Myths of the Free Market is a challenge to the economic “common sense” that has shaped American policy for decades. Blending history, economics, and political philosophy, the book argues that laissez-faire capitalism is not only failing to deliver broad prosperity, but is structurally incapable of doing so.
In the ECONOMY section, the author first lays out the evidence that unfettered markets have not worked as promised, tracing early warning signs of U.S. economic decline, rising inequality, and the hollowing out of the middle class. He then explains why laissez faire cannot maximize wealth in a modern, complex economy, and asks whether its promises even match what citizens actually want for their lives and communities.
Drawing on historical episodes of inequality, imperial overreach, and collapse—from classical civilizations to modern empires—the book shows how widening gaps between rich and poor push societies toward stagnation, instability, and disaster. It unpacks the “spawn” of laissez faire: short-term financial thinking, credit overload, distorted corporate management incentives, and trade policies that prize ideology over national strength.
In “The Virtual Reality of Classical Economics” and “A New Economic Paradigm,” the author contrasts textbook theory with real-world markets, then introduces a fresh framework inspired by nonlinear thermodynamics and complex systems science. An appendix on “Nonlinear Economics” gives readers a more technical look at this alternative approach.
The POLITY section turns to values and governance. The book defends a modern humanism as the foundation for public policy, offers a humanistic rationale for government’s role in curbing excessive power, and argues that both laissez-faire orthodoxy and conventional liberalism fall short. Chapters on democracy probe whether the United States truly functions as a democracy, what meaningful democracy requires, and why education is the “ultimate R&D” for a free society.
Concluding with a pointed discussion of “The Free Market vs. The Environment,” Myths of the Free Market offers readers a coherent, reality-based alternative to market fundamentalism—grounded in history, science, and a clear-eyed concern for human flourishing.