Orders Emerge in Weekend Reading with Donald Boudreaux

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It is an understatement to say that Don Boudreaux wears many hats.

Many people know him for his extensive academic work on issues including trade, law, and economics. To others, he is known for his leadership as former chair of the economics department at George Mason University and current board member and program director at the Mercatus Center. And to students at Mason, he is known for his excellence as a mentor and educator. But to many who thirst for fresh ideas online, Don is one of the leading bloggers who examines economics in everyday life and public policy. He has blogged at Café Hayek almost every day for more than 14 years.

Today’s edition of Weekend Reads features some of the most interesting articles shared on Café Hayek this week. To see more from Don, visit cafehayek.com.

To Make a Cup of Coffee, It Takes More Than a Village

A.J. Jacobs | The Wall Street Journal

A.J. Jacobs marvels over the thousands of men and women collaborating across dozens of countries required to create “one of the most mind-boggling accomplishments in history”—his cup of coffee.

Surging Wealth Inequality Is a Happy Sign That Life Is Becoming Much More Convenient

John Tamny | Forbes

Innovation has literally illuminated human productivity and significantly increased living standards for modern Americans, and this rising prosperity created interpersonal differences in wealth and income measured by money.

Six Facts That We Need to Know about Globalization

Elaine Schwartz | EconLife

How has globalization completely revolutionized modern comparative advantage in productivity and trade? 

The Most Pro-Immigration House of Representatives in Over a Century

David Bier | Cato Institute

What did the midterm election last week mean for the future of immigration reform? David Bier of the Cato Institute offers his thoughts, noting that the House of Representatives is the “most pro-immigrant” it has been since the 19^th century.

Liberal Capitalism as the Ideology of Freedom and Moderation

Richard Ebeling | American Institute for Economic Research (AIER)

Many Americans believe extremism on both ends of the political spectrum is ripping apart the nation. There could be room for a “non-ideology of compromise and moderation.”

A Review of Timothy Sandefur's "Frederick Douglass: Self Made Man"

George Smith | Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)

A new book from attorney and author Timothy Sandefur profiles the life and contributions of escaped slave, abolitionist, and American hero Frederick Douglass to moral and political philosophy.

People Have a Remarkable Ability to Rehabilitate. Courts Should Recognize That.

George Will | The Washington Post

Columnist George Will argues against cruel and unusual punishment and the lack of faith in rehabilitation and human development in the US criminal justice system.

These 4 Charts Might Change What You Think You Know about the American Economy

James Pethokoukis | American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

The Congressional Budget Office released four charts on how American living standards have changed over the past forty years, including cumulative growth in average income, Gini coefficients, and average federal tax rates.