|
|
|
|
| Bible & Other Sacred Texts |
|
|
HomeBooksReligion & SpiritualityBible & Other Sacred Texts |
|
|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Thomas Sowell Delivers Excellent Insights Nov 03, 2009
Thomas Sowell is an excellent author and thinker. "Economic Facts and Fallacies" presents some excellent insights into fallacies that are often accepted as fact in American society. This book is the concise presentation of well developed thoughts.
MORE PROOF THAT FREEDOM = WEALTH Oct 23, 2009
"Economic Facts and Fallacies" successfully debunks most of the fallacies used to justify the tyranny perpetrated by the fourth branch of government - the bureaucracy. Reading Mr. Sowell's book was part of the research done to write "21ST Century Common Sense" and the time was well spent. However, Mr. Sowell is too charitable towards those who would usurp our freedom and who use many of the fallacies listed in "Economic Facts and Fallacies" to that end.
These CHARLATANS routinely use such misinformation for political gain and most are much too intelligent to believe the validity of these fallacies. No wonder that those who support suppression of individual liberty and freedom hysterically denounce "Economic Facts and Fallacies".
Felton Williamson, Jr.
Author of "Common Sense - The Way Back"
[...]
Common Sense - The Way Back
1 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Completely dissatisfying Aug 24, 2009
This book in no way measures up to its relatively high rating. I read Chapters 1,2 and 4 and retired it. Sowell's points on urban fallacies are superficial in the extreme, and I assumed the other chapters would follow suit. Came away with nothing of value from this book - a rare occurence. Stay away.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Great Book - Easy Reading - Important Analysis Jul 04, 2009
This is a good read for those seeking to understand basic applied economic thought. Sowell is a good author who doesnt concern himself with impressing the reader with comlexity - rather - he crystallizes the problem and solution in an easy to read form for the reader.
12 of 27 found the following review helpful:
Dishonest Jun 25, 2009
This book is dishonest. I know that is a strong accusation, but let's judge from its contents. The book is replete with misleading comparisons and statistics. A representative example is his chapter on "Income Facts and Fallacies". He sets out to refute the "fallacy" that average US wages have not risen in decades. In particular he cites Washington Post comments on the slight decline of average wages from 1980 to 2004. Sowell first responds by citing a 74% increase in average real consumption over the same period. What he doesn't discuss is how much of this consumption was funded by borrowing, particularly mortgages. We now know all too well why this is important.
Sowell later argues that wages have not fallen because of replacement of high paying manufacturing jobs with low paying service jobs. By citing figures for 1993-1996 to support this he "refutes" a 24 year trend with a 3 year slice of time. The problem is that those 3 years are far from representative. The major employment gains in those years were in business services and non-depository financial institutions ([...]). The Bureau of Labor Statistics report I cite attributes financial services growth in the 90's to "buying and refinance activity, especially for mortgage bankers and brokers" and the business services growth to the rise in temporary staffing services. The 3 year figure does not refute the larger 24 year fact.
Throughout the book Sowell purports to refute "fallacies" about apples with statistics about carefully selected oranges. His credentials do not indicate the level of incompetence that would be necessary for making so many specious arguments unintentionally. So we're left to conclude that Sowell is intentionally trying to mislead the reader.
Sowell clearly has a severe ideological bias. If what you want is clever spin to support an ideology of "market=good, government=bad" then this book may be for you. However, if you want honest economic analysis then look elsewhere.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
![G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Two-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JW709SQlL._SL75_.jpg "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Two-Disc Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]")
![Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RQUEopdlL._SL75_.jpg "Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]")
![Across the Universe [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T24FuHPEL._SL75_.jpg "Across the Universe [Blu-ray]")
![Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F27VzUl%2BL._SL75_.jpg "Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]")
