Book Review of The Not so Wild, Wild West : Property Rights on the Frontier, by Terry L. Anderson and Peter J. Hill

This 263-page book is fascinating not only for its vivid account of the history of the American West but also for its economic analysis of the spontaneous emergence of property rights. In Hollywood movies, the center stage belongs to gunslingers who profit through violence. In The Not So Wild, Wild West, however, the center stage belongs to what the authors call institutional entrepreneurs: those who profit by creating property rights and enabling cooperation. The book describes the emergence of property rights and cooperation among Indians and whites, including trappers, cowboys, ranchers, miners, and settlers