Russ Roberts takes on my former classmate at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Nancy MacLean author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America. 

Truth in advertising.  I had only casual contact with MacLean at UW but came to know Cowen fairly well.  I also had some dealings with James Buchanan (including one group dinner with him in the 1980s!) but did not know him well.

I have ordered the book and will be giving my thoughts soon.