Agency

‘An eloquent argument. . . . [Rowe] is calling not for superstar behavior but an adjustment in normal ways of going through normal lives.’
—John McWhorter, The New York Times

‘Agency is a book that people on both the left and the right should read. It is a guidebook for those who want to help lift up lower-income communities and struggling individuals. It is common sense reimagined.’ 
—Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution and founder of the AHA Foundation

‘This hope-filled, wise, and spiritually enlightening book should be read—must be read—by every parent, teacher, legislator, and community activist in America. With passion, clarity of thought, and abiding faith in the unlimited possibilities of this great nation, an accomplished educator and entrepreneur, Ian Rowe, provides a road map for all of our children to realize their full human potential.’ 
—Glenn Loury, Merton P. Stoltz Professor of the Social Sciences and Professor of Economics, Brown University

‘What a strange world we live in, where the party of libertarians declares we are radically free, and the party of fate—the party that preaches the dogma of ‘systemic racism’—declares that only the state can save us. Ian Rowe tells us there is a third, realistic alternative: we flourish and discover true liberty only in and through our mediating institutions, most notably, our families. We discover a way forward for our entire country in this fine-grained and deeply personal account.’
—Joshua Mitchell, professor of government, Georgetown University

‘In Agency, Ian Rowe provides a thoughtful and nuanced analysis of the challenges facing struggling communities and offers a practical, data-driven framework to empower even those from the most difficult circumstances to overcome barriers and succeed. Rowe’s FREE framework centers on the importance of faith, family, education, and personal responsibility. He recognizes that a vibrant civil society with strong local institutions is a key ingredient for human flourishing. Rowe’s message is a compassionate, inspiring, and refreshing alternative to the divisive, disempowering rhetoric we so often hear today.’ 
—Elise Westhoff, president, and CEO, Philanthropy Roundtable

‘This book is a gift to all those in the rising generation who are baffled by the ominous pessimism that our culture now projects at them from every direction and find themselves unable to envision a future that speaks to their highs longings. They deserve better from us. And Rowe offers them better by helping them see where a morally meaningful sense of direction might be found.’ 
—Yuval Levin, director of social, cultural, and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute and editor of National Affairs

‘Ian Rowe brings a critical new perspective to our national discourse. Those who care about our nation should read Agency for important insights on fixing our culture.’ —Star Parker, Mountain Democrat

‘I cannot more highly recommend Agency. Particularly in these hyper-polarized times, conservatives should be the first to break out of the blame-the-system-versus-blame-the-victim false dichotomy. If anyone should affirm that family, church, school, and community help to form individuals so that they can truly flourish, it is conservatives. Let us follow Rowe’s example and lean into the building and revitalizing of the institutions that will nourish the minds and souls of our young people, even in the (apparently) darkest and most hopeless places. After all, ’a light shone in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’’ —Dr. Rachel Ferguson, University Bookman

'Ian Rowe is an optimist, and that shines through in his new book, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power. . . . In his book—the rest of the acronym stands for religion, education, and entrepreneurship—he lays out his experiences embracing these foundational principles, and his observations of what happens when they’re not embraced. He uses all this to make the case that the only way for children to overcome the barriers to success that the current culture has erected is to get back to basics. . . . As teacher unions continue to worry more about their political connections than they do about teachers and as parents begin the long struggle to reinvolve themselves in their children’s education following the COVID wake-up call, the nation’s children—and the people that care for them—will, fortunately, have the optimism of Mr. Rowe to look to and learn from. —Sarah Lee, Capital Research Center