Rating: 
Summary: Hayek Won, Marcuse Lost - Bigtime!
Review: For a former liberal like myself, it is eery to read such a complete and comprehensive refutation of the collectivist ideals I so blindly followed out of youthful ignorance and stupidity. Those on both sides of the individualist vs. collectivist argument who are possesed of a mind for truth and reason will find Hayeks arguments, written for WWII England, compelling and highly relevant to the new millenium.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Points - Tough to read.
Review: The Road to Serfdom is an excellent book in that Hayek describes how socialism does not work. He does this very thoroughly with lots of examples and the first time reader might find himself (herself) switching political affiliations. It is, however, very difficult to read and very slow going. Patience is required to plow through this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Advocacy of Freedom as a Political Philosophy
Review: This book was nothing short of brilliant. Written in a time when intellectuals in Britain were studying the Nazi totalitarian phenomena close up, it addresses complex issues and tackles them head on. Winston Churchill was greatly affected by reading this book. The leftist philosophy of economic determinism says that crime and corruption will be greater where the disparity between rich and poor is greater. This is what they use to explain why Africa is rife with wars, genocidal dictators, and cycles of conflict, coups, and massacres. How then can they explain how Germany enacted the great socialist dream only to rapidly spiral into the mad imperialist war machine responsible for 20 million deaths or more? Hayek examines the questions surrounding a command economy versus a relatively unregulated free market economy. He talks about social justice versus blind justice, using quotes from ancients and his contemporaries. He explains the failure of socialism that was much more brilliant than any spew ever scribbled by Marx. No one listened, but he was right. The left continues to ignore facts, but they are here to see. This is a must read for all people entering the twenty first century. Hundreds of copies should be sent to every high school in Europe, and America, and China.
Rating:
Summary: All About Freedom
Review: "The Road to Serfdom" is an excellent indictment of the socialist and communist movements. Hayek saw through the utopian propaganda to portray a not so benign outcome of central planning. Freedom is what this book is about and I recommend it to everyone!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent introduction to macroeconomics
Review: First, let me answer the detractors...When searching for books on government, economics, history and philosophy (all so closely intertwined as to be inextricable), one of my selection criteria is the negative reviews. The greater the amount of vitriol spewed by pseudo-intellectual liberal elitists, the higher the likelihood that the book in question is worthy of attention.
It has been my observation that on an individual level, there is one major fundamental difference between those who appreciate and relate to the works of Hayek, Rothbard and Von Mises vs. those who view them as an evil tool of capitalist corporations: Generally speaking, if the writings of libertarian thinkers strikes a chord within you, then you are posessed of an internal locus of control. If, on the other hand, if Mr. Hayek offends you with his views, then you probably have an external locus of control. Rather than making these characterizations from the position of a wealthy capitalist (most of whom support communism for the masses as a method of control), I was born into a very poor family and have progressed in 35 years to middle class. While I cannot change the location of the starting gate, the rest of the circumstances in my life have been a direct or indirect result of the choices that I alone have made. As to this book... Keep in mind that this book was published in the middle of the 20th century. If you take yourself back to 1949 and view the material in its historical context, it becomes almost prescient. Mr Hayek has a firm understanding of the probable outcomes that the actions of society will have upon both society and the individual. ...
Rating:
Summary: Life Changing!
Review: Hayek's case cannot be refuted. There is a reason why people still read it almost 60 years later: the contest between socialism and free enterprise is clearly stated. Socialists hate this book because they can't argue with it, only insult it. They steal your money and call you greedy if you complain. They ignore the atrocities of big government and assert that freedom is the root of all evil. The bookstores have shelves full of Marx and one lonely book by the competition (Hayek). Mises and Menger are nowhere to be found. The socialists don't want you to read this book. Why is that? The true worth of this book can be seen in the ignorance and desperate angst of the negative reviewers here. This book's value is in direct proportion to the vituperation. Read on!
Rating:
Summary: Life Changing!
Review: Hayek's case cannot be refuted. There is a reason why people still read it almost 60 years later: the contest between socialism and free enterprise is clearly stated. ... ...Mises and Menger are nowhere to be found. ... The true worth of this book can be seen in the ignorance and desperate angst of the negative reviewers here. This book's value is in direct proportion to the vituperation. Read on!
Rating: 
Summary: Rubbish!
Review: What outdated nonsense. Don't waste your time on this neo-liberal clap-trap. It would be laughable, if it weren't for the fact that so many people have already taken this vicious glorification of greed to heart. Strictly for those who have already drank their trickle-down Kool-Aid and what to assuage the guilt (and one assumes loneliness from living in their glorious self-fabricated "society-less" society) .
Rating:
Summary: The Road to Serfdom
Review: The book is great. It should be required reading. The problem I have is that it was advertised as a hardback but a paperback was sent.When I contacted Halfprice they said they'd refund my purchase, which they haven't done yet.
Rating:
Summary: To the reader from UCLA
Review: Let me first say that thnis book is not exactly the best book written on liberal democracy and capitalism. It can be erratic is subject matter, incomplete in analysis in some areas, and limited in direct scope. That said, in the subjects it does cover and the historical analysis it does provide, it is a very useful and well thought out book that comes to solid conclusions supported by accurate historical evidence. As to the UCLA reader:
Your attempt to attribute a diametrical opposition between fascism and communism based on labor theory of value is incorrect. Both systems recognize the source of wealth as coming through labor. Both try to control it through centralized control. For instance, collective farming and command and control industrialization through five year plans in pre-WWII Russia is an exact parellel to the reorganization of war production under Speer.
Your stab at explaining communism as stateless because of the supposed end result of volentary cooperation in a classless society is crazy. All communist movements have featured an authoritatrian state because of the fundamental fact of human nature (which socialist fail to recognize) that people will act in their own self-interest. No one will surrender the control over their own labor and property willingly. "Here, take my farm and make me work in a factory away from my factory without and control over my circumstances. Please, do it for the the good of society." COME ON. Someone must make them act in the "best" interest of the community. The state. As to the trade union purges, Hayek explains that Hitler just did what other communists have done. Purge with the "hatred of the heretic" Communists have never allowed unions, they say that they ARE the union. Neither fascists nor communists would allow organized labor because it would block the control of the state over the economy. The working classes DID support Hitler as a redemmer from the disaster of WWI and the Treaty of Versaille, a restorer of the national pride.
An out of hand dismissal of the links between fascism and socialism is a istake. The stated goals of the two movements may be different, but the methods and results are the same. Totalitarian control over the individual person through authoritarian coersion leds to the dehumanization of individual as his wants needs and desires, the things that make him human, are subordinated to the Reich or the "proletariat", codewords for the will of those in power. The "terrible" dicotomy of the rich and poor is replaced by a worse slave dicotomy of the dominant command and submissive obey. In this book, Hayek does an excellent job of explaining this conclusion, much better than I could, especially in "individualism and collectivism"
| 
