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Benjamin A. Rogge's ability to speak and write about serious economic topics with humor, humility, and wit, but without difficult jargon, math, or diagrams, places him in a category all his own. This new collection of fifty-three essays, many of which have never before been published, gathers some of Rogge's most interesting talks and writings spanning the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. This volume encompasses a vast array of topics including the case for individual liberty and responsibility in maintaining the free-market economy, the nature of economics, the business system, labor markets, money and inflation, and education. By organizing the volume thematically, the editor, Dwight R. Lee, has been able to highlight and place in context the many different areas of economics that compose Professor Rogge's extensive output.

A Maverick's Defense of Freedom gathers fifty-three of Rogge's most interesting essays and speeches, many of which have never before been published. Organized thematically, the collection spans a wide range of topics and three decades, from the 1950s through Rogge's untimely death in 1980. Professor Dwight Lee explains in his introduction that even Rogge's earliest writings ""show that he had the intellectual fortitude to stand up to the dominant views in economics with a deep understanding of the classical liberal principles that he believed provided the necessary foundation for economic prosperity and individual liberty.""
Part 1, composed mostly of Rogge's speeches, broadly describes his philosophy on liberty, responsibility, and morality and the roles of each in maintaining a free-market economy.
In part 2 Rogge humorously explains what economists can and cannot do to promote a free and prosperous society.
Part 3, the longest section of the book, reflects Rogge's emphasis on the connection between education and liberty.
The next two sections present microeconomic and macroeconomic issues, respectively. From energy policy to the effect of labor unions, from inflation to unemployment, the essays are tied together by Rogge's view that we should not sacrifice freedom piece by piece for immediate but temporary benefits.
Part 6, ""Foreign Policy and Economic Development,"" includes four discussions of economic issues in the context of foreign policy, emphasizing that trade is the best way to undermine the appeal of collectivism.
The book's engaging and accessible writing style makes this collection a valuable one for younger scholars as well as interested general readers. Those who are already familiar with Rogge's work will benefit from its breadth of coverage and will be reminded again of how enjoyable, insightful, and relevant Rogge is to read yet today.

Benjamin A. Rogge

Benjamin A. Rogge (1920–1980) was an American economist, college administrator, and libertarian writer, speaker and foundation advisor. Rogge co-authored an economics principles textbook with John Van Sickle. One strength of the text is the account that it gives of Joseph Schumpeter's process of creative destruction. Rogge helped organize a series of lectures by Milton Friedman at Wabash that were eventually developed into Friedman's Capitalism and Freedom book. Much later, Rogge participated in a brainstorming session for Friedman's Free to Choose television series. 

Liberty Fund was founded with money from Pierre Goodrich, who sought advice from Rogge during the Fund's early years. Rogge also was a frequent presenter at the seminars of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). FEE's founder, Leonard Read, thought of Rogge as Read's eventual successor, an outcome prevented by Read outliving Rogge. An extended (but somewhat grainy) video clip of a Rogge FEE lecture on "Competition and Monopoly" illustrates the dry wit that made him a popular speaker.

Rogge helped produce, and narrated, a documentary on Adam Smith that was funded by Liberty Fund. A collection of Rogge's speeches, often on topics in economics or education, was published under the title Can Capitalism Survive?

Wabash College, where he taught for many years, established a speaker series in his honor. Rogge's archives are mainly housed at the Hoover Institute on the campus of Stanford University. A posthumous collection of Rogge's speeches