The International Man

The International Man, by Douglas R. Casey, Alexandria, Va.: Kephart Communications, 1978, 133 pp., $14.95.

The International Man is self-styled as a complete guide to the world's last frontiers for "both freedom-seekers, investors, adventurers, speculators, and expatriates." The author, Douglas R. Casey, is to be commended for writing a book that not only contains most of the information that will interest such readers but also contains information in a condensed form that is valuable for comparative academic studies of political and economic freedoms in most countries of the world. To those readers who are not specifically oriented toward the free market and political freedom, explicit introduction of these ideas in the overall context of the book increases the book's value immensely.

There are 10 chapters in the book—133 pages of largely nonduplicated information. After an introduction and a chapter advising how to use the book, Casey separately considers personal freedom and financial opportunities around the world. He then analyzes the situation in particular countries and areas of the world, devoting the most space to areas he rates desirable. He concludes with the "World of Opportunity" and the "International Man's Directory." Each of the chapters is appropriately sectionalized, and the author and editor are to be congratulated for a better than average presentation indicating logic and forethought.

As an "international man," it is a pleasure to report that most of the information on countries with which this writer is familiar is accurate. There are a few errors, but none is of major importance, and subsequent editions of this volume can be corrected and easily updated. Curiously, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bermuda receive no mention—not even in the index. As with any printed matter, political events can and often do overtake the publisher.

Any person interested in a concise political and economic review of countries other than the United States will find a wealth of information, and any person planning to become an international man should read the pros and cons, which are well and explicitly stated by the author. The information on passports is worth the price of admission alone. I could not conceive of any individual planning to go international without having first read this book.