Codevilla says: "The reason why inhabitants of the First World should keep the Third world in mind is that habits prevalent in the countries that became known as the Third World are a set of human possibilities that any people anywhere can adopt at any time. As Argentina showed in the twentieth Century, falling from the First World to the Third can be easy and quick."
Another revised and very valuable book is "Choosing the Right College," published by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. This latest edition is once again by far the best college guide in America. Like many of us, it has put on weight over the years and is now 1,084 pages long, but its weight is all muscle.
First of all, "Choosing the Right College" asks the right question: What is the right college for you, not what is the "best" college by some formula for ranking colleges and universities. In addition to a very thorough examination of the academic realities at these institutions, it goes into the social atmosphere, which can make or break the whole college experience in terms of what is right for a particular student.
College is, after all, not just a school but a home, for four long years-- usually for people who are living away from home for the first time in their lives. Being in the wrong place, in terms of neighbors and atmosphere, can ruin the academic advantages of even the best institution. This book helps match particular students with particular places, which is what is crucial.
My own books published this year include "The Housing Boom and Bust," which made the New York Times best-seller list.
Another book of mine this year was the revised and enlarged edition of "Applied Economics," which has a long chapter on the economics of medical care, including the experience of other countries that have gone down the road to government control of medicine. Their experience should be a warning to us all.