Edited by Liberty Institute founding president Barun Mitra, Population: The Ultimate Resource is an eloquent presentation of the work of the late demographer-economist Julian Simon.

Simon, who began researching the ‘problem’ of overpopulation in the 1960s, found that, contrary to his expectations and conventional wisdom, there is no ‘population bomb,’ and instead, rather than being a drain on resources, human beings and their capacity for innovation amount to the ultimate resource in ensuring the survival and improvement in the living condition of mankind. As he wrote, ‘In the long run, the most important economic effect of population size and growth is the contribution of additional people to our stock of useful knowledge. And this contribution is large enough in the long run to overcome all the costs of population growth.’ In the essays collected in Population, Simon demonstrates that population density does not explain why some countries are more prosperous than others. The more important variable seems to be the type of government and whether it impedes or facilitates creativity and innovation.

In addition to spreading Simon’s exciting ideas, Liberty Institute’s publication of Population is also a fitting tribute to the man who played an important role in the development of the Liberty Institute. Early in his exploration of free-market ideas, Barun Mitra made contact with Simon, who would become his mentor and friend. It was Simon who encouraged the former journalist to make contact with Atlas and establish a free market think tank in New Delhi. Until the end of his life in 1998, Simon remained a strong supporter of the organization and its programs.

Instituto Libertad y Democracia, Lima, Peru
The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else by Hernando de Soto
Basic Books, New York, NY, 2000

In The Mystery of Capital, author Hernando de Soto builds on his earlier bestseller The Other Path (the first Fisher Award winner in 1990) to develop strategies for alleviating Third World poverty.

In his immensely readable style, which combines sophisticated research and analysis with non-technical language, de Soto demonstrates that the majority of poor countries have the necessary assets to escape poverty, but they have little or no access to legal institutions that can protect their property rights, and integrate these assets into a broader marketplace.

From The Times of London to The New York Times, The Mystery of Capital drew praise for its insightful and non-academic treatment of an issue of international importance to both the developing and developed world. As one reviewer wrote, ‘Did you fall asleep on The Wealth of Nations in a college library way back when? If so, you’ll appreciate the way de Soto revisits Adam Smith and reacquaints us with the legal structures that most Third World countries lack.’

Importantly, de Soto’s message and the marketing effort behind the book gave it appeal to decision-makers on all sides of the political spectrum. The Mystery of Capital has already been translated into several language. Notably, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, with whom de Soto has consulted, has agreed to author the preface of the Russian language edition.

Social Affairs Unit, London, UK
Dictionary of Dangerous Words, Digby Anderson, ed.
Social Affairs Unit, London, UK, 2000

In 2001, a Special Recognition Award for Innovative Projects was presented to the Social Affairs Unit for the Dictionary of Dangerous Words. This clever publication, edited by SAU director Digby Anderson, analyzes the linguistic impact of political correctness by examining words that have acquired ‘new uses and meanings for some people in some situations.’ He notes that most of the new uses are influenced by ocialistic ideologies and asks a ‘tricky’ question for writers and speakers: ‘How do they write or speak without endorsing the ideology.’

The book was rewarded for its cleverness in packaging, as well as for content. The Social Affairs Unit used the same publisher that produces a well-known traditional dictionary series, giving the book instant visual recognition within the UK as a ‘dictionary.’

In 2001, Atlas presented several copies of the Dictionary of Dangerous Words to the organizers of the Mont Pelerin Society meetings in Bratislava, Slovakia. Several of the recipients were so impressed with the book that they acquired translation rights and are currently involved in translating the book into Slovak. Atlas has received similar inquiries from institutes in other countries, attending to the broad appeal of this wonderful little book.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 25th, 2001 at 6:37 PM. It is filed under @ Atlas, Atlas Award Winners, Prizes & Awards and tagged with Fisher Awards. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.