I just happened to meet Ken Schoolland through a mutual friend and he gave me a copy of his book to read. It's pretty much a primer on basic economic principles of free markets written in a narrative format. It follows the tale of shipwrecked young man as he investigates the crazy economy of the island upon which he has landed. On the surface, most of the laws governing the economics of the island are absolutely insane and completely irrational. Given a little more thought though, it is quite easy to see how they are representative of current laws already enacted in many of the worlds largest economies.
One of my favorite chapters discusses the "Food Police" who punish farmers for growing too much food or for innovating to develop more efficient farming methods. It very easily translates to the current state of subsidies in the US enacted through the Crop Reduction Program and other programs. It's interesting to think that by changing the scale of the law, it becomes an almost entirely different principle.
It's quite obvious from the book that the author is very Libertarian in his mindset, but I think a lot of those ideas align with the general tone of this community. Beyond the book, the website goes into more detail about the "Philosophy of Liberty."
http://jonathangullible.com/ If nothing else, it serves as a great starting point for a conversation on government involvement in the marketplace.
