David Frum is on the warpath. In a National Review Online blog post, then an NPR commentary, and most recently in a National Post article, Frum has mercilessly ridiculed the gold standard. But as with most modern critiques of the “bad old days” of the laissez-faire 19th century, Frum’s analysis is fraught with theoretical and historical problems. Frum’s main objection is that the gold standard is allegedly rigid, preventing the economy from smoothly adjusting to various shocks.

For anyone interested, I have a review of Sam Gregg’s new book, The Commercial Society: Foundations and Challenges in a Global Age, in the current issue of the University Bookman.

[I]n an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music int

At some point in the last 12 months, a Mises.org reader wrote to say thanks again for the hundreds of books on the site, whose value has vastly increased thanks to the Sony Reader, which easily imports PDFs and allows you to carry around a big library in a thin, 6x9 package.

The problems and ideas that moved Ludwig von Mis

The Bush administration gives advice on an interesting get-rich scheme (WSJ)