A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (and Some Bears)

The author's narrative style of writing is engaging, and he's funny, too. I heard about the Free Town Project a couple of years ago, but until now I had only been able to find an article here and there about the lack of regulations that led to bears digging through trash and terrorizing the residents. He does a great job of delving into the Free Town Project from beginning to end, and describing what worked and what didn't (there's a lot that didn't). His tone is politically neutral, and his book gave me a lot to think about. I highly recommend it.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it as a thoughtful and entertaining current affairs tale. I didn’t know what to expect and was a little surprised at first when the author placed himself directly into the story like a reporter might (or might avoid). But I quickly got comfortable with the style and found the depth of research reassuring.The story of the Libertarian movement in Grafton, New Hampshire followed a somewhat predictable rise and fall: early enthusiasm giving way to a collapse under its own anarchic weight.For someone like me who enjoys the sociological and systems elements of society, it’s a great case study. Also, the characters were quite colorful and vividly depicted.Turns out a movement centered on “personal liberty” has a hard time getting its followers to cooperate and actually make it happen; largely because everyone’s definition of the goal is different.It seems like most of the “Free Town” migrants weren’t interested in total freedom but wanted to enjoy the benefits of a civil society while being exempt from paying the taxes that support that society, and exempt from specific laws that prohibit their personal peccadillos.The book chronicles them objecting to taxes, challenging authority with lawsuits at every turn, and generally using their selfish assholery to reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of anyone working to build a mutually supported and mutually beneficial society.It was an inexorable race to the bottom made especially obvious by comparison to neighboring towns.The book took an unexpected turn in suggesting a gut parasite acquired from cats may be contributing to increased risk-taking behavior in both bears and humans. But the way it’s told is surprisingly compelling and I can see why the author included it.I absolutely love the word play built into a very memorable page in Book Two, Chapter Nine of the September 2021 paperback edition. What seemed like an innocent juxtaposition was followed by another and then confirmed as intentional with yet another. In re-reading for these notes, I now see at least four! Very clever.

This painstakingly detailed account illustrates why libertarianism can't work. There's no political or moral or idealistic sermonizing. It's simply the real life recounting of what happens when people refuse to build a community together.

Great book! Makes it very clear what a real life 'libertarian' take over of a small New Hampshire town looks like. Libertarians tend to promote themselves as being very smart but this book tells what happens when abstract political theory meets reality.

A historically accurate reporting of how some libertarians in New Hampshire had problems dealing with the bears - some of the problems caused by themselves. It is written with some humor and sympathy.

This afternoon I finished reading this well crafted work. And then I spent an an hour reading other reader reviews. I can't help but find myself unsure how to capture my feelings on the book as I reconcile the opinions of those other reviewers before. I don't often review books, but I find myself compelled to talk about this one.TL,DR: I loved it.I'd like to talk about what this book isn't. A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear is not a deeply explored critique of libertarian politics. It isn't a deep assertion that libertarian policies are a sole source of blame for the bear problems in a small New Hampshire town. And it is a shame that it feels marketed as such. The story doesn't end by trying to make a grandiose point or shame you into adopting an ideology that wasn't yours before reading.Hongoltz-Hetling's book is a fascinating story of a small town rich in history. A town with profoundly interesting people whose stories deserve to be told. Intermixed in two overarching narratives - the Free Town movement and the out of control bears, the author takes the time to tell the stories of the people who make up this fascinating town, and the history behind it.I can't recommend this book enough. It is an honest book about an interesting town and its interesting inhabitants. While the author doesn't hesitate to voice his leanings on an issue or his feelings during an interaction, he doesn't condemn any those whom he observes.My only critique of the book is a small chapter in which the author muses (with a lack of scientific rigor) about a possible ailment of the community at large. Fleeting thoughts consider whether toxoplasmosis, a (common) parasite driven infection that leads to increased impulsivity and aggression, might be central to either the bear or human behavior observed in Grafton. While it is an interesting consideration, it is the type of pseudo-intellectualism better left to experts.

The author doesn't do the lazy thing and mock the people in question, which is good.

Great book on the perils of trying to start a "free" city.

A well written novel that was both disturbing and hilarious at the same time. A stark reminder of what can happen to a community when it narrowly focuses on individual self interest and not on the well being of the community as a whole.

Really well-written. And astonishing.

Sehr gut angekommen

Muy recomendable, perfecto para estos tiempos: es demasiada libertad buena?

This book never hits you over the head with its message, but makes an eloquent point about libertarians and humans in general. Fun and well paced