The Man Versus the State: With Six Essays on Government, Society, and Freedom

The cover art that's shown is NOT the cover art on the actual book that's shipped. The ugly one shown is replaced by a beautiful, modern cover with earthy tones and a spine that looks nice on bookshelves. The text itself is a bit large, and the book a bit clunky, but the publisher is independent, and this text is rare, so it's forgivable. I have not yet read the book, though I anticipate it will be brilliant, given Spencer's intellect, but I wanted to let prospective customers know about the cover art!

I agree with Dr. Boudreaux. When Hayek said "We understand now that all enduring structures above the level of simplest atoms, and up to the brain and society, are the results of, and can be explained only in terms of, processes of selective evolution..." He was reiterating the insights that Spencer was already expounding over a century earlier. Given my current state of ignorance I believe that Herbert Spencer is the greatest intellectual of all time, with F.A. Hayek coming in a close second. It seems like the world is just beginning to catch up to Hayek. Who knows how much longer till we rediscover Spencer. This book is a masterpiece. It has been a long time since I read it and the essay I remember most is "Over-legislation" where he does a great job criticizing government interventions into what he referred to as the social organism. He was right! We really are a social organism... or has Hayek would mention "extended order". I quote this wonderful essay often in my book. No wonder Darwin himself said to him "Every one with eyes to see and ears to hear (the number, I fear, are not many) ought to bow their knee to you, and I for one do." and in another occasion referred to Spencer as "twenty times my superior."

This book, deservedly, is a classic. Although relatively short, it is chock-full of insights -- many of which anticipate the important work decades later by F.A. Hayek. Spencer's passion for freedom, and his understanding of the nature of politicized and depoliticized societies, was deep. This is an inspiring work.