would enjoy it like this because economics is not my strongest suit. Yes, I had an idea of some economic systems we have out there and what each means for a regular person and the country at large, but there were many I was ignorant of and others totally new to me. The author’s explanation skills, complemented by his writing skills, made sure I didn’t feel out of depth but, if anything, accommodated. This branch of study, which is consequential, was explained in layman’s terms for everyone to understand and enjoy.
The author achieved this by writing short sentences that were concise and attention-grabbing. There was no economics jargon to intimidate. The reading experience, therefore, was a smooth one. I found myself nodding and having my aha-moment at every turn of the page. Another thing that impressed me was how the book was organised. The chapters had headings, and there were then subheadings. This made the book more navigable and easy to soak in the information because of the chronologically organised content. What’s more, the subheadings were numbered, so I could follow the author’s train of thought. The book felt more like a live presentation Than a textbook. It included quotes from other books to expand on most of the points raised. The bibliography at the end lists all the books for further reading if interested.
Another thing I liked was the shortness of the book. Other authors would have tried dragging the book, even when each point was covered. They were most likely going to repeat themselves or add unnecessary points. Not this author. After every important thing was covered, the author concluded nicely. For fast readers, they would be done with it in one reading. Lastly, I loved the intention behind the book. It was about informing, educating, and exposing one to these economic systems and their implications. All of this was achieved without coming across as preachy.
There’s nothing to critique in the book, let alone to dislike. This was cemented by the fact that it was exceptionally edited. I did not find any errors. With all I have said above about this book, I have no other choice but to rate it the highest score of five out of five stars. I would strongly recommend it to social science, political science, and economics students and enthusiasts. People of all ages would enjoy it because what it covers affects all of us. This is an important book. It will appeal to those who like learning new information and like to be informed.
******
Re-Enlightening
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
‘When you do a good deed, people are grateful, and that creates a nice feeling inside you; and then because it feels good, that makes you want to do more good deeds. That repetition is the cycle of goodness.’
~Hogoromo.
~Hogoromo.
Latest Review: Re-Enlightening by Erik Hare
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Kibet Hillary
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It is true that at times some authors would end up repeating points excessively, making a book unnecessarily long. I am glad this one was precise and that there is nothing to criticize in the book. Many thanks for the review, @Kutloano Makhuvhela.
“It just hurts too much to admit what is wanted so badly when there’s no guarantee of its availability.”
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- Dr. Larry Crabb
Latest Review: Sooner Secrets by Shelley L. Levisay
