by John Stossel
First published 2004
John Stossel began his television career three decades ago pursuing fraudsters and corporate criminals. His investigative work earned peer recognition, but he discovered something more disturbing than individual bad actors. News organizations focused on trivial dangers like defective coffee makers while ignoring serious threats. Stossel argues that power-hungry bureaucrats, lazy journalists, and opportunistic attorneys harm citizens while claiming to serve their interests. He targets revered institutions including the FDA, drug prohibition policies, and alarmist environmental groups. The author supports his contrarian positions with detailed research and logical analysis. He demonstrates how free market solutions outperform failed government interventions. Stossel chronicles his rise from novice reporter to 20/20 co-anchor, describing his fights to broadcast unconventional stories and his personal battle with stuttering. He admits that years of his own reporting missed crucial points about how society actually works. The book concludes with his straightforward reform proposal inspired by America's founders to preserve freedom of thought and commerce.
Genres: business, american, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: contrarian, investigative-journalism, personal-journey
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
Audio CD · HarperAudio