Sometime next year (probably in May 2012) a book of 100 of my best letters-to-the-editor will be published, in both paper and e-book form. The publisher and I (with the help of Jim Tusty and Bob Chitester at Free To Choose Network) are now in the process of winnowing down nearly 5,000 letters to 100.
The plan is to have a letter on the left-hand page and, on the right-hand page across from the letter, some new material that relates somehow to the letter – for example, a cartoon; an updating of any data that might be in the letter; an especially interesting reaction to the letter; etc.
I welcome from you any suggestions you have for which of my letters are good candidates to be included in the book.
I welcome also suggestions for the book’s title.
Thanks!
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“Yours, marginally…”
“What if Mike Royko wrote about economics?”
(A title, really)
You write with a punch – Like Mike Royko used to …
“Man of Letters”:
http://divisionoflabour.com/archives/007128.php
Title: “Letters from the Earth”
Too bad it’s already taken.
Your letter titled “The Problem Began When the Invention of the Spear Reduced the Price of Food” was great for the title alone. I good cartoon can be easily imagined for the facing page. The contents too (aside from the title) were also very enjoyable.
like
To Whom It Damn Well Better Concern!
(sorry, i’m crude)
Is there any plan to have the original article that prompted the letter as well?
yeah, I also thought that would be a good idea; but the publisher would probably have to get permission from each newspaper to re-print the articles. And some letters were written in response to comments on radio shows…
What a great idea. Better than a book of poetry.
Fantastico! I’m looking forward to reading another book by Don Boudreaux. Will there be a chapter at the beginning of the book which discusses the letter writing process? This might be a sort of a behind the scenes look at the Don Boudreaux letter-writing factory.
Maybe we can also have, 10 of the most memorable comments in an appendix? Or maybe just memorable or unique phrases that appeared in the comments.
Don,
Maybe something from your much younger days….I’m sure you wrote some zingers to the AU Plainsman many moons ago:)
BTW, really enjoyed your class in 1983/4ish.
Lazlo Toth (Don Novello) had a series of very entertaining letters books, printed across from the provoked response. Alas, you’re not getting a response to print.
There’s only one possible title if you think about it:
“Sincerely, Donald J. Boudreaux”
And here are the 3,590 (and counting) reasons why….
This is wonderful news.
I save your letters so I can send them to my economically illiterate
friends. This will save me lots of time!
I have 2 suggestions.
(1) Use more than 100 letters. 100 seems way to small.
(2) In addition to the
book, whay not have a link to a website repository with all your letters.
As for a title, how about:
Letters form an Economist
or
Letters From Reality
–Larry Wasserman
I second that!
Don, Can you please print more than 100; and at the very least, have a new website in which you have full archives of ALL your letters?
You are the best!
As a novice student of Austrian Economics, it would greatly add to my reading experience if you grouped the letters in categories, much like the web site. I tend to learn a little more when there’s a connection between subsequent letters as they relate and reinforce key theories. This would also help me in my daily quest to convert others, as my brother did to me.
Best of luck in this endeavor.
I’d be interested in the book if it had some analysis of the issues, and not just updated data/reactions. That would be more work of course.
how about, “Let me clear things up…”
Epistolary Economics
How about
I’m Madder Than Hell and I’m Not Going to Take it Any More
A Real Economist Speaks Out
I side with DG Lesvic
Epistolary Economics is a good title!
Great news. Put me down for a copy now.
As for the title, I loved flotsam’s
To Whom It Damn Well Better Concern!
Or, how about The Sayings of Chairman Don
that’s not too original though
How about
What Bastiat Would Say Today
Good luck with it. If anything can save freedom, that’ll be it.
Corresponding Points
“Letters from Reason (How the Laws of Economics Cannot be Repealed)”
Hmmm … concerning your nasty habit to write letters to the world without the world asking for letters from Don Boudreaux it is hard to find an appropriate title. Anyway I’m thinking a Jack Reacher quote from Lee Child’s novels would be a good title:
You mess with me? I’ll answer you.
