Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do is a pretty darned good book and it’s available online for free. It’s certainly not a short book; the paperback version is 692 pages. It is a fairly easy and pleasant read and it is very engaging because of the importance of it’s subject matter.
The book is about personal freedom — all kinds of personal freedom. Peter discusses government violations of our natural freedoms in areas as diverse as gambling, drugs, sex, religion, suicide, and the decision to wear or not to wear seat belts.
These issues of freedom are discussed from many standpoints, including how such laws do not represent American values, their ineffectiveness, the incredible waste of taxpayer dollars, the loss of human capital when people are imprisoned, and the horrible side effects that society must endure in order to enforce senseless laws.
McWilliams wrote “This book is about a single idea:You should be allowed to do whatever you want with your own person and property, as long as you don’t physically harm the person or property of a nonconsenting other.” That certainly sounds like good common sense to me and it echoes the sentiments of the great philosopher John Stuart Mill, who wrote “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant.”
The book has been recommended by many good people, including Hugh Downs, John Stossel, and William F. Buckley Jr. It’s available at no cost online, or you can order it from Amazon. It’s definitely worth a few hours of your time.
