The Worldly Philosophers, Vol.1, Number 11 June 17, 2007 THE Worldly Philosophers Club For Individualists Who Seek Worldly Wisdom

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Leonard Read LEONARD READ: THE PHILOSOPHER OF FREEDOM  By Mark Skousen   "Faith in believing, and believing works miracles."          -- Leonard Read            Dear Worldly Philosophers,   We're spending the week at my home in Florida, where I came across several books by one of my mentors, Leonard Read.  You may never have heard of Leonard Read, but he's one of my favorite worldly philosophers -- a successful businessman who entered the world of ideas and philosophy.  He is most well-known for having established the first free-market think tank, the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in 1946 -- over 60 years ago.  FEE publishes "The Freeman," a monthly libertarian journal.  His most famous essay is "I, Pencil."  Highly recommended.  You can find it at www.fee.org.  I was honored to serve as president of FEE in 2001-02 at its headquarters, a 35 room mansion, in Irvington, New York (20 miles north of Manhattan).  The new president, Richard Ebeling, a former professor of economics at Hillsdale College, is the new president and is doing a superb job.  Check out their new website at www.fee.org.  When I was president, I spent time reading the diary and several books by Read.  With a name like "Read," you can bet he had a passion for learning and reading books.  The FEE library contains thousands of volumes, and Read read them all.  What I Learned From Leonard Read I met Read only once in the late 1970s, and he was an unforgettable figure.  The most important lesson Read taught me was that learning never stops, no matter how successful you are in life.   As a speaker and author, I used to go around and give speeches on economics and investing, and then promptly leave.  I seldom stuck around to hear what others had to say.  Read taught me that I should LISTEN to what others have to say, and especially to the audience.  At FreedomFest, my annual conference, I encourage all the speakers to stick around and listen to what others have to say.  Those who have followed my advice have learned a lot.  I know I have.  Those who come to FreedomFest are busy people, but they are unique individuals who come to learn new ideas and new viewpoints.  They are open minded because FreedomFest is an Open Forum -- there's nothing like it in the world. I encourage you to join us on July 5-7, 2007, in Las Vegas.  Go to www.freedomfest.com, or call Tami Holland, 1-866-266-5101.  It will be historic!  Have Faith! The other lesson I learned from Leonard Read is to have faith and confidence in accomplishing your goals in life.  In addition to being a gourmet chef, Read was an accomplished golfer.  He said, "Show me two golfers of equal physical skill, one of whom believes he can, the other a doubter.  The believer will excel."  Read was the world's best fundraiser -- without appearing to fund raise.  He just told his story in a persuasive way, and people contributed.  He was never pushy.  But he was confident, ambitious and courageous.  He was a "go getter" in the freedom movement.  I try to imitate his style in producing FreedomFest, and promoting free-market economics through my books, lectures and newsletters.  Let me end with a great quote from Leonard Read:  "There are countless thousands in America today who believe in liberty as reverently as I do.  But so pronounced is the plunge into state interventionism and welfarism -- the very opposite of liberty -- that few among our substantial members believe we have a chance.  Disbelief!  No faith!"  Read responded in a positive way:  "Have faith!  Faith works miracles!"  I've followed Read's advice, and that's why FreedomFest is going great guns, with over 900 paid attendees.  I urge you to join us.  It will be historic -- and we will change the world!  Yours in liberty, AEIOU, Marcus Aurelius