THE GREAT MONEY BINGE Spending Our Way to Socialism

A financial journalist uses historical examples to argue that government intervention in the U.S. economy does more harm than good. Citing all the depressions and downturns of the past 80 years, Melloan says that stoking the supply side (fewer regulations, lower taxes, less government spending) energizes consumers and business owners to move our economy forward. Libertarians and pro-business Republicans will revel in Melloan’s direct and sometimes-caustic writing, which narrator Johnny Heller delivers with relaxed authority. Heller’s consistent professionalism won’t keep Obama fans from wincing at some of the author’s conclusions, but Heller’s emotional balance helps make this book sound more like a rich economics lesson than a partisan diatribe. T.W. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2010]