---
product_id: 1705065
title: "Free to Choose: A Personal Statement"
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---

# Free to Choose: A Personal Statement

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desertcart.com: Free to Choose: A Personal Statement: 9780156334600: Friedman, Milton, Friedman, Rose: Books

Review: If you read just one book on economics in your life, make it this one - Twenty-five years after its original publication as the book companion to a PBS series, Milton and Rose Friedman's "Free to Choose" (FTC) remains a highly relevant, easy to read, classic tome expounding the virtues of free market capitalism and the flaws and dangers of socialism and government control of the economy. The Friedman's brilliance in FTC is to continually demonstrate how government control inhibits personal freedom, whereas free market capitalism is what results when individuals have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". The roots of the Friedman's arguments go all the way back to the Jeffersonian concept of liberty as defined in the Declaration of Independence. Modern-day liberalism, which still believes in the "right to choose" in many social arenas (in fact, these exact words are used by abortion rights supporters), does not believe in an individual's right to choose in economic manners (e.g. liberalism would say a woman can choose to have an abortion, but it should be provided by a doctor working in the government run healthcare system). When the Friedman's describe their ideal economic system and practices, they are describing the principles of classical liberalism, or libertarianism. In FTC, the Friedmans present the basic arguments of libertarianism in engaging, persuasive language using layman's terms. The Friedmans have obviously won many converts. Milton Friedman was one of the intellectual forces behind the Reagan revolution, and showed how to boost the U.S. economy by lowering marginal tax rates and reducing government regulation. He is the father of school vouchers, to give poor Americans the opportunity to choose the schools their children attend (this is described in FTC chapter six). He won a Nobel Prize for his monetary theories, and FTC includes an analysis of the monetary failures that Friedman claims both led to and prolonged the Great Depression. FTC covers many other important economic topics. The Friedmans present strong arguments in favor of free trade, which is constantly under attack in the halls of Congress. They describe the downsides of government regulation, and show how it can lead to the opposite of the intended effects. An entire chapter is devoted to the cause and cure for inflation, a problem that bedeviled the U.S. in the 1970s and that gave rise to the Reagan revolution. But I would cite chapter five, entitled "Created Equal", as the single most important chapter in the book. The Friedmans show how the concept of equality has changed since the country's founding, and show the dangers of "equality of outcome", which many misguided politicians and other leaders appear to want, although not individuals (else why do so few choose to live in communes?). I've heard it said that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger hands out copies of this book as gifts. If so, he should be careful about passing out copies to his Kennedy in-laws, as this book just might cause Ted Kennedy's mind to blow if he ever bothered to read it. Someday, the last of the old guard socialists such as Castro and Ted Kennedy will pass on, thereby providing more opportunity for the "turning tide" towards economic freedom that the Friedmans describe in the last chapter of FTC to become even more prevalent.
Review: There were no "Neo-Keynesians" before Uncle Milton! - Pure intelligence. Most articulate defense of free markets, individual liberty, unfettered entrepreneurialism, and "The American Way" that I have ever encountered. Reagan may have been the great missionary of free markets and deregulation, but Friedman was undoubtedly the high priest. The greatest testament to the prescience of this book is that most of Milton's ideas have generally become conventional wisdom in the past quarter century. The past 25 years have been an unquestionable vindication for Milton's theses- the US has experienced unparalled growth and low inflation due to pruning of Governnment bureaucracies and disciplined monetary policy, respectively. This economic "utopia" should come as no surprise; Friedman presents a plethora of anecdotal and empirical evidence for the problems that inevitably arise absent favorable regulatory and monetary conditions. I wish someone had given me this book in high school while I was being inundated with neoliberal nonsense: "uneven distribution of wealth" and a "market failure" caused the depression, rather than lousy monetary policy. Friedman demonstrates that the MARKET had historically provided its own liquidity (e.g., during the Panic of 1907), and that subsequent to outsourcing this function to the Fed, the government dropped the ball in the early '30s by tightening the money supply. Alternatively, Fed Chairman Arthur F. Burns (under pressure from Nixon and others), pursued monetary policy that was far too easy in the 1970s, causing double digit inflation. Thank goodness we have had a succession of competent Fed Chairmen since 1979 (Volcker, Greenspan, and Bernanke) committed to keeping inflation in check. Friedman also examines the effects of negative externalities (i.e., pollution) and presents a market-oriented approach to managing them, namely emissions trading. (want to feasibly address global warming?) The main objections to Friedman's theses may arise from those who believe that the global economy is too unfair to American workers. Well, I have news for you- if you're looking for a panacea of lifetime job security and a static competitive environment, you're on the wrong planet. Sorry, there is no "conspiracy" or covert "war on the middle class", it's simply global competition. Your vote is not going to change the inexorable integration of world markets. Get over it. The real challenge for American workers is how to (cost effectively) equip ourselves to compete in a global 21st century economy. Let's not hoist the flag of protectionism and promote class warfare. Instead, let's place some stock in ourselves and practice personal accountability. Friedman's suggestions for improving the quality of our schools is a good place to start. I also highly recommend Peter Bernstein's "The Power of Gold" for a good overview of world monetary history.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | 0156334607 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #23,145 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #5 in Free Enterprise & Capitalism #10 in Theory of Economics #62 in Economic History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,832) |
| Dimensions  | 5.31 x 0.97 x 8 inches |
| Edition  | LATER PRINTING. |
| ISBN-10  | 9780156334600 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0156334600 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 338 pages |
| Publication date  | November 26, 1990 |
| Publisher  | Mariner Books Classics |

