A great introduction into Libertarian ideas. The book was originally written in 1973 and revised in 1989.
We can all understand, for the most part, where people are coming from when they want to impose their beliefs of "a great society" onto others. They feel they know what is best and want everyone else to follow suit; but should they be forced to believe what you feel is "best"?
The first two paragraphs really sum up what being a Libertarian is all about.
The central idea of libertarianism is that people should be permitted to run their own lives as they wish. We totally reject the idea that people must be forcibly protected from themselves. A libertarian society would have no laws against drugs, gambling, pornography —and no compulsory seat belts in cars. We also reject the idea that people have an enforceable claim on others, for anything more than being left alone. A libertarian society would have no welfare, no Social Security system. People who wished to aid others would do so voluntarily through private charity, instead of using money collected by force from the taxpayers. People who wished to provide for their old age would do so through private insurance.
People who wish to live in a 'virtuous' society, surrounded by others who share their ideas of virtue, would be free to set up their own communities and to contract with each other so as to prevent the 'sinful' from buying or renting within them. Those who wished to live communally could set up their own communes. But nobody would have a right to force his way of life upon his neighbor.
You can download the entire book in PDF form here: http://daviddfriedman.com/The_Machinery_of_Freedom_.pdf
