Jarrod Hart

If you are smart enough to spot the selection bias in the examples and see past the faux "economics does not speak to morals" deceit, you may still be fooled by the over reliance basic economics puts on "homo economicus". I suppose in Mr Sowell's defence this is meant to be "basic" economics, and, to be fair, he is meticulous, clear and accurate in explaining most of the "must know" concepts. It is true, one must first know the basics before one can criticise them... However, Mr Sowell should then not allow the reader to walk away with the idea they now know how the world works, heads filled with "caveat-free" concepts that will inevitably influence their politics. The incessant benefit of the doubt given to free market laissez-faire economics at as "always being better in the long run" along with the conspicuous lack of effort to air any counter-arguments means I score this with two stars. In the end his claim that economics "takes no sides" is where he fails worst, as I personally came away feeling like he clearly takes the side against almost all moral interventions against his personal god: the invisible hand.