Rating: 
Summary: A Very Funny Trip
Review: I got hooked on P.J. O'Rourke through his work in "Rolling
Stone." Each of his books have usually just been expanded
versions of his gonzo-style of journalism. He is definitely the sick
love child of Hunter S. Thompson (another "Rolling Stone"
family member) and Dave Barry--of course with a twist of Rush
Limbaugh's conservatist flare. His dry wit is interlaced with a keen
eye for the bizarre. He has attacked politicians and Congress in
"Parliament of Whores" (still his best book to date) and the
"hawks" and "doves" in "Give War a
Chance" (enjoyable though not as memorable). This time he takes
on economists who apparently win Nobel prizes simply by boring the
most people. However, he does this by actually bouncing around the
globe, from Wall Street to Havana. And Albania to Hong Kong. And
several other points in between. He gets deep into a
country. Immersing himself within society itself to develop his theory
of why a country's economic ills are what they are. This is usually
done by attending the local watering holes. If anything else is
redeeming to an O'Rourke work, it's certain that you will always walk
away with an unquenchable urge to have a stiff drink--or maybe
four. O'Rourke examines and compares several societies and
countries that exhibit the most free of the free market (Hong Kong) or
the country with "good" socialism (Sweden) and
"bad" socialism (Cuba) and several other nations like
Tanzania, Albania and Russia. As well as the U.S. and Shanghai. The
examination on these countries are too brief to be worthy of real
study, but the truth within the humorous observations are what is the
real nugget. ...this book is
thoroughly enjoyable just to get his no-nonsense and never boring take
on why the free-market is greatest invention of mankind. .... Finally, you will definitely laugh while reading this
book.
Rating: 
Summary: Where was this when I was taking all that econ?
Review: P.J. O'Rourke is without a doubt my favorite essayist and writer (I got hooked on P.J. when he was writing for "Car and Driver" and have never regretted my addiction), and this book didn't fail to live up to my expectations. P.J. takes a basic look at economics, and then flavors that look with real-world examples as gleaned from his globe-trotting excursions in the pursuit of truth. He starts with a simple examination of the basic, mind-numbing econ a large number of us slept through in college, and arguably this is the weakest part of the book. While his presentation is brief, understandable, and to the point, it's also filled with just a bit too much diatribe against the pointlessness of much of economic theory. However, these sections are as short as they are acidic. It's after that however that P.J. is at his finest; writing about what he sees and experiences as he makes a round-the-world compare and contrast paper out of the economies of a variety of countries (and if you like this, go read "Holidays in Hell"). Comparing the economies of Tanzania, Hong Kong, and Shanghai through his witty observations and anecdotal references is worth the price of admission. When he visits a country, he really visits the country, getting to see its seamy underside as well as the glitzy parts photographed in the travel brochures. And no one is better at producing the telling anecdote that completely sums up his point than P.J. His conclusions? Well, they're a bit pointed (and, yes, he probably did have most of them in mind before he started all this), they support a lot of the status quo (which I prefer to think of as his gaining perspective rather than losing his edge), and they'll most likely offend a wide spectrum of people (and if you're easily offended, why are you reading P.J. O'Rourke?). But the bottom line is that he pretty much cuts to the chase on both his analysis and his conclusions, and he does it while making you laugh out loud (more than I can say for my copy of Mansfield). Definitely worth a place on your bookshelf.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read!
Review: Great book, laughed all the way through. Really a fabulous and clarifying eye-opener on a lot of the world's economic systems that i really didn't have a clue about. What a fun way to bone up on a little history and current economic issues.
Rating:
Summary: Next best thing to a trip around the world
Review: P.J. O'Rourke uses this book to address the question of what makes some countries' economies work for the benefit and wealth of the citizens and what makes some fail so miserably, leaving the majority of the population in a hideous poverty. He visits a good handful of countries around the world (e.g. the US, Sweden, Hong Kong and Cuba) in an attempt to find some patterns and reach some sensible conclusions. I loved the detailed descriptions of what he found in each country, his assessment of the economic environment and examples of the hardships and benefits that he found. I was less enamored of his conclusions, which seemed to be predetermined before the book was even envisioned and were arrived at whether the evidence supported them or not (in the case of Sweden for example). But humans are fallible and the point of view of an intelligent human being traveling the world, trying to make some sense of it, while in no way pretending to be an expert was so entertaining and directly challenging that the experience of reading the book was a delight.
As a warning to my fellow liberals, there were some rather nasty and snide comments about the Clintons, but they were rather easy to ignore due to the freshness of the observations into the workings of the economies he visited.
Rating:
Summary: I would eat this book if I could...
