This is a very timely book and should be required reading for both houses of Congress considering we are in a deep recession. Some things he stated as fact lacked reference but then with his background I don't doubt him. A good read and introduction to economics for those who haven't been schooled in the subject. It was an enjoyable read.

I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent and rational, and able to follow an argument. I've never studied economics, so it's been fascinating reading this book. I'm definitely pro-capitalism, but I'm not convinced that unbridled capitalism is a completely good thing. The world doesn't have infinite resources to support that, and just because a limited resource/supply causes the price of something to go up doesn't mean that the problem is solved or that the supply is therefore adequate because there's enough for those who can afford the high prices.
I don't think that logical arguments are the author's strong point. Too many times I thought he was just stating something as a truth without supporting it. Perhaps those truths are obvious to him because of his background and knowledge of economics, but he needed to provide more to get the rest of us to see it, too.
Like I said, fascinating reading, and at an approachable level, but the author has some underlying assumptions that he doesn't support.

of ANY political stripe because as Mr. Donlan reminds us, when it comes to economic policy, both Democrats AND Republicans tend to be idiots (for that matter so do a disturbingly large number of economists and businessmen). In fact given the 80-20 Rule under which 20 percent do most of the producing while the other 80 percent have most of the votes, "It's a pleasant surprise that democracies foster much investment and productivity growth at all."

Of course there are widely varying degrees of economic idiocy. The difference between a Capitalist-sympathizing MBA earner arguably doing more harm than good in futile attempts to stave off or shorten recessions and a clueless naif who honestly believes that the only reason government control of the economy failed before is because no one as smart as he is was running it is quite substantial, as the largest post-election stock market crash in history, following upon the largest pre-election stock market crash in history as Wall Street began to price in an Obama victory, demonstrates to he who has eyes to see and ears to listen.

America has embarked upon Yet Another remedial course in Economics 101, at the end of which hopefully a large majority will have learned, "Oh, THAT is why anti-capitalistic government policies are bad." In the meantime those who would get a head start on the graduates of the School of Hard Knocks could do a lot worse than to read this book. In clear and plain English Mr. Donlan explains why capitalism is the only practical solution to problems like the Energy Crisis, Global Warming (IF it is even happening, an argument for another day), trade imbalances, immigration, health care, retirement security, and economic recessions, depressions, and panics.

Capitalism is not merely the best economic system; it is the only economic system that actually works. Everything else mankind has tried leads only to increased poverty and misery,...

and eventually to dictatorship, Gulags, and mass graves.

This book is very challenging, in its content. You think you know what capitalism is, right? What it's strengths and weaknesses are? Probably not, in truth. In the USA, the most consistently capitalistic country around, markets and finances and trade are all still highly regulated. The US government remains ambivalent about free markets. Such is the nature of democracy, Thomas G. Donlan explains, where 20% of the people produce 80% of the wealth... but everyone can vote.

A World of Wealth is very well written, clear and witty and fun to read. Donlan is an accomplished writer for various financial magazines, and it shows. His premise, which he proves quite convincingly, is that capitalism -- true and unregulated -- is the solution to the biggest problems of today's world. He covers energy costs, global warming and environmental issues, immigration, health care, and many other important topics.

The general theory proposed is that demand drives prices up, and the resulting high prices mean high potential profits. Where there's money to be made capitalists will invest their resources in that market, which will increase (and improve the quality of) the supply, and prices will go back down. Donlan notes where there seem to be exceptions to the rule. Sometimes the producers don't pay for the costs of their production, instead everyone else does (pollution and wild fishing are given as examples).

This is definitely the book for you if you want to start intelligent arguments with people at dinner parties, or even if you just want to challenge your own assumptions. I've always considered myself pretty pro-capitalist, but even I sometimes found myself thinking, "No, that can't be how it is!" and yet... Donlan's arguments are very convincing.

I only wish this had come out a year later, because I would have loved to read Donlan's take on the current financial situation. I worry, also, that readers may be missing out on this great book. Given the current financial climate, I suspect books on economics might not be as popular as at other times.

Overall, highly recommended.

While Mr. Donlan succeeded in providing an overview of free market forces in play: giving historical examples and possible approaches to tackling everything from the "energy crisis", "health care", to "retirement security", he (like many economic "experts") couldn't have possibly imagined the aftermath of the current world economic tsunami, i.e., the gross destruction of wealth and failing economies of the world caused in part to sheer greed and lack of government regulations over speculative trading (e.g.,subprime derivatives). "Irrational exuberance" became irrational stupidity by the over-leveraged investment and banking industries which spilled over to other industries.

The author did provide some relevant commentary into past "Booms and Busts Born in Debt" on page 177, "Manias and bubbles such as the twenty-first century housing bubble seem to afflict capitalist societies once a generation. Three early ones were dealt with in ways that should help us understand how to deal with ours". What's frightening is that the current U.S. government resolution is to bail out mismanaged banks, investment cos. and other corps. then leave the tab to the American taxpayers.

Although this book is written in a way that's easy for most people to understand some basic principles of capitalism, it is definitely NOT intended to be an educational textbook. There are no quotations, citations, or a bibliography; only a "suggestions" list of economic periodicals and books (pages 201-204). Overall: an informative but editorialized book with no precise reference sources.