Since 1980, Ken has been writing economic commentaries for radio. Straight commentary from an academic economist was dry and uninteresting. He thought he would spice up these radio spots with fantasy dialogues. Friends were willing to perform with him, and so Jonathan Gullible was born.
Immediately, interest among listeners soared! The ideas were provocative and outlandish, yet they drove home hard-core free market ideas in a humorous way. Later, he enlisted a dozen friends as actors to produce the episodes as a dramatic series. Again it was a hit! Since then The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey has been used for radio broadcasts, discussion groups, essay contests, skits and theatrical productions around the globe.
Each chapter, except the first, starts with a short "parable" about Jonathan Gullible and his encounters with the strange laws of an island and its inhabitants. The story highlights the absurdities of the laws, the controls imposed on people's lives, and the economic drawbacks of these laws. The laws are recognisable as common to countries throughout the world.

As the story unfolds, the part we play in political decision-making and personal responsibility is introduced for discussion. There are many subtle nuances. Sometimes people miss the meaning of a story, so each "parable" is followed by commentaries and relevant background information. These commentaries are meant to provide only the gist of each issue. Books and websites are recommended for further research. They will be particularly useful for projects and debates.

Questions following each chapter are guidelines for group discussions about self-responsibility and life skills that will arouse an interest in the areas of sociology, macroeconomics, philosophy, political science and ethics.

Teachers are warned that the book contains chapters that are critical of contemporary education systems. We feel that students should not be shielded from hard questions about schooling. Rather, we should trust students to take a hard look at the circumstances that are most familiar to them. Indeed, these chapters are typically the most popular with students.

Available in more than 30 languages, this widely acclaimed book has received numerous awards. These include :

        
Awarded the first annual Leonard E. Read Book award by the Foundation
for Economic Education
in 2002.

Thomas Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education from
the Freedoms Foundation
at Valley Forge 2001.

Twice awarded the
George Washington Honor Medals for Economics Education & Public Communication, The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

First Published in 1987 and now available in more than 30 languages, The Adventures of Jonathan Gullibe A Freemarket Odyssey continues to fascinate readers around the world…
 

"It certainly presents basic economic principles in a very simple and intelligible form. It is an imaginative and very useful piece of work."
— MILTON FRIEDMAN,
    Nobel Laureate in Economics
 

"My notions of education previously consisted of threadbare textbooks, stern and cold teachers, of sweating … I have realised that this book is the best textbook I have ever come across … I have learnt more about free markets, private property, free flow of ideas, people and goods, than during the whole of my studies, both a high school and now at university."
— VALERIJA DASIC, Belgrade, Serbia
 

"It is perhaps, the most clearly written and thus readily understandable presentation of all the too neglected philosophical legacy of Liberty and Free Market Economics that I have ever read."
— NICOLAI HEERING, member of
     Libertas Society, Denmark
 

"[The book] makes you laugh, but it leaves you meditating, which is one of the most effective ways ever invented… in making them understand the principles of a free market economy and a free society."
— VALENTINA BUXAR
     Foundation Liberala, Romania

Following his graduate studies at Georgetown University, he served as an international economist in the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce and on assignment to the White House, Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations.

Ken left government for the field of education, teaching business and economics at Sheldon Jackson College in Alaska. He also taught at Hakodate University in Japan and wrote Shogun's Ghost: The Dark Side of Japanese Education, which has been published in English and in Japanese.

Ken is a member of the Board of Directors for the International Society for Individual Liberty and is a Sam Walton Fellow for Students in Free Enterprise.
He has travelled extensively observing cultures, traditions and economies in many countries around the world. Stephen Browne, Director of the Liberty English Camp in Lithuania, once summed up Prof. Schoolland's character by saying, "As soon as Ken sits down in any given place long enough, a child is going to come up to him from somewhere and want to sit on his lap, or a teenager is going to come by and want him for a game of basketball." Such is the author of The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey.

LIBERTY INSTITUTE:        
Liberty Institute is an independent think-tank dedicated to empowering the people by harnessing the power of the market. It seeks to build understanding and appreciation of the four institutional pillars of a free society - Individual Rights, Rule of Law, Limited Government and Free Market.
The Institute undertakes a number of activities, among them research and advocacy on public policy issues. It organises conferences, and has a growing publications programme. At present, the Institute's core areas of interest include development economics, education, environment, health, security, and trade.

The Institute was established in 1996 as a non-profit organisation. It solicits the support of all freedom loving individuals and organisations. It strives to retain its independence, demonstrate its commitment, and live up to its motto: "Where the mind is without fear…"