About the Author

Lawrence W. Reed is a leading voice for liberty, free markets, and the principles that made America great. He served for 21 years as President of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and for nearly 11 years as President of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), where he transformed the organization into one of the most influential economic education institutions in the world. He now holds the titles of President Emeritus and Humphreys Family Senior Fellow at FEE.

A prolific writer and sought-after speaker, Reed has authored more than 2,000 columns and articles appearing in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The American Spectator, and has authored or co-authored eight books. His lectures — including “Seven Principles of Sound Public Policy” and “Great Myths of the Great Depression” — have been translated into more than a dozen languages and delivered in virtually every U.S. state and dozens of countries worldwide.

Reed holds a B.A. in economics from Grove City College and an M.A. in history from Slippery Rock State University, along with two honorary doctorates. In 2022, the President of Poland awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland — that nation’s highest honor for a foreigner.

His most recent book, Born of Ideas: How Principles, Faith, and Courage Forged America, is available September 2026. For more: https://www.lawrencewreed.com/books