## Images

![Free to Choose: A Personal Statement - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Zhy-hiepL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you read just one book on economics in your life, make it this one
*by C***1 on January 5, 2006*

Twenty-five years after its original publication as the book companion to a PBS series, Milton and Rose Friedman's "Free to Choose" (FTC) remains a highly relevant, easy to read, classic tome expounding the virtues of free market capitalism and the flaws and dangers of socialism and government control of the economy. The Friedman's brilliance in FTC is to continually demonstrate how government control inhibits personal freedom, whereas free market capitalism is what results when individuals have the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". The roots of the Friedman's arguments go all the way back to the Jeffersonian concept of liberty as defined in the Declaration of Independence. Modern-day liberalism, which still believes in the "right to choose" in many social arenas (in fact, these exact words are used by abortion rights supporters), does not believe in an individual's right to choose in economic manners (e.g. liberalism would say a woman can choose to have an abortion, but it should be provided by a doctor working in the government run healthcare system). When the Friedman's describe their ideal economic system and practices, they are describing the principles of classical liberalism, or libertarianism. In FTC, the Friedmans present the basic arguments of libertarianism in engaging, persuasive language using layman's terms. The Friedmans have obviously won many converts. Milton Friedman was one of the intellectual forces behind the Reagan revolution, and showed how to boost the U.S. economy by lowering marginal tax rates and reducing government regulation. He is the father of school vouchers, to give poor Americans the opportunity to choose the schools their children attend (this is described in FTC chapter six). He won a Nobel Prize for his monetary theories, and FTC includes an analysis of the monetary failures that Friedman claims both led to and prolonged the Great Depression. FTC covers many other important economic topics. The Friedmans present strong arguments in favor of free trade, which is constantly under attack in the halls of Congress. They describe the downsides of government regulation, and show how it can lead to the opposite of the intended effects. An entire chapter is devoted to the cause and cure for inflation, a problem that bedeviled the U.S. in the 1970s and that gave rise to the Reagan revolution. But I would cite chapter five, entitled "Created Equal", as the single most important chapter in the book. The Friedmans show how the concept of equality has changed since the country's founding, and show the dangers of "equality of outcome", which many misguided politicians and other leaders appear to want, although not individuals (else why do so few choose to live in communes?). I've heard it said that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger hands out copies of this book as gifts. If so, he should be careful about passing out copies to his Kennedy in-laws, as this book just might cause Ted Kennedy's mind to blow if he ever bothered to read it. Someday, the last of the old guard socialists such as Castro and Ted Kennedy will pass on, thereby providing more opportunity for the "turning tide" towards economic freedom that the Friedmans describe in the last chapter of FTC to become even more prevalent.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ There were no "Neo-Keynesians" before Uncle Milton!
*by J***X on February 15, 2007*

Pure intelligence. Most articulate defense of free markets, individual liberty, unfettered entrepreneurialism, and "The American Way" that I have ever encountered. Reagan may have been the great missionary of free markets and deregulation, but Friedman was undoubtedly the high priest. The greatest testament to the prescience of this book is that most of Milton's ideas have generally become conventional wisdom in the past quarter century. The past 25 years have been an unquestionable vindication for Milton's theses- the US has experienced unparalled growth and low inflation due to pruning of Governnment bureaucracies and disciplined monetary policy, respectively. This economic "utopia" should come as no surprise; Friedman presents a plethora of anecdotal and empirical evidence for the problems that inevitably arise absent favorable regulatory and monetary conditions. I wish someone had given me this book in high school while I was being inundated with neoliberal nonsense: "uneven distribution of wealth" and a "market failure" caused the depression, rather than lousy monetary policy. Friedman demonstrates that the MARKET had historically provided its own liquidity (e.g., during the Panic of 1907), and that subsequent to outsourcing this function to the Fed, the government dropped the ball in the early '30s by tightening the money supply. Alternatively, Fed Chairman Arthur F. Burns (under pressure from Nixon and others), pursued monetary policy that was far too easy in the 1970s, causing double digit inflation. Thank goodness we have had a succession of competent Fed Chairmen since 1979 (Volcker, Greenspan, and Bernanke) committed to keeping inflation in check. Friedman also examines the effects of negative externalities (i.e., pollution) and presents a market-oriented approach to managing them, namely emissions trading. (want to feasibly address global warming?) The main objections to Friedman's theses may arise from those who believe that the global economy is too unfair to American workers. Well, I have news for you- if you're looking for a panacea of lifetime job security and a static competitive environment, you're on the wrong planet. Sorry, there is no "conspiracy" or covert "war on the middle class", it's simply global competition. Your vote is not going to change the inexorable integration of world markets. Get over it. The real challenge for American workers is how to (cost effectively) equip ourselves to compete in a global 21st century economy. Let's not hoist the flag of protectionism and promote class warfare. Instead, let's place some stock in ourselves and practice personal accountability. Friedman's suggestions for improving the quality of our schools is a good place to start. I also highly recommend Peter Bernstein's "The Power of Gold" for a good overview of world monetary history.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
*by P***Y on December 29, 2025*

Excellent. Spot on economics & human psychology book. The authors does not make theological assumptions but based all his arguments on example of human behavior

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