The Invisible Heart: An Economic Romance (Book Review)

Do you know that feeling of anticipation, when you hold a new book, knowing full well it will be a joy to read from start to finish?

Russell Roberts has managed to craft another such a gem. But The Invisible Heart is more than a good story, it’s a love letter about economic freedom.

Roberts has a knack for making economic lessons accessible, even fun to read. In his first book The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism he made the case for trade.

With The Invisible Heart, Roberts pioneers a new genre, the economic romance. The story features an unlikely pair; a couple so unlikely, that the ending remains a surprise up till the end.

Invisible Heart features more plot turns than Roberts’ first book, but still contains plenty of his trademark dialog. In fact, the only way economics instructor Sam and idealist co-worker Laura might have a chance together is through many deep discussions.

Many of their discussions involve Sam defending his profession. Laura sees businesses as greedy and economists, like Sam, as their stooges. Instead, Sam explains that he loves freedom and he has little to no faith that the government can improve life through regulation (restricting freedom).

As their relationship progresses, Sam has the opportunity to dispel many common myths about the dismal science, and the dangers of government intervention.

The Invisible Heart is an exciting story full of rich dialog. Sam’s arguments might not convince everyone about the free market’s advantages. But all readers will better understand the dangers of government intervention and why some people prefer to let the market work.

You can learn more about economics at Russell Roberts’ homepage, or at Cafe Hayek where he blogs. He also hosts a regular “economics podcast for daily life” called EconTalk. The Invisible Heart is available at Amazon.com and sample chapters of his books are available.