Review: I decided to read this book to enlighten my mind about the different economic systems of our world. P.J. O'Rourke's unique, frank writing style and humorous use of a few curse words helped to keep this book interesting. He explains our stock market fabulously well by describing what really happens on Wall Street. He follows brokers around during their day and witnesses the stressful lives these men (and few women) live daily. The capitalism we partake in the US is good becuase we are all free to participate in it and the government does not strictly censor the market. He contrasted our capitalism with albania's in an enlightening chapter. The lifestyle in Albania is full of violence and poverty- as their system is uncontrollable. Their attempt at "pyramid investing" crumbled in their faces, resulting in intense debt and starvation. Not only does P.J. O'Rourke identify the good systems, he compares them with bad ones so that the reader can better understand the themes. He uses economics and countries to help the reader visualise what their government is really like. My favorite chapter of the book was the one concerning Sweden- an example of good socialism. The chapter almost convinced me to move to Sweden. The country has a lot of trust between its citizens. The system is balanced and works beautiful becuase everyone in Sweden wants it too. Equality is active in this country- all education is free up to Ph.D level. The citizens are happy and live lives full of moderation, where people are pretty equal and happy about it. He describe Sweden as paradise and it almost is- cheap medical care, intense welfare, unlimited sick leave with compensation, and free day-care. This system is impeccable and PJ explains it in a way in which the readers wish they could move there. This book really opened my eyes on the societies and economies of other countries. I learned about Cuba and why there is so much poverty. It was extremely educational and interesting and I wish I had read it sooner, so that I could have been this informed about the world earlier.
Rating:
Summary: Where was this when I was taking all that econ?
Review: P.J. O'Rourke is without a doubt my favorite essayist and writer (I got hooked on P.J. when he was writing for "Car and Driver" and have never regretted my addiction), and this book didn't fail to live up to my expectations. P.J. takes a basic look at economics, and then flavors that look with real-world examples as gleaned from his globe-trotting excursions in the pursuit of truth. He starts with a simple examination of the basic, mind-numbing econ a large number of us slept through in college, and arguably this is the weakest part of the book. While his presentation is brief, understandable, and to the point, it's also filled with just a bit too much diatribe against the pointlessness of much of economic theory. However, these sections are as short as they are acidic. It's after that however that P.J. is at his finest; writing about what he sees and experiences as he makes a round-the-world compare and contrast paper out of the economies of a variety of countries (and if you like this, go read "Holidays in Hell"). Comparing the economies of Tanzania, Hong Kong, and Shanghai through his witty observations and anecdotal references is worth the price of admission. When he visits a country, he really visits the country, getting to see its seamy underside as well as the glitzy parts photographed in the travel brochures. And no one is better at producing the telling anecdote that completely sums up his point than P.J. His conclusions? Well, they're a bit pointed (and, yes, he probably did have most of them in mind before he started all this), they support a lot of the status quo (which I prefer to think of as his gaining perspective rather than losing his edge), and they'll most likely offend a wide spectrum of people (and if you're easily offended, why are you reading P.J. O'Rourke?). But the bottom line is that he pretty much cuts to the chase on both his analysis and his conclusions, and he does it while making you laugh out loud (more than I can say for my copy of Mansfield). Definitely worth a place on your bookshelf.
Rating:
Summary: This is a very readable treatment of a difficult subject.
Review: P. J. O'Rourke gives a very readable economic's lecture on the nature of US economic success vis-a-vis the rest of the world. His humor makes a dry subject very entertaining. The use of comparisons by relating antedotes of his travels to make his points on the advantages of US Capitalism over other forms of capitalism and socialism is very effective in making the reader think. The basic everyday events of a person's life show for him the effect of a country's economic policies. The writing for the book was stronger in the beginning chapters. He was at his best when he was talking about Western economies. Though he is an avowed Bill and Hillary Clinton basher, his cheap shot at Chelsea showed him to be mean. While I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it for making a difficult subject understandable, I would not enjoy knowing the author as a person.
Rating:
Summary: An Econ major's delight!
Review: This book should be required reading instead of the majority of snore-inducing comparative econ books. The huge laugh-generating factor of this intelligent take on comparative econ easily compensates for its initial too basic explanation of econ 101 & occasional unnecessary crassness. The chapter on Cuba is illuminating -- & especially interesting in light of Fidel's current crackdown.
