David Boaz Explains "The Market Process"

excerpt from his superb book Libertarianism: A Primer:

"When I go to the supermarket, I encounter a veritable cornucopia of food--from milk and bread to Wolfgang Puck's Spago Pizza and fresh kiwis from New Zealand. The average supermarket today has 30,000 items, double the number just 10 years ago. Like most shoppers, I take this abundance for granted. I stand in the middle of this culinary festival and say something like, "I can't believe this crummy store doesn't have Diet Caffeine-free Cherry Coke in 12-ounce cans!"

But how does this marvelous feat happen? How is it that I, who couldn't find a farm with a map, can go to a store at any time of day or night and expect to find all the food I want, in convenient packages and ready for purchase, with extra quantities of turkey in November and lemonade in June? Who plans this complex undertaking?

The secret, of course, is precisely that no one plans it - no one could plan it. The modern supermarket is a commonplace but ultimately astounding example of the infinitely complex spontaneous order known as the free market...

continue reading The Market Process

other excerpts here: Libertarianism.org, and here: Key Concepts of Libertarianism

good interview in which David Boaz discusses his book: Booknotes