The Show-Me Institute is excited to announce a new ongoing book review contest, targeted to Missouri college students and college-age non-students. Like the Show-Me Institute book club, held in the Saint Louis area, the contest is intended to encourage the appraisal and critical exploration of a broad spectrum of the ideas of liberty. The institute and its scholars do not necessarily agree with or advocate the ideas contained in the books selected for use in this ongoing contest series; rather, the institute hopes to encourage critical analysis, debate, and discussion of a wide range of thought about freedom and free-market economic perspectives.

The first selection is:

Economic Facts and Fallacies
By Thomas Sowell

Reviews are due no later than Monday, December 1, 2008.
First Prize: $100
Runner-Up: $50

Be sure to read the contest rules and guidelines below. 

Contest Rules and Guidelines:

For each contest, both a first-place winner and a runner-up will be selected. The winner will receive $100, the runner-up $50. Recipients of prize money are solely responsible for any tax liability they might incur.

The contest is open to all current Missouri residents, age 29 and under. Although the contest is primarily directed to both undergrad and graduate students in Missouri who are interested in exploring a broad spectrum of the ideas of liberty, non-students of general college age are also encouraged to participate. The age limit of 29 is intended only to keep the competitive climate on a relatively level playing field.

Contest guidelines do not specify any formal length or stylistic considerations for review submissions. The purpose of this contest is to encourage critical analysis, debate, and discussion of a wide range of thought about freedom and free-market economic perspectives. As such, entrants are not necessarily expected to agree with or advocate the ideas contained in the book under consideration, but submitted essays should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the book’s concepts and a serious attempt to grapple with the author’s ideas. The review evaluation process is necessarily subjective, although every effort will be made to consider entries in a fair and impartial manner, without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Please submit entries to:

contest@showmeinstitute.org

or:

Show-Me Institute
Book Review Contest
7777 Bonhomme Ave. Ste. 2150
Clayton, MO 63105

Contest entries should be received at the Show-Me Institute’s offices by the date specified for each particular contest. Emailing a review on the deadline day should be fine, but those sending their entries by postal mail should consider the time involved in processing and delivery, and send in their entries correspondingly earlier than the actual due date.

Entrants are responsible for acquiring their own copies of each contest’s book selection. Copies may be available at school or community libraries, bookstores, new or used online booksellers, or even in electronic format on the Internet. For the convenience of contest participants, the Show-Me Institute will endeavor to find and highlight inexpensive sources for book selections, but these efforts are not likely to be exhaustive. General price and availability of any particular book is beyond the institute’s control.

By submitting a review to this contest, participants grant the Show-Me Institute the right to publicize and publish their winning entries, in both electronic and print media, in perpetuity. All other rights are reserved by the contest entrants, including the right to reuse or republish their own work in other venues, at their sole discretion.