A speculative mania has broken out on Wall Street, with everyday people using social media to coordinate attacks on short sellers.

And the world’s race for Covid-19 vaccines has turned into a political circus.

This month, I’d like to introduce you to two books which could radically change how you view both these events. They’re about the role of speculators, pharmaceuticals and governments in society.

The only problem is that very few of you will like what you find…

But, long ago, our guest author for this month’s episode, Doug Casey, inspired me to tell people what I thought they should hear, not what I thought they wanted to hear.

Not that this always goes well…

There’s no doubt about it, Doug Casey can empty a room faster than a fire drill with his opinions. But he’s coated them with a series of brilliant fiction novels which make them seem self-evident.

So, with great trepidation, it’s time for the third episode of The 12, featuring Doug Casey and his books Speculator and Drug Lord, part of the High Ground series.

These are the most anti-establishment novels you’ll find, from the most anti-establishment author. If you liked Ayn Rand, these books are for you…

But what is The 12?

As you can imagine, the editorial team at Southbank Investment Research do a lot of reading. And we recommend books to each other. Including what to avoid…

I thought it was time we passed this valuable resource on to our many readers of our various newsletters. So you can allocate your reading time a little better too.

But how?

What we came up with is The 12. Each month, we interview an author about a book we think you should consider reading. And you’ll find our third episode here.

Nick Hubble
Editor, Fortune & Freedom

P.S. You may have seen my emails over the weekend, inviting you to sign up to receive former $3bn fund manager Charlie Morris’s exclusive “Money Map”, the investing strategy he personally developed over 17 years in the city. If you’re still on the fence, it’s time to act. Click here to do so