Book Review: Coolidge by Amity Shlaes

Coolidge" is one of those books the political establishment would prefer you not read. Amity Shlaes does a masterful job of demonstrating the fundamental issues that consumed America during Coolidge's time and she shows Coolidge to be one of the few men whose ideas would have prevented or mitigated the damage done by the "Great Depression". In a time when most politicians clamored for spending as a solution to economic problems, Coolidge averred that austerity was the solution. By the time of his death the "spenders" had won the day and the defenders of economic freedom stood virtually silent. This book should be read by every high school or college student to remind him or her that there were times when men actually believed in not spending the people's money.