Nicholas Wapshott is a journalist who writes insightful and entertaining books on a variety of subjects ranging from the life of Peter O’Toole to political economy. As John Cassidy wrote in The New Yorker, “I defy anybody—Keynesian, Hayekian, or uncommitted—to read [Wapshott’s] work and not learn something new.” Cassidy went on to describe the battle between the Keynesian economic theory of the need for government spending in times of economic turn down, vs. Hayekian philosophy that government attempts to intervene are both pointless and potentially dangerous. This conflict plays directly into the free-market arguments of today over the virtues of the use of government intervention to stabilize markets.

The book ads ideas for the continuing discussion between those who would privatize Social Security and those who would expand it, or for those who are against raising taxes for any reason compared to those who believe that increased taxes allow people to live a more fulfilling life.

This is a book discussion; the author will not be present for the discussion.