I picked up this book because I don’t know much about economics and wanted to read something other than a textbook as an introduction to the field. (I also liked the old Firing Line episode with Sowell as a guest.) I thought the book was decently even-handed in its coverage of various aspects of economics, though it is easy to see that Sowell is a big proponent of the free market and does not think much of socialism.
A theme that he repeats throughout the book is the difference between the aims of policy and its actual consequences, and how in many cases what makes for good politics---enacting rent control, protecting “infant industries”---creates bad incentives and in practice often exacerbates the bad situations it seeks to remedy. He also takes pains to respond to arguments against free markets (e.g. that free markets cause greater inequality is beside the point, because it raises the overall wealth of everyone in society). It would be interesting now to read a similar book written by someone on the other side of the political fence.