The Road to Serfdom, the Definitive Edition

Text and Documents

De: F. A. Hayek, Bruce Caldwell - editor

Narrado por: William Hughes

Duración: 11 h y 45 m

Resumen del Editor

An unimpeachable classic work in political philosophy, intellectual and cultural history, and economics, The Road to Serfdom has inspired and infuriated politicians, scholars, and the public for half a century. Originally published in 1944 - when Eleanor Roosevelt supported the efforts of Stalin, and Albert Einstein subscribed lock, stock, and barrel to the socialist program - The Road to Serfdom was seen as heretical for its passionate warning against the dangers of state control over the means of production. For F. A. Hayek, the collectivist idea of empowering government with increasing economic control would lead not to a utopia but to the horrors of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

First published by the University of Chicago Press on September 18, 1944, The Road to Serfdom garnered immediate, widespread attention. The first printing of 2,000 copies was exhausted instantly, and within six months more than 30,000 books were sold. In April 1945, Reader's Digest published a condensed version of the book, and soon thereafter the Book-of-the-Month Club distributed this edition to more than 600,000 readers. A perennial best seller, the book has sold 400,000 copies in the United States alone and has been translated into more than 20 languages, along the way becoming one of the most important and influential books of the century.

With this new edition, The Road to Serfdom takes its place in the series the Collected Works of F. A. Hayek. The volume includes a foreword by series editor and leading Hayek scholar Bruce Caldwell explaining the book's origins and publishing history and assessing common misinterpretations of Hayek's thought. Caldwell has also standardized and corrected Hayek's references and added helpful new explanatory notes. Supplemented with an appendix of related materials ranging from prepublication reports on the initial manuscript to forewords to earlier editions by John Chamberlain, Milton Friedman, and Hayek himself, this new edition of The Road to Serfdom is the definitive version of Hayek's enduring masterwork.

©2007 Estate of F. A. Hayek (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

End nigh.

At a time when Socialism, in all its guises, is taught in our schools, in our media, in our music, in our workplaces, in our economic system and throughout all government both local, national and global, this book is a vital antidote, too little in volume and readership.

Like a pool of poison, adding a drop of cool water will help nothing at all. One famous President spoke of “draining the swamp”, impossible to do when you are wallowing in its mire.

For all who would prepare themselves for the global socialism to come, this book is an excellent historical narrative that will explain, in part, how we got there, but it may also help prepare us to learn how to live when there.

The book rates five stars for explanation, but the world rates very poorly for evasion of its precepts.

Pr Edi

Everyone should listen to this book

Whether you’d agree or not... and more especially perhaps if you do not, you should give this book a listen. Incredible truths that have held for the past 80 years.

Why any collective order will always fail

Clear concise reasoning makes sense even today, if not especially so as we are continuing to repeat history thinking somehow we know better than our brothers.

Powerful and Prophetic

This book is crucial for all times. It is a warning of the dangers of collectivist thinking. Socialism not only paves the way to totalitarianism, but pushes us toward it with high probability unless one changes course.

Timeless

Had I not known it was written in the 1940s I would have thought it was a current work. Great listen.

Recommend this book to anyone

I loved it!! and think anyone interested in socialist and capitalist ideas should listen. very informative.

Review

An absolute must read, debunking modern myths about a number of historical fallacies held in common today, and at least as relevant now as it ever has been.

A Message for Today

Hayek presents a warning of the adoption of collectivist policies by a government. This warning resonates today as much as it did when this book was first published. Hayek argues strongly for the liberal values of individualism and free markets. However, the most interesting part of the book actually relates to the rise of Nazism and how its followers engaged in changing the political culture of Germany. Hayek warns that collectivists of both the right and left engage in the changing of the meaning of words and the injection of politics in all facets of life where there can be no “art for art’s sake.” This aspect will be an eerie reminder for the listener familiar with modern politics. The narration is very good and one can easily follow while driving, however some sections require re-play and may be better understood if read due to its complexity.

Still relevant.

When read today it draws a line in the sand between emotion and critical thought.

more relevant today than ever.

all socialist ARE evil, but some don't know they are because they have good lntentions-the useful idiots.