Bastiat was a French classical liberal of the 19th century and perhaps the best popularizer of free market economics ever. This collection centers around his criticisms of protectionism and defenses of free trade. He takes on fallacies of his day, most of which are fallacies of our own as well. Of particular note is inclusion of his famous “Petition” from the candle makers and others demanding sunshine be blocked from entering houses so as to stimulate the economy by forcing people to buy artificial light. That essay is the economics equivalent of Jonathan Swift’s “Modest Proposal.” The case for free trade has perhaps never been better made than here. Paperback, 291 pages. Amazon price, $22.99, our price $11.00.