Freedom for Sale and “Restrictions” (synonymous with Rules) both exist. But unlike the conventional dogma that freedom is voluntary (e.g., the freedom to read any book on any day) and “restrictions” are imposed on people without their consent (e.g., the jailing of 28 journalists or the creation of the Great Firewall of China), it is surprising to witness the voluntary consent of people to restrictions (e.g., the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in India or the Patriot Act in the U.S.) and the involuntary freedom granted to people by their governments (e.g., free alcohol in hotels and restaurants in the U.A.E. even during Ramadan).

There is a lot of juggling in the concept of freedom, and in the book Freedom for Sale, Mr. Kampfner navigates through this complexity to observe, analyze, and understand the frontiers of democracy. He leads us to the answer to one ultimate question in today’s world: Why is the world trading democracy for security or prosperity? (e.g., an estimated 5 million CCTV cameras were installed in the U.K. in 2008, meaning one camera per 12 citizens, invading their public lives).