If you like science fiction, reading books and many of the ideas espoused on this blog then this book might be for you.  Written by Robert A. Heinlein, author of Stranger in a Strange Land, this book does a nice job of mixing libertarian concepts with a fast paced story line.  The result is an incredibly readable, somewhat political piece.

In a nutshell here is the plot:  A penal colony on the moon decides to throw off the shackles of their oppressors through revolution.  A computer, computer technician, freelance teacher, professional revolutionary and wealthy investor work together to plan out the revolution and the resulting government.  The professor being a “rational anarchist” discusses many issue with his comrades including: fiat currency, rule of law vs. rule of man, private court systems and “rational pacifism”.

Personally I found the book very engaging as I didn’t always agree with the characters involved.  The Authority (controllers of the penal colony) were authoritarians and the rebels were too violent.  Because of this I was constantly reevaluating what happened and try to decide how I would handle it.  By far the most interesting part of this book was learning about the rituals and customs the lunar people had adopted.  The physic’s concepts referenced in the book were pretty good.  Not as accurate and possible as Arthur C. Clarke, but certainly better than anything in the Sci-Fi scene recently.  There are no jaw-dropping concepts in this book, technological, political or otherwise, but it is so darn well-put-together that it makes for an entertaining read.

So if you have the time and like Sci-Fi give this one a read.  You may get to see some of these ideas discussed in a different way.

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