The Broken Window

The Broken Window is a rhyming and illustrated retelling of Frederic Bastiat's 1850 story about the broken window fallacy. It is a lesson for people of all ages to consider the opportunity costs of destructive events and government policies.

A young boy throws a brick through the baker's window and a crowd gathers to consider the economic consequences of this event. They first conclude that the broken window is good for the economy because it gives business to the glazier. This new spending can turn into more spending and employment because the glazier will spend the money on something. And whoever receives that money can now spend more, and so on. Therefore, the broken window is seen by the crowd as something that stimulates new spending and new employment.

Luckily, Bastiat and Hazlitt show up on the scene to remind the crowd of the cobbler! The broken window did not stimulate new spending and new employment - it only redirected spending and employment and destroyed a valuable resource in the process. Instead of a storefront window and a new pair of shoes from the cobbler, the baker only has a repaired storefront window.

The book includes:

• Colorful illustrations
• Encourages critical thinking
• Includes a non-rhyming explanation at the end
• Great for kids and adults

Reviews:
"What a wonderful introduction to a topic almost every adult gets wrong. With stories like these, we'll have kids who actually understand how the world works -- and have fun learning about it!"
- Tom Woods, New York Times bestselling author and host of the Tom Woods Show

"Like Henry Hazlitt before him, Newman brings Bastiat's insights to a new generation of readers. This fun book is perfect for parents who want to introduce basic economic principles to their young children in an enjoyable way."
- Robert P. Murphy, economist and author of The Three Lads and the Lizard King