Announcing the 50th Anniversary Edition of FEE's All-Time Bestseller The Mainspring of Human Progress

BY HENRY GRADY WEAVER New Introduction by John Hood*

FOR SIX THOUSAND YEARS PEOPLE DIED OF HUNGER. WHY DON'T WE?

This is the basic question dealt with in MAINSPRING. But the attempt to find the answer leads into a wide range of subjects, such as:

• What is the greatest of all our modern inventions? • Who invented zero (0) and why? • Just what is the difference between a republic and a democracy? • What simple invention contributed most to our national wealth? • What was the "bestseller" in 1776? • Is there one sure-fire formula for personal security?

In MAINSPRING, Henry Grady Weaver answers these and countless other questions with a truly bold narrative, while taking you on a fascinating journey through history to trace and thus identify-

THE MAINSPRING OF HUMAN PROGRESS

*President, The John Locke Foundation, and author of The Heroic Enterprise: Business and the Common Good (Free Press, 1996)

Published by The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc. 30 South Broadway, Irvington-on-Hudson, NY 10533

ISBN 1-57246-064-4 • 272 pages • paperback $12.95 Printed in larger type for easy reading. Visa and MasterCard orders: 1-800-452-3518 THE FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION, INC. 30 South Broadway Irvington-on-Hudson, NY 10533 TO ORDER: 1-800-729-6149 HC: hardcover; PB: paperback; .. Pofitics SC: softcover (quality paperback} 15 WHATEVERYONESHOULD KNOW ABOUT The Root of Production AND PROSPERITY THE MAINSPRING OF HUMAN outstanding ex- by James D. Gwartney and Richard L. Stroup PROGRESS by Henry Grady Weaver ample of the re- Here is a clear, succinct and persuasive This short and entertaining book lationship be- demonstration that prosperity requires three makes a convincing case for a tween freedom things: political freedom, property rights crucial principle: economic pros- and economic and respect for the motive of self-interest. perity is possible only when men are free. progress-the Weaver argues that "mass production of The foundation of all economic rests on the foundation of another greater America. When invention . . . the principle of individual covering Colonial activity is the human need to liberty and freedom, the principle that each times, Weaver advance one's self-interest. person controls his own life-energy and is ably contrasts responsible for his own acts." Weaver pre- thefailureofcen- _.u....______sents a streamlined history of mankind, re- tral planning in the Carolinas and Georgia, The authors are classical liberals, who plete with enlightening stories, to illustrate with the success of those colonies in which focus on basic principles of economics. They and validate his thesis. men were left free. argue that the foundation of all economic In examining the unprecedented success activity is the human need to advance one's of post-Revolution America, the author pre- self-interest. They show how this influences Throughout history, societies sents the impressive stories ofthe inventors the choice to produce and how it determines flourished as the result of and entrepreneurs who brought prosperity the prices we pay. They expound on the popular idea that "there is no such thing as individual liberty. to the young nation. All this success, he maintains, is the product of individual lib- a free lunch," and explain that without pro- erty: "Free minds are inventive minds. That duction, there are no goods. In a free-mar- One of the most interesting eras dis- is why America has always been a land of ket, division-of-labor system, mutual ex- cussed is that of the Saracen empire during inventors." change to mutual advantage is what permits the 800years ofEurope's DarkAges. Weaver Unfortunately, Weaver does undercut his us to maximize production. offers a fascinating analysis, in which he case somewhat by his belief that religion, The primacy of production is stressed attributes the Saracens' success in trade, not rationality, is the source of political and throughout. Income, the authors show, de- science and culture to the relative freedom economic freedom. In spite of this, however, rives from output. Supply is the source of allowed in their empire (and to their the wealth ofinformationand the persuasive demand-not the other way around, as fundamental belief that man's destiny was arguments in this book will contribute sig- consumptionists claim. Growing incomes depend on higher productivity-i.e., on more within his control). The Saracens, he shows, nificantly to your understanding ofthe vital exerted significant influence on Europe as it relationship between freedom and human output per worker-and this in turn de- pends on saving and capital accumulation. moved toward the Renaissance. prosperity. (253 pages) Almost half the book is devoted to the HW47B (SC) $12.95 All the features of economic progress- private property, free trade, competitive