mark skousen, what is freedom fest and how did it come about? >> it is kind of a renaissance gathering. we talked politics, philosophy, technology, religion, healthy living, we have a little bit of everything for everybody. we get a very wide group, we even have an investment conference, we get concerned citizens about where our country is headed. our focus is on political economics and financial freedom. it is growing. we are bigger every year. we have over 2000 people here at this event. in fact, next year we will be moving to caesars palace. i think it'll be a good, controversial topic. >> isn't sponsored by the libertarian party, the libertarian groups, and are you a libertarian? >> well, i hate labels. when i get up and get my talk, i always say let's treat everyone as an individual. everyone has different points of view. we don't like political labels at all. libertarian would be the closest thing, if you wanted to identify me in some sense. >> okay. >> freedom fest is not connected in any way to political party. it is a for-profit organiz

the we are and las vegas nevada four freedomfest and annual event organized by this author, a mark skousen. how did freedomfest come about? >> of renaissance gathering economics, philosophy, scien ce and technology, religion from a healthy living we have of wide group he been investment conference, concerned citizens but the focus is political, economic and financial freedom. this growing. we have 2000 this year next year we're moving to caesars palace. it should be a good topic. >> are you a libertarian? >> i always tell them treat everyone as individual. we don't like political labels. whimper terry and maybe the closest to identify me. freedomfest is not collect -- connected to any political party. we are for profit but we invite nonprofit think tanks we don't compete with them at all. and to bring the intellectual feast two las vegas. >>host: what is your background? >> i am an active mormon on a mission for the mormon church and worked for the cia. then broke out to into the financial world. married, children, saved enough money to move to london where we bought a flat to and have bee

>>host: we have been talking with mark skousen at freedomfest his book "the making of modern economics" the lives and ideas of the great thinkers." thank you for being on booktv. >>host: the book currently on your erse screen several weeks on "the new york times" new york best seller list ed klein it is our guest and the title is the amateur. where did you get to the title? >> the president august 2011 invited his wife, daughter chelsea and friends to meet with him. he had then a secret poll that showed it hillary clinton vin would challenge obama for the nomination in 2012 he thought she could win and she was surprised. she said how could i do this? i have lunch with the man every thursday. what about loyalty? he said there is no word of loyalty in politics. he said the people around, do not understand the real world. they were responsible for losing aaa credit rating for the first time and obama was in his words, "the amateur." i spoke to two people at that meeting. >>host: the president has denied publicly that term. >>guest: hillary has told her friends she suspected that chelsea t

. >> we have been talking with author mark skousen and founder of freedom fest. booktv is currently on location, "the making of modern economics" is his book. the lives and ideas of great thinkers. thank you for being on booktv. >> you are watching 48 hours of nonfiction authors and books on c-span2's booktv. author edward klein joined us at freedom fest in las vegas to talk about his best-selling book, "the amateur." he looks at president obama before and after he reached the white house. here is what he had to say. >> well, the book currently on your screen has spent several weeks on "the new york times" bestseller list. many weeks at number one. it has been written by edward klein, who is our guest. booktv on c-span2. mr. klein, where did you get the title for this book? >> they came from a meeting that bill clinton had in chappaqua new york. north of new york city where he has a home. this is back in august of 2011. he invited his wife, his daughter chelsea, and a bunch of friends, to meet with them because he had done a secret poll. this is in 2011, sorry, a

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