Normally, I won’t recommend a book until I’ve read it from cover to cover. That said, I bought a used copy of The Voluntary City about a week ago. I’ve read maybe the first four chapters, which are essay-esque, in that I understand they weren’t necessarily written as part of a larger work. It is a compilation, but a skillfully crafted compilation, which explodes (so far) the common conceptions about government’s role in urban planning and community development. Absolutely fascinating – which, if you know me, is how I describe eye-opening books. None of what these chapters has described has been outside the realm of my theoretical understanding of voluntarism, but it’s wonderful to find detailed, empirical evidence that your “crackpot theories” actually work. … Read entire article »