F. A. Hayek occupies a peculiar place in the history of twentieth-century liberalism. His influence has, in many respects, been enormous. The Road to Serfdom, his first political work, not only attracted popular attention in the west but also circulated widely (in samizdat form) in the intellectual underground of Eastern Europe during the years between the end of the war and the revolutions of 1989. His critique of central planning has been thoroughly vindicated, if not by the demise of communist economic systems, then at least by the recognition by socialists of many stripes of the importance of market processes. Books and articles on his thought continue to appear and there is plenty of evidence that his ideas are widely discussed in Europe, South America, and even in the United States. Hayek's political influence has been no less remarkable. He persuaded Antony Fisher to abandon his plans for a political career and to devote himself instead to establishing an organization for the dissemination of classical liberal ideas. The Institute of Economic Affairs founded by Fisher not only played an important role in changing the policymaking climate in Britain but also became the model for many classical liberal ”think-tanks” around the world. But Hayek also influenced political leaders and activists more directly through his writings and public speeches, and also through personal correspondence. By any reasonable standard, Hayek has been a significant public intellectual whose influence has roamed across the disciplines of social science into the realms of public policy.