RALEIGH – I’m as web-crazy as the next person. But I still prefer to have some old-fashioned reference texts on my bookshelf.
At the office, I’ve got a Webster’s dictionary, a thesaurus, a stat text, a finance text, several books of quotations and aphorisms, and the latest Almanac of American Politics, among other volumes. At home, I also have a full set of bound encyclopedias – online encyclopedias just don’t have the right smell, you know – and reference books on such subjects as presidents, American film, world religions, military campaigns, musical theater, and science fiction.
Now I’ve got a new reference to squeeze in somewhere: Battleground Business. Co-edited by my friend Mike Walden, a William Neal Distinguished Professor at N.C. State University’s Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, this two-volume set offers 77 essays on current controversies in business and economic policy. For just about every major issue in the field – CEO pay, the minimum wage, taxes, hiring practices, business leadership, free trade, truth in advertising, and environment degradation, just to name a few – you’ll find an entry in Battleground Business.
What you won’t find, however, is simply an editorial. The work is intended for use by high school and college students, journalists, and other interest citizens. Each author was charged with presenting multiple points of view on the issue, along with background information and bibliography so readers could do follow-up research and form their own conclusions.
This was no easy task. I’ll testify to that, for I should disclose that I am the author of one of the essays, on lotteries. Obviously, I have a strong opinion on the subject. More than a decade ago, I helped form a multi-partisan, cross-ideological coalition to fight against the adoption of a state-run lottery in North Carolina, recruiting the likes of former UNC President Bill Friday, former governors Jim Martin and Bob Scott, and many others to the fray. For years, we were successful. Only thanks to chicanery and illegality was North Carolina’s lottery finally enacted two years ago.
But for Battleground Business, it was necessary not just to explain the case against state-run lotteries but also the case for them. I provide several familiar arguments for adopting lotteries – that legalized, state-controlled gambling is better than illegal alternatives, that they generate revenues for popular state functions such as public education, and that states without lotteries lose valuable dollars to neighboring states with them. And I critiqued some of the standard arguments against lotteries.
It was a challenge, but also good mental exercise. The experience was familiar. Back in high school and college, my twin brother and I were on the debate team. We traveled the country participating in tournaments where the object was victory over the other squad, not advancing any particular philosophical position. We gladly argued for socialism or radical environmentalism when it was necessary to persuade the judges (which was often, given the typical ideological proclivities of speech-com professors). Formal debate puts a premium on rhetorical technique, which is good, and verbal speed, which is bad. You learn to make persuasive arguments for positions you don’t personally share. It’s excellent training for future trial attorneys, as my brother is. It’s also good training for other professions that have one argue for a living, such as politicians, lobbyists, and opinion journalists.
What I like about Battleground Business is that because it provides multiple points of view, it’s a great place to go when you are writing or speaking on a business or economics topic and need to either preempt standard arguments against your position or prepare for audience questions.
You’ll also learn something. As a kid, I greatly enjoyed simply skimming through a volume of the World Book encyclopedia, happening upon an unfamiliar topic, and plopping down in a comfortable chair. (If truth be told, it’s still fun when you are an adult experiencing writer’s block.) Battleground Business will teach you something new about macroeconomics, health care, international currency exchange, marketing, and a host of other topics. Just find a comfy chair and dig in.
Hood is president of the John Locke Foundation.