Regardless of your political views this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of our country and our capitalistic society. This was a powerful book during the presidential campaign of 2008, and even more powerful now with the continuing collapse of the global financial system (March 2009 as of this writing). Mr. Paul outlines the problems we are facing, what caused them (primarily the Federal Reserve system and a government that has strayed from our constitution), and steps we could take as a society to correct our problems.

My favorite proposal he offers is a 'consumption tax' in lieu of a federal income tax. This would reward saving over consumption, put the tax burden on those who actually use goods/ services, and allow for the abolition of the IRS. Who can argue with that other than true socialists?

Democrats and Republicans alike should be able to find common ground in Mr. Paul's make-sense strategies. ( )

Ron Paul may not be the next president of the United States but his ideas should guide the decisions of the person who is. The book provides insight into Paul's revolutionary thoughts on current issues ranging from the economy to foreign policy. A rather insight read. Appropriate for college aged and beyond... ( )

A must read for anyone interested in how our federal government compares to what the Constitution's framers envisioned; also a good look at what our current two party/one party system has bequeathed to America ( )

A Libertarian's Manifesto

In reading "The Revolution: a Manifesto", it is easy to see why Dr. Ron Paul was so popular during the primary sweepstakes and was able to raise more money through private donations than any of the other Republican candidates while he was still running.

If you've ever wondered what it means to be a libertarian, then you should read this book. Libertarianism experienced a rejuvenation with Barry Goldwater in the 60s and is what is now generally referred to as the true conservatives. Libertarianism generally stands for strong individual property rights, laissez-faire economic policy, and an isolationist foreign policy. Of course, I'm over-simplifying but that gives the general overview of Paul's point of view.

The revolution that Paul is campaigning for is more of a fundamental return to the principles of classical liberalism which founders like Thomas Jefferson advocated for. To be clear, not all the founders were classical liberalists as Federalists like Alexander Hamilton clearly advocated for a strong central government as outlined in his "Report on Manufactures".

Here is a closer examination of Dr. Paul's "manifesto" on the 3 core issues:

Foreign Policy. Like Jefferson, Paul is a strict believer in isolationism and would withdraw from most bureaucratic international institutions such as the UN, NATO, NAFTA and WTO. He is vehemently against any nation-building or humanitarian intervention activities and would withdraw all international aid to developing countries.

Economics. Paul prescribes to the Vienna School of Economics. The central tenet to these Mises disciples include free and open markets, zero interest-rate regulation and abolishment of the income tax.

Civil liberties. Besides the constitutional right to bear arms, Paul defers most regulation not explicit in the constitution to the jurisdiction of state power including abortion, marriage, and the death penalty.

By principle, I don't agree with many of the libertarian ideals, but that is more out of my own personal belief that the kind of fundamental libertarianism that Paul and his followers believe in are too idealistic and not prudent enough for the complexities of the modern state. I realize that libertarians would argue that all those services are better provided by the private sector anyway, but I digress, this debate could go on and on. Suffice to say that it is a political preference.

Overall, Paul's arguments are very well-presented and very well-argued. The book is less of a manifesto, and more of a explanation of how far America has drifted away from what the founders have envisioned. If you enjoy reading and watching Jesse Ventura, then you'll definitely agree with all of Paul's central themes and will want this book on your bookshelf. ( )

This is a book that the average American ought to read. Frequently called a "kook" by his detractors, Ron Paul is the only politician who has the courage to tell the truth about the state of the United States, what once made it great and set it apart from the rest of the world, and what needs to be done to return peace and prosperity to it. Like all books dedicated to political reality it is smeared by those who love misery, destruction, and the end of personal liberty in the hopes that people will refrain from reading it. These people know that if the average American knew the facts they would revolt against the status quo and anyone tied to it.

To be more specific this book talks about the necessity of following the entire Constitution rather than cherry-picking it to support one group's agenda at the expense of the rest of the Constitution, the necessity of a non-interventionist foreign policy (you know, like the one that we used to have historically that made us peaceful, prosperous, and loved the world over), and the necessity of capitalism as the only moral system of economics (something that should sound familiar to readers of Ayn Rand's novels).

The only weak point in his arguments occurs when he tries to support the elimination of Roe v Wade. Throughout the book he proclaims that the government cannot interfere in issues best left to individuals because even the best intentioned blanket legislation will have unintended negative consequences for individuals. He then turns around and says that the government should legislate the incredibly sticky issue of abortion. He seems to be mostly aiming at late-term abortions but what he calls for is a blanket legislation of ALL abortion. The only difference is that he says the blanket legislation should come from state governments rather than the national government. This only lowers the scope of the legislation, however. The issue would be left to a smaller collective but a collective none the less. What is true of the national government ought to be true of state and local governments as well. This lapse in an otherwise consistent message lowers Dr. Paul's credibility somewhat. Still, this is one of the most consistent political messages you will find from any politician and more consistent than the ideas of many who don't even have the fear of losing their job in periodic elections as a hurdle. ( )