Books by
Dallas Freed
The world is full of buried ideas — frameworks hidden inside history, economics, and philosophy that quietly explain how everything works. Some were found by watching. Others by listening. Most by stumbling into them sideways and testing whether they hold up. These books are the artifacts that survived the test.
Mental Models of Politics
Allegories and thought experiments exploring political systems from first principles.
Who Will Build the Roads?
Take ten political systems — from communism to capitalism — and ask them all the same questions: Who educates the kids? Who takes care of...
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The Allegory of the Pandemic!
You’re on a year-long cruise ship when a virus breaks out. Ten thousand passengers, no way off, and the committee gathers to decide what to...
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The Allegory of the Island
A perfect beach — white sand, crystal water, ripe fruit in every direction. There’s just one problem: you’re thirsty for a lemonade and there are...
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The Apocalyptic Climate
The question isn’t whether climate change is happening — it’s what we’re willing to sacrifice in the name of stopping it, and whether the proposed...
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The Seen and the Unseen
Every political decision has consequences you can see and consequences you can’t. The factory that stayed open, the job that was never created, the business...
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The Mental Models of Politics
After the allegories and thought experiments, it’s time to name the frameworks — the lenses people use without realizing they’re wearing them, sitting beneath every...
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The Big Ideas of Politics
Each book examines a political figure's core "Big Idea" and its consequences.
Bernie's Big Idea
Free healthcare, free education, guaranteed jobs, subsidized childcare — who wouldn’t vote for that? Bernie Sanders’ policies are profoundly consistent, which makes reverse-engineering his philosophy...
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Mark's Big Idea
Digital currencies, carbon taxes, ESG mandates, emergency powers — Mark Carney’s policy record has a pattern. Every proposal points in the same direction: more regulation,...
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Justin's Big Idea
Justin Trudeau governed Canada through a decade of cultural upheaval, a pandemic, and a convoy. His policies were bold, his rhetoric was polished, and his...
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Max's Big Idea
Maxime Bernier walked away from the Conservative Party to build something from scratch. He bet his career on a principle most politicians won’t touch: that...
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Donald's Big Idea
Love him or hate him, Donald Trump’s political instincts reshaped an entire party. His policies aren’t random — they follow a logic that millions find...
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The Signal
Ideas worth sharing with the people you love.
Things You Should Know
An attempt to write down the things worth knowing — about philosophy, money, work, and the way the world actually operates. Not a lecture. A...
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The Book of Great Ideas
Some ideas change how you see everything. They don’t belong to any one discipline or political camp — they just cut through noise better than...
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Common Sense
In 1776, Thomas Paine handed colonists a 47-page argument for self-governance — written plainly enough that a farmer could read it aloud in a tavern....
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