The Show-Me Institute is excited to announce a new ongoing book review contest, targeted to Missouri college students and college-age non-students. The contest is intended to encourage the appraisal and critical exploration of a broad spectrum of the ideas of liberty, and will feature books both classic and current that focus on the economics and philosophy of freedom. The first contest book selection is Economic Facts and Fallacies, by famed Hoover Institution scholar Thomas Sowell. Book review entries are due by December 1, 2008, and the winning entries will be announced in mid-December.

For each contest, both a first-place winner and a runner-up will be selected. The winner will receive $100, the runner-up $50. The contest is open to all current Missouri residents, age 29 and under. Although the contest is primarily directed to both undergrad and graduate students in Missouri who are interested in exploring a broad spectrum of the ideas of liberty, non-students of general college age are also encouraged to participate. The age limit of 29 is intended only to keep the competitive climate on a relatively level playing field.

Contest guidelines do not specify any formal length or stylistic considerations for review submissions. The purpose of this contest is to encourage critical analysis, debate, and discussion of a wide range of thought about freedom and free-market economic perspectives. As such, entrants are not necessarily expected to agree with or advocate the ideas contained in the book under consideration, but submitted essays should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the book’s concepts and a serious attempt to grapple with the author’s ideas. The review evaluation process is necessarily subjective, although every effort will be made to consider entries in a fair and impartial manner, without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

The Show-Me Institute and its scholars do not necessarily agree with or advocate the ideas contained in the books selected for use in this ongoing contest series; rather, the institute hopes to encourage critical analysis, debate, and discussion of a wide range of thought about freedom and free-market economic perspectives.

For further details, please consult the contest rules and guidelines on the Show-Me Institute website.