in- dustry, efficient capital markets, monetary THE RIGHT TO ABORTION THE GODLESS CONSTITUTION: stability- are elaborated theoretically and by The Case Against Religious Correctness illustrated by everyday examples. There are This is an unequivocal defense-on philosophic by Isaac Kramnick and R . Laurence Moore no hints that the state must ensure such grounds-of the moral right to abortion. Dr. Contrary to the claims of today's religion- features by playing regulator, trustbuster or Bernstein argues that the only one entitled to ists- this book argues-America's Constitu- central banker. This is an impressive book, invoke the "right to life" is pregnant tion has an "intentionally secular base." Re- replete with sound economic principles. (119 woman, who ought to freely decide how her life pudiating the idea of a "Christian Common- pages) is to be lived. He also examines the errors in wealth," America's Founders "envisioned a DG46B (SC) $10.95 the scientific claims of anti-abortionists. This godless Constitution and a godless politics." hard-hitting talk will unsettle both conserva- The authors describe the Founders as tives and liberals. (90 min., with Q&A) deists who upheld a political system "em- FIGHTING TERRORISM CB08C Audio $12.95 phasizing the sacredness ofindividual natu- by Benjamin Netanyahu ral rights, given by God, but thereafter man- The standard response to terrorism by West- aged by men." America was formed at "a ern governments is posturing bombast and SELECTED ESSAYS ON moment of liberal ascendance when reli- hand-wringing inaction. Israel is (or was) POLITICAL ECONOMY gious laissez-faire went hand-in-hand with the one exception. Benjamin Netanyahu, by Frederic Bastiat the triumph of economic laissez-faire." now the Prime Minister, articulately pre- This stirring collection of Bastiat's speeches This impressive book offers powerful sents-in theory and practice-the means and pamphlets presents an unalloyed defense ammunition to those who wish to defend the of defeating terrorism. of . Bastiat offers us the rare sight actual behind the founding of He writes: "Rather than adopting an at- of a man committed to rational principles- America. (224 pages) titude of dismissive or fatalistic acceptance, as a practical need of man's life. (352 pages) EM41A (HC) $22.95 this book is a plea for action, which, if pros- DB07B CSC) $14.95 ecuted resolutely and consistently, is bound to remove the threat." THE TARIFF IDEA by w. M. Curtiss GOLD AND LIBERTY Netanyahu is intransigent in his pre- This book succinctly defends the principle of by Richard M. Salsman scriptions for confronting terrorist de- free trade and refutes the arguments--eco- Gold money, Mr. Salsman says, is incompat- mands-and for dealing with governments nomic and moral-in support of tariffs. Its ible with statism. This book's impressive that shelter or support terrorists. In the broad scope ranges from the workings of the scholarship encompasses economics, history, staleness of pragmatism that permeates our law of comparative advantage to the invio- law and ethics. It is comprehensive, concise culture, his book is a revitalizing oxygen lateness of property rights. (81 pages) and convincing. (145 pages) tank. (150 pages) HC43B CPB) $2.95 HS24B (SC) $8.95 HN40A (HC) $17.95 16 ... PoBtics Second Renaissance Books/Autumn1997 TELLING THE TRUTH IS CAPITALISM OR FREE TO TRY by Ltlnne V. Cheney THE MORAL SYSTEM? (Debate) edited by Hans Sennholz It is an unex- John Ridpath us. Bob Rae This collection of essays provides an array pected pleasure This unusual debate pits John Ridpath, As- of arguments, broad and narrow, to demon- to find an au- sociate Prof. of Economics at York Univ., strate the benefits of a free market. It also thor who indig- against Bob Rae, former Premier of . explodes many popular fallacies about capi- nantly con- It is particularly instructive to contrast the talism- including an explanation of why demns, as the two approaches: Dr. Ridpath's concern with ticket "scalpers" offer a valuable service (and primary source identifying objective principles of morality, why they attract such animosity). of our culture's and Mr. Rae's emotionalist defense of the This book will ar m you with a persua- disintegration, welfare state on the grounds of"what could sive case for capitalism and will help you "the view of a be more moral than the institutionalization better understand the views of anti-capital- growing num- of love?" (2 hrs., with Q&A) ists. (167 pages) ber of academ- HR04D Audio (2-tape set) $19.95 BS02B (SC) $14.95 ics [that] the truth was not merely irrel- Reason Environmentalism evant, it no vs. longer existed." But it is stunning to discover FACTS, NOT FEAR parents can reinforce the lessons presented the same author endorsing, as the antidote, by Michael Sanera and Jane S. Shaw in the book. (The authors include appendices a return to "reason and reality." Perhaps the which list both scientific and