Ryan's Reviews > Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense

This is a great book, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you want a healthy dose of cynicism added to your literary diet. Every single one of the examples Johnston discusses makes you realize that the "haves" in our society often do not get ahead by being better capitalists, but rather by being masters of manipulating our (taxpayer) money. I think the most positive message this book has to offer is that opponents of free trade and capitalism as a system are often completely groundless in their attacks; it's not pure capitalism that leads to inequality and ridiculously large gaps between the rich and poor, it's the perversion of capitalism by those with extreme wealth. The author's liberal use of Adam Smith's own words and writings bring this point home several times. Most of the abuses we face today (e.g., corporate subsidies) all existed in Smith's day, albeit on a much smaller scale. Although the stories Johnston shares are infuriating in the extreme, the unfairness and corruption he uncovers serves as a meaningful call to action for every taxpayer (and voter) in our country. Definitely worth handing out to all of your conservative and liberal friends.