Here’s a title for your book: “My Nasty Habit: A Memoir of Commenting at Cafe Hayek”, by Stephan.
Don, can you please write more letters?
Scott, that title sounds good. The only problem I foresee: There won’t be enough aggregate demand to make the endeavor worthwhile. In this regard I definitely will need some federal fiscal stimulus.
Since you hold Mencken in such high regard, how about “A Boudreaux Chrestomathy.” Something similar but with a bit more flair, “The Canons of Boudreaux.”
Why not go little farther an rename the site: Cafe Boudreaux?
To steal an idea from Mike Munger, “Going All Boudreaux.”
I trust the collection will include a letter or two dealing with Current Account Deficit = Capital Account Surplus?
That would be great! Love your letters. My only request would be to ask if you could make a larger number online, maybe an extra for those who have purchased the book?
Reality Bites Back!
A few letters addressing the misconceptions regarding the trade deficit should certainly make the cut. It’s one of the most grossly misunderstood concepts, and you do an excellent job of articulating why. And…I’m tired of hearing talking heads tell me that this deficit must be “financed”.
It needs to have some teeth in the title, after all these letters are essentially attacking the wrong-headed notions of people in the media who are using their platform to spout off about that which they know little about.
Don, all your letters are gems so I’m happy with whatever goes in. But please, please, please make sure your publisher does a decent job on formatting the ebook version.
Beaucoup Boudreaux.
Letters to the White Queen’s Before Breakfast Club
-Or-
The White Queen Letters and other impossible things.
It’s about darn time! I almost began copying your letters into Word and then turning them into PDFs for download onto my Kindle. Now I won’t have to.
Your letters are a great reference and refutation of all things Statist.
Long live Boudreaux!
Can’t wait, and count me a buyer. Lots of good titles already but how about:
“Letters to Stupid
Sincerely
Don”
B o u d r e a u x n o m i c s: Letter by Letter
Damn, I like that one!
Put a bottle of wine on the cover and call it Vintage Boudreaux.
I second this.
Vintage Boudreaux Whines!
Oh yeah?
To Uncommon Sense, with Love.
Science fiction writer John Scalzi published a book of selected blog posts and called it “Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded.” It won a Hugo, but I don’t think economists have contests like that.
I like the idea for the book.
I second the idea of a website for your letters.
I like the Man of Letters recommendation.
I have worked with Bob and Jim and I must say that you are in excellent company! I look forward to seeing the final product.
Good luck!
James Buchanan (not the Nobel Laureate)
An Editor to the Letters
Definitely one of my favorites.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/boudreaux/s_622201.html
that is an article,not a letter to the editor
Oops!
RE: those who have asked for a website for ALL of Don’s letters: Don used to have one in which he posted all letters that he and Prof. Andrew Morriss of U. of Alabama wrote ( marketcorrection.powerblogs.com ) but it’s no longer up, I think the host closed up shop or something. Here’s hoping a new site will be up soon!
Don,
Any collection of your greatest letters MUST MUST MUST include the one where you refused to lobby Congress to allocate public funds for research of the disease that killed your mother http://cafehayek.com/2008/08/no-plunder.html
IMO This one is among your greatest ever, if not the greatest
Only 99 spaces available. “Why I Don’t Vote” should lock up a spot.
Everything you write is great. Once in a while I print one out and lay it on the bar at the local watering hole. Conversation is different after that. Best of luckwith the book. 100 seems like a small number to me but I’ve never found a letter I disagreed with. Keep writing.
Ed Cabaniss
Holden Beach, NC
“Krugman Antidote”
That it certainly will be. Only problem is that would seem to elevate Krugman to the level of economist.
Titles:
“May I have a word with you?”
or
“Excuse me, your slip (up) is showing”
Title:
Dear Editor:
Edit This.
DB
Letters for Liberty
A Letter from Don to the Cantthinkians
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