A World That Works: Freedom, Prosperity, and the Honest Case for Capitalism (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798277821145)

Should billionaires exist? Is healthcare a human right? Can we build a free and fair society?

Most books on economics and inequality pick a side and preach to the choir. A World That Works does something different: it interrogates both sides with equal rigor.

Through a series of compelling Socratic dialogues, Ali Mirza-born in Pakistan, raised in Lebanon and Kenya before arriving in America-explores the deepest questions in political economy with the perspective of someone who's seen both functional and dysfunctional systems firsthand.

The immigrant's paradox: The whole world wants to get to America, but Americans seem embarrassed by the very system that drew them. Mirza unpacks why-examining capitalism not with blind faith but with the eyes of someone who's lived the alternative.

On Wealth: Why capping billionaire wealth sounds fair butwould devastate innovation - Why "they didn't build that alone" is true but irrelevant - How to distinguish legitimate value creation from rent-seeking

On Rights: Why positive rights that depend on others' labor aren't actually rights - The difference between compassion and coercion - Why healthcare access matters even if healthcare isn't a "right"

On Inequality: Why unequal outcomes aren't the same as injustice - Why mobility matters more than distribution - Why some inequality is the price of freedom-and why that's okay

On Meaning: Why material security doesn't create purpose - Why people need contribution, not just consumption - Why redistribution can't solve existential despair

On Building a Better World: How to raise the floor without killing the engine - Why safety nets must preserve dignity and incentive - What policies could actually work

This isn't ideology-it's honest reasoning about trade-offs we all face. Mirza doesn't promise utopia. He promises intellectual integrity.

Perfect for readers who:

• Are tired of partisan echo chambers
• Want substance over slogans
• Can handle uncomfortable truths
• Believe good faith disagreement matters
• Think both left and right get important things wrong

You will like this book if you liked:

• The Righteous Mind (Jonathan Haiti),
• Enlightenment Now (Steven Pinker),
• Basic Economics (Thomas Sowell),
• Why Nations Fail (Acemoglu & Robinson)

Warning: This book will challenge you regardless of your politics. That's the point.

Author: Ali F. Mirza
ISBN-13: 9798277821145
Publisher: Independently Published
Language: English
Published: 12/07/2025
Pages: 236
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.71lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.50d