REVIEWS

Ken Schoolland
Laissez-Faire Books Review, Arizona

          "Old Nick’s Guide to Happiness is without a doubt the best book I have read since Atlas Shrugged, a gripping adventure story combined with persuasive advocacy of a philosophy of total freedom.  In fact, the thing I liked most about the book was the way Mr Dykes contrasted his vision of a purely voluntary society with the myths about, and sordid reality of, government.
          "Mr. Dykes bases his view of life on Objectivism and gives full credit to the genius of Ayn Rand.  Yet he pulls no punches when it comes to exposing shortcomings in Rand’s ideas.  He is equally lucid and analytical in probing the errors of other philosophers, including Marx, Popper and Kant. 
           "Radical capitalism is the heart of the book.  It contains one of the most comprehensive examinations of political economy that I have seen anywhere, from first principles through to full application on everything from education to health care, police powers to roads, and banking to gold.  His analysis of the corruption of current political systems is also among the best I have seen.
          "Mr Dykes is British, and I can imagine that Old Nick’s Guide to Happiness is just the kind of novel that would stir endless debate with friends at the local pub, for no mainstream historical icon is sacred.  The dire consequences of policy blunders by leaders such as Wilson, Roosevelt, Churchill and Thatcher are all dealt with bluntly and caustically.  It is all too easy to blame the horrors of the 20th Century on tyrants abroad, while overlooking the growth of statism at home.
          "He is also searing in his criticism of religion in general and Christianity in particular.  Indeed, anyone close to religion is compelled to answer some tough questions about the nature of man’s belief in the supernatural.
          "With all this cynicism about the world, how can the book be a “Guide to Happiness”?  It is a guide in the same manner as Harry Browne’s How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World.  It is not only intended to shatter the illusions of contemporary society, but is also a road map for personal deliverance from political and societal chains.   
For example, Mr. Dykes presents a refreshing new view on personal ethics and sexuality.
On the purely novelistic side, the characters come across as real flesh and blood, and there are both funny and deeply moving moments.  The romance kept the story very human too, and the tension and suspense stirred the blood.  I was also astounded by the technical knowledge that was part of the fabric of the book, wondering if the author was personally a diver, a geologist, and a submariner.  He writes as if he was a professional in all of these arenas.
          "One criticism:  I felt caught off guard by the extensive quotations cited by the main character in the book.  This stretched credibility a bit, but was perhaps plausible given the isolation of the setting and the demands of the plot.  In any case, the reader will be too absorbed by the discussions to worry about one character’s capacity for memorization.
          "Old Nick’s Guide To Happiness is a great read; very well written and with an excellent mix of philosophy and story; ideas stimulating while romance and suspense pull the reader onward.  In sum, Nicholas Dykes has produced a masterpiece that will surely become a staple of libertarian discussion and in due time take its place as a libertarian classic.  I highly recommend it"

Johnathan Pearce
Samizdata, London UK

A fine book about the important things in life

          "Books that try to convey important philosophical ideas can sometimes be a bit of a struggle to read. Much as I liked Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged for the sheer sweep of the novel and the way it tackled all manner of topics, I'll be the first to concede that some folk out there will find that type of book a daunting read. But a shorter, and highly engaging, example of something rather similar has been out for a few months now: "Old Nick's Guide To Happiness", by Nicholas Dykes.
          "I will not give the plot away but to say that Mr Dykes' novel is based in the wilds of Scotland, focusing on what happens when a young man, who is shortly to head off for Oxford as an undergraduate, gets lost and hurt during a hiking expedition in the Highlands, and how he falls in with a rather unusual couple living there. There are lots of discussions of philosophy and ideas along the way, but is done in such a charming way that the reader, whatever their views, will not feel they are being lectured at. Admittedly, if you are a religious fundamentalist, deep Green or hardline collectivist, then this book will drive you nuts.
          "I have known Mr Dykes for several years and he has been a regular writer for the Libertarian Alliance, among other places. I liked this book very much and I hope Mr Dykes tries his hand at another novel. As he realises, abstract treatises are all very well, but if you can convey ideas through the medium of fiction, with strong characters, a good plot and plenty of engaging detail, it can be far more effective. The Left, if I can be permitted to use that term has long understood this - it needs to be understood by those who work in the broadly classical liberal tradition, too. And the same point applies even more, perhaps, to the world of TV drama and films."

“Bravo!  Quite delightful.  Old Nick's Guide to Happiness is an engaging adventure on many levels:  it captures the mind most of all, but weaves in suspense, diverse characters and humor as well.  I enjoyed it immensely.”

          "....I enjoyed the book immensely—quite apart from anything else it’s refreshing to encounter a novel brimming over with ideas after a seeming eternity in which ideas and fiction seemed to be constitutionally separated. I doubt there’s been anything like it since Atlas Shrugged itself. It’s not in Atlas's league—what is?—but Mr. Dykes certainly succeeds in giving an active mind much to feast on, and in alternating seamlessly between an arresting plot and philosophical instruction.
          "For a novice in the realm of freedom-think, such as young Jacques in the novel itself, ONGTH would be an excellent starting point; for veterans, a useful refresher course. You won’t have to agree with Nicholas Dykes or his Doppelgänger, Old Nick, on everything—I certainly don’t—to be entertained, informed ... and uplifted!"

          “…an intellectual and material world of staggering originality …. 
          “The Guide is actually two books:  an adventure story and a philosophical manifesto, intertwined with considerable deftness and pace.  The adventure which befalls Jac is in the tradition of lost-or-hidden-world fantasy. The Highlands setting of the opening section, and a corresponding American West locale, are government-free territories existing below the radar of neighbours and authorities, where the anarchist principles of Old Nick prevail … 21st-century Galt's Gulches.  The philosophical exegesis which accompanies the adventure is a clear, thorough and (to me) fascinating lesson in the history and evolution of philosophy itself, and of Ayn Rand-style libertarianism in particular….          
           “I preferred the philosophy part not because I know anything about philosophy, but because I don't.  It was like Phil.101 without having to get up for an 8am class, and with a terrific lecturer.  There are also digressions which are glorious fun (a chapter called ‘If I were Prime Minister’ for one).  There are examples from anthropology and history which suggest orderly, happy, peaceful societies without law or government…. Nearly every page offers ideas to intrigue, irritate, inspire or enrage. It's a good read…. something very new and different.  It offers nothing less than an entire new world.  Each reader will wonder – is it a nice place to visit, is it the holiday from hell, or do I want to live there? ”

Ledbury Reporter & Malvern Gazette
"a devilishly good read"

Ross Gazette
"a thought-provoking novel with strong characters, high drama and emotion"