The Libertarian Reader: Classic & Contemporary Writings from Lao-Tzu to Milton Friedman

An important collection of seminal writings on a movement that is rapidly changing the face of American politics, The Libertarian Reader links some of the most fertile minds of our time to a centuries-old commitment to freedom, self-determination, and opposition to intrusive government. This is the first comprehensive anthology of libertarian thoughts, from the Bible and Lao-Tzu to Hayek and Milton Friedman, to be published in one volume. The 68 selections from great libertarian writers are an intellectual feast, covering such key libertarian themes as skepticism about power, individual rights, spontaneous order, free markets, and peace.

For all independent thinkers, this unique sourcebook will stand as a classic reference for years to come, and a reminder that libertarianism is one of our oldest and most venerable American traditions.

“A lush, elegant source book.”
—Baltimore Sun

“A weighty but manageable volume of essays from a wide range of politicos, scholars, and thinkers singing the virtues of freedom and microscopic government.”
—George magazine

Cato’s executive vice president David Boaz is a provocative commentator on a broad range of political and cultural issues; he has played a key role in the development of the Cato Institute and the libertarian movement. He is the author of The Libertarian Mind, published in 1997 and updated in 2015 by Simon and Schuster, and co-editor of the Cato Handbook for Congress. He is a leading authority on domestic issues like education choice, drug legalization, the growth of government, and the rise of libertarianism and is a frequent guest on national television and radio shows.