Rating:
Summary: Creatig prosperity not promoting poverty
Review: I have read---and found myself going back to---"Eat the Rich" by P.J. O'Rourke. It is insightful, much tongue-in-cheek, honest and disconcerting in his observations, metaphors and conclusions. Like other reviewers above, I have traveled and found his remarks on the mark. My work involves doing strategic planning, conflict resolution and project design around the world and somehow O'Rourke, captures much of what I saw and observed better than I ever could!! He does present in a clear, witty writing style some very important learning's about economics, politics and more. He may be known as a conservative, but his economic insights are those of the greatest economist ever: Adam Smith, Mises, Hayek and the school of Austrian Economics. Even O'Rourke acknowledges his own greater understanding in an interview held: "'Well, probably the most important of those is the--is
the Friedrich Hay--von Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom." It is -- it was
Written in the '40s, during World War II, as a antidote to what Hayek
Saw as the increasing collectivism of politics in the world. He was
protesting against communism and Nazism, but also against the
in--increasing organization and size of the--of the democratic welfare
states. Hayek is one of the great champions of the individual. I
mean, he basically says that individuals are smarter than groups.
Anybody who's ever had to deal with a mob or with Congress
could -- could probably tell you this. One on one, individuals will
make, on average, reasonable decisions, whereas if we put people in a
group -- it's like the difference between Harvard and the Harvard
football team." And his closing chapter, by the same name as the book, presents the fundamentals of sound economics, and shows the importance of focusing on building prosperity and wealth rather than trying to address poverty. If ever he were asked to present at any international conference, he would have done as a "the friend' did in this quote (though the source I find unusual)
:
"I had a friend once and he was asked to chair a commission, an
international committee, and the title of it was What Causes Poverty. He declined. He said I will do it but on one condition. The condition is that we change the title and I'll chair a committee on What Causes Prosperity. The reason he said that was, the title What Causes Poverty leaves the impression that the natural state of the world is for people to be prosperous and that for whatever reason there are prosperous people running
around making people poor... He looked at the world the other way. He said the natural state of people is to be relatively poor and that there are certain ways and things that can be done that can cause prosperity."
-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Nov. No, O'Rourke is a shrew observer of life and economics and offers a fine study of how many countries are operating and it is not a pretty picture. I highly recommend it for an insight and understanding of economics today, how the collectivist and government interventions stand in the way of the prosperity of people today. Quoting him again, "Western Civilization not only provides a bit of life, a pinch of liberty and the occasional pursuance of happiness, it's also the only thing that's ever tried to." Yes, Western civilization is one of the known groups that have tried, and, it is as if "the discovery' of individual Freedom and liberty is something new, deserves consideration. (For further understanding the history of Freedom and liberty, do read "The Discovery of Freedom: Man's Struggle Against Authority" by Rose Wilder Lane. Lear about the 800 years of prosperity under Islam that culminated in Spain as it stretched from China to Europe; the role of Christianity in recognizing self responsibility and, not covered, the 1,000 year stretch in Irelant, brought to an end by the same underlying forces in Curope that used the Crusades as an outlet for the war mongering energies killing Europe!) Liberals and statist miss this and what O'Rourke saw so clearly. As shown in the following independent review, the writer lacks any insight and, with the typical false academic-type and very smug remark---and, I doubt if she has traveled and studied people, life and economics the way O'Rourke or myself for that matter have!) misses his point completely, but with classic "other view" understanding:
"If you agree that capitalism is the best economic system, and that laissez-faire policies are the best method of running an economy, then this book is in effect a self-indulgent look at a world-wide train wreck, with O'Rourke patting you on the shoulder by way of congratulations. You managed to miss that train. However, if you understand the complexities of cultures and history, then you might find O'Rourke's little excursion appallingly naive.... This book is an introduction into the economics that works, honors freedom and liberty, reflecting the down side of government intervention and regulation as it distorts the true value of working people and prosperity. There are other books that capture economics for those that have not studied it, Economics in One Easy Lesson by Hazlitt, "What Ever Happened to Penny Candy" by Richard J. Marbury or "How an Economy Grows and Why It Doesn't" by Irwin A Schiff. These books address money and banking and other topics that are key to the world's current situation with ease and understanding. But, for a world tour presentation on economics for the every day Jane or Joe, for all those liberals that went to college and took Economic History or, at most "An Introduction to Economics" that favored Keynesian economics and big government management of economies that has prevailed for most of the 20th Century and may be the linchpin for the situation we find ourselves today as it crumples and falls, may the clear writings of O'Rourke serve as your treatise on economics and Turn the dismal science into one that makes you laugh as you learn!! He does an excellent job here.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but definitely not an Economics Treatise
Review: This is an interesting book, written in a light, readable, and humorous style. It is basically a travel diary containing a multitude of observations and conjectures on the state of various nations' economies, from Cuba to Albania and Honk Kong. While at times I felt the author reinforces many stereotypes, I felt willing to overlook these give the overall humorous tone and interesting subject matter. This book will not answer the mysteries of what represents "economic value", or the historical and social reasons for such disparity between many countries. But it does prompt the reader to reflect on some of these issues, and basically makes us feel good to live in North America.
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