The Sovereign Individual
by James Dale Davidson
★ Top 25 book of 1997 · #21 on Best Books of 1997
Two investment advisors argue that the shift from an industrial to an information-based society will free individuals and weaken government power. They offer strategies for adapting financially to this coming stage of civilization.
Best for: Investors and big-picture thinkers interested in economic and political change ahead
The Sovereign Individual is #21 on BookWard's Best Books of 1997, out of 27 1997 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Sovereign Individual is about
This book tries to forecast the 21st century. William Rees-Mogg and James Dale Davidson argue that the rise of the information society will shift power away from nation-states and toward individuals. They predict that private digital money will replace government-issued currency, that taxes will become harder for governments to collect, and that states will respond badly as their grip loosens.
It is a speculative, deliberately provocative argument, and it has found a second life among readers interested in cryptocurrency and decentralization, with a 2020 reprint carrying a preface by Peter Thiel. It suits anyone curious about how technology might reshape politics and money, whether they come to agree with the authors or want to test their claims.
The Sovereign Individual on the Best Books of 1997
The Sovereign Individual came out in 1997. Of the 27 books first published in 1997 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #21 on our Best Books of 1997 list.
Why it made the list: 164 readers have shelved it on Open Library. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1997 list
- The Perfect Storm Sebastian Junger, #19
- Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine, #20
- The Winter Bride Lynne Graham, #22
- Essential Cell Biology Bruce Alberts, #23
See all Best Books of 1997 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1996 Best Books of 1998.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 152 want to read it, 8 are reading it now and 3 have read it, according to Open Library.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 19 | 55% |
| Reader love | 56 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 37 | 20% |
Questions about The Sovereign Individual
When was The Sovereign Individual published?
The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson was first published in 1997.
Was The Sovereign Individual one of the best books of 1997?
The Sovereign Individual is #21 on BookWard's Best Books of 1997, out of 27 1997 books that cleared our data bar. 164 readers have shelved it on Open Library.
Why is The Sovereign Individual on the Best Books of 1997 list?
164 readers have shelved it on Open Library.
More of the best books of 1997
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J. K. Rowling, #1
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad Robert T. Kiyosaki, #2
- Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond, #3
- The Adventures of Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey, #4
- The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle, #5
- Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer, #6
See the full Best Books of 1997, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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