propagandistic Lynne Cheney does just that. worst of the books on environmentalism.) She incisively describes the irrationality environmen- that dominates our schools. She shows how talist misinfor- One is struck by the authors' anti-American distortions of history are mation is taught in the nation's classrooms; how pro- aimed at chil- objectivity in examining fessors have repudiated as "racist" the con- dren in environmental claims. cepts of excellence and achievement; how the schools. Kids "politically incorrect" are excluded from are taught teaching positions; and how public funding that Earth is The authors are not content just to of the humanities is used to support this aca- teetering on present the narrow facts relevant to some demic orthodoxy. the brink of environmental issue. They proceed to make Cheney paints a frightening-and con- struction broad, illuminating integrations of those vincing- portrait of a culture that has be- will be facts. They show how capitalism is the only gun to "turn away from reason and reality." shed into means of enhancing human welfare: "This And her extraordinary response is to exhort abyss if stress on cutting consumption and redistrib- us "to restore truth and reason to a central their mothers uting wealth omits the fact that . . . wealth place in our lives." (256 pages) use one more Styrofoam cup. must be created; it is not a 'given.' Unless HC03A (HC) $2&00 OUR PRICE: Most adults accept much of the environ- the poorer countries create wealth, redistri- $21.95 mentalist propaganda as well. The purpose bution will accomplish nothing." of Facts, Not Fear is to present the truth And they explain why in principle the THE COLLAPSE OF about many ofthe environmentalist "sacred claims about "vanishing resources" are false: DEPOSIT INSURANCE cows"-from recycling and population con- "Natural resources aren't useful until by Richard M. Salsman trol to the ozone layer and "rain forests." It human beings figure out how to use them, This intriguing pamphlet debunks the myth is a guidebook for adults, with helpful ad- and human ingenuity is constantly finding that the savings-and-loan crisis of the 1980s vice on how to present these issues ration- how to use new resources or old resources resulted from mismanagement and fraud. ally to children. This carefully researched in new ways. As long as the human mind is Mr. Salsman instead identifies deposit in- work lays out the facts, and debunks falla- free to be creative . . . we should not worry surance as one of the fundamental causes. cies in an easily understandable manner. about depleting our natural resources.'' He traces the origins of this welfare-state For example, environmentalists claim One is struck by the authors' objectivity. program in the 1930s, and convincingly ar- that the world's rapidly increasing popula- Every abstraction they draw is firmly gues that deposit insurance undermines the tion will soon exceed the planet's capacity grounded in perceptual fact, and they clearly very foundations ofsound banking. He shows to feed it. The authors show, however, that explain each step of its derivation. After how it led to a banking catastrophe-and how food production is growing faster than the reading this book, you will understand the it will again, unless it is eliminated. (30 pages) population and that even with no technologi- truth about each of the environmental is- DS42E P amphlet $4.00 cal advances, Earth can support many times sues, and be able to explain it convincingly the expected population. to the man on the street. Another environmentalist myth is that Facts, Not Fear is one of the best armor- THE NEO-PURITAN ATTACK ON recycling is necessary because we are run- ies offacts you are likely ever to come across. SEX AND PLEASURE by Gary Hull ning out of landfill space. But the authors Don't miss this gem of a book! (300 pages) Today there is an all-out assault, by both cite calculations showing that all the gar- HS45B (SC) liberals and conservatives, on many of the bage this country will produce in the next things that make life pleasurable. This talk 1,000 years will fit into one-tenth of one per- focuses on the predominant target of this cent ofthe land area of the continental U.S. "neo-Puritanism": sex. Dr. Hull notes how Furthermore, recycling paper is extremely feminists have come to share the Catholic inefficient, costing many times more than DO ANIMALS HAVE RIGHTS? Church's hostility toward sex. He shows why producing completely new goods. Edwin Locke us. Stephen Sapontzis they see sex as a male "tool of slavery," from After each topic, there is a section that This is a sober, intellectual debate on an which women need to be liberated. (90 min. instructs parents on how to answer their issue affecting ever-increasing aspects of with Q&A) children's questions.Another section gives sug- our lives. (2 hrs., with Q&A) HHOlC Audio $12.95 gestions for educational activities by which IL06GVideo