The Road to Serfdom, the Definitive Edition

Text and Documents

De: F. A. Hayek, Bruce Caldwell - editor

Narrado por: William Hughes

An unimpeachable classic work in political philosophy, intellectual and cultural history, and economics, The Road to Serfdom has inspired and infuriated politicians, scholars, and the public for half a century. Originally published in 1944 - when Eleanor Roosevelt supported the efforts of Stalin, and Albert Einstein subscribed lock, stock, and barrel to the socialist program - The Road to Serfdom was seen as heretical for its passionate warning against the dangers of state control over the means of production. For F. A. Hayek, the collectivist idea of empowering government with increasing economic control would lead not to a utopia but to the horrors of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

First published by the University of Chicago Press on September 18, 1944, The Road to Serfdom garnered immediate, widespread attention. The first printing of 2,000 copies was exhausted instantly, and within six months more than 30,000 books were sold. In April 1945, Reader's Digest published a condensed version of the book, and soon thereafter the Book-of-the-Month Club distributed this edition to more than 600,000 readers. A perennial best seller, the book has sold 400,000 copies in the United States alone and has been translated into more than 20 languages, along the way becoming one of the most important and influential books of the century.

With this new edition, The Road to Serfdom takes its place in the series the Collected Works of F. A. Hayek. The volume includes a foreword by series editor and leading Hayek scholar Bruce Caldwell explaining the book's origins and publishing history and assessing common misinterpretations of Hayek's thought. Caldwell has also standardized and corrected Hayek's references and added helpful new explanatory notes. Supplemented with an appendix of related materials ranging from prepublication reports on the initial manuscript to forewords to earlier editions by John Chamberlain, Milton Friedman, and Hayek himself, this new edition of The Road to Serfdom is the definitive version of Hayek's enduring masterwork.

©2007 Estate of F. A. Hayek (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A great reading of a remarkable book.

Hayek's words read as true today as they did in 1944 in the continual battle between liberty and tyranny.

Timeless Book

This should be required reading alongside 1984. It conveys the problems of socialism and yet eerily resembles a conversation we could be having today.

Out of the park!

Sometimes you read something that makes you wonder, "Why hasn't this been read by more people?".
This is that work. Excellent.

This book is more important now than ever before,

Everyone should read this book and explore its principles. The subject matter is especially important to Americans, considering the approaching election.

Wow!

What an amazing book, really worth the time. this should be required reading in high school.

Brilliant!

MUST READ for Progressives!
Hayek was far ahead of all of us in understanding in where these foolish ideas regarding socialism, fully democratic governments, and authoritarianism are inevitably leading us beyond the progressive liberal policies. His views on International political cooperation are nothing short of visionary considering the efforts of the subversive and biased efforts of the United Nations, WHO, and the latest Global Warming fiasco. Wake up America!

As relevant now as when it was written!

A fantastic listening experience. As centralized power continues to expand in nations across the world, it is essential that more people read this book to understand the inevitable consequences that come with central planning!

Far better than I was led to believe

This is an amazing work, as much relevant today as in 1944, maybe more so. I could not decide who Hayek would have castigated more, Trump and his lot of authoritarian fascists or the racist statists of the new left, but warn us against both factions Hayek does in an uncanny way as if he were reading current events and literally write this book last week.

People have many preconceived notions about this book, but likely have not read it. I was surprised to learn that Hayek is not a laissez faire capitalist nor is he necessarily against social security or welfare. What he warns us against however is the power of the state and planning in the economic sphere where competition is necessary and that no matter the ideals of its proponents, why an approach of socialists or fascists (who are themselves really socialists) leads inextricably to a loss of freedom. The Road to Serfdom encourages us to be proud of Western liberalism and our scientific and rational tradition and not to apologize for having created the greatest engine for increasing living standards, equality and freedom that the world has ever seen. I was completely blown away by the book despite being familiar with it for decades and must say again how incredibly prescient and modern it is.

Interesting

Written at a time when the world was at a crossroad and central planning was much talked about and practiced. Since then central planning failed, proving the author right about the extreme.

Perhaps because it was written about England, America's unique Confederate Capitalism is missing. Today we call it systemic racism and it holds liberty hostage in the name of liberty. Had he been uniquely familiar with the problem surely Hayek would have much to say as he surveyed each state and their legacy.

The world's hybrid economies would be all ears.

Needed now more than ever

To paraphrase a Puritan pastor, “Liberty begat prosperity, and the daughter ate the mother.” Hayek warns of the dangers of a creeping desire to power and control that comes under the alluring banner of “government planning.”