Libertarianism seems fairly straightforward on the surface: “Keep your government out of my bedroom and my wallet.” But how that principle applies to real-world political and economic issues is complicated.

In Libertarianism, from A to Z, acclaimed Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron sets the record straight with a no-frills dictionary that walks us through the movement’s controversial stances on prostitution and drug use to explore issues ranging from abortion to the war on terror. He shows us how to follow those principles to their logical—and sometimes controversial—ends and how to think like a libertarian.