Today we feature an article by Paul Cleveland, a professor of economics at Birmingham Southern. I’ve always appreciated his work. Over the years, he has shown that he is a great gift as a teacher, explaining free trade and free markets with patience and desire to convey logical and historical truth. He has an excellence manner of staying focused on the issues and theories that are essential to economics. There is a certain sure footedness about his speaking and writing, a even temperedness that lends itself to effective pedagogy.
So his new book is worth carrying for that reason alone. The exposition is clear and relentless. It also fills a market niche. I’m not sure that I know of another book this length–moderately short–that provides such comprehensive coverage of American history. He chose to divide the chapters by subject rather than follow a strict timeline. This allows the reader as different path for absorbing lessons.
But listen: this is not the only reason this book is impressive. Look at the means of delivery here. Professor Cleveland wrote the book because he couldn’t find a text that did what he wanted done in the classroom. Did he send it off to publishers and crawl before editorial boards and let committees muck up, dumb down, or otherwise divert his narrative? Nope. He used the most progressive model today: he published it himself. That way he could sell it directly to his students for small fraction of the price of regular textbooks. He took the initiative and saw the project through from beginning to end.
I was surprised as anyone. He sent us a copy in the mail. The title is great, the cover is beautiful, the content is tip top, and I was just blown away that he took this path. He suggested it for the bookstore. Gladly! Would that others would go this direction. The usual advantages of large publishers–marketing and vita padding–do not apply in this case, so why not just take the easiest route from A to B?
My secret hope is that this book will really catch on and become something of a bestseller in its class. There is no way to know of course. But regardless of what happens, Professor Cleveland is a real pioneer, in publishing, distribution, and in saving parents and students lots of money. Good for him in every way! We wish him great luck with Unmasking the Sacred Lies.
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Why not make it free in the literature section?
I agree of course. It’s up to the author, and while he is more progressive than most profs., I’m not sure he would go for this. I’ll see him in a day or two and ask.
Why that cover? Something about Judaism?
The cover is Rembrandt’s Belshazzar’s Feast, based on the account in the book of Daniel. A hand appeared and wrote on the wall. God had weighed the king in the balance and found him wanting. Belshazzar’s rule ended.
Cleveland says that the message is that “no government can continue on with impunity as it builds more and more on fundamental lies. Indeed, our government likewise will be weighed in the balance and will be found wanting.”
Dr. Cleveland was my favorite professor at Birmingham-Southern and is responsible for introducing me to the Austrian school. Im sure this book is fantastic and I can’t wait to read it. Good luck professor!
-Justin
Could you please tell us more about the book – give some examples of the sacred lies he exposes, or post online the table of contents and/or index?
….or a sample chapter?
Tekel, tekel, mene upharsin – a part of living.
I bought the book. He can have his %.
I can loan the book to those who can profit.
Nice to have it on-line, but LvMI does well even without.
Actually, way better than others, all I’ve seen!
Thanks for the link, Mr. T.
Tekel, tekel, mene upharsin – a part of living.
I bought the book. He can have his %.
I can loan the book to those who can profit.
Nice to have it on-line, but LvMI does well even without.
Actually, way better than others, all I’ve seen!
Thanks for the link, Mr. T.
I wonder what made Rembrandt paint this amazing work fitting so well to the subject.
Rembrandt had been pushed to his ruin later by intrigues of the ruling government of Amsterdam 10 years later…
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