A letter published in today's (3rd May) London Daily Telegraph, relevant, I think, to our community!

Quote:
Cost of lunch

Sir - The warning that, in economics, there's no such thing as a free lunch, which you attribute to J K Galbraith (Business, May 1) is most often associated with Milton Friedman, but originates in a novel by Robert Heinlein, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.

The acronym TANSTAAFL ("There ain't no such thing as a free lunch") comes in a passage in which Heinlein tells his guest, pointing to the "Free Lunch" sign: "Anything free costs twice as much in the long run or turns out worthless." He added: "TANSTAAFL - the drinks here cost twice as much as normal."

Robin Stafford, Goudhurst, Kent

Hmmm - this was what I always thought (having first encountered it in a Heinlein novel).

However, as Doug Burnside (Tanstaafl) points out, it was a commonly used phrase in the 30's from a famous economist of the time - the name escapes me.

I believe that Heinlein "coined" the acronym, but the phrasing comes from Friedman (except, perhaps, the "ain't") and the concept including the phrase "free lunch" seems to date back to the California Gold Rush, though it was probably much more literal back then.

However, Doug seems to be a fan of SF lit, so I bet he initially picked it up from Heinlein. (Though I'd personally argue the literary merit of Heinlein.)

I have to disagree with you on this one Bitt. I wonder how many teenage boys and girls during the 50's and early 60's, the "Golden Age" of Sci-fi, became enamored to reading on just such works. Certainly moving up to more "literary works" but these were imaginative and exciting for the time. I know how much I enjoyed reading them then and now. In his hayday Heinlein was an absolute master at his craft.

Still immensely readable. I've just hacked through "For us, the Living" (which smells of Gernsbach and the mid-30's, but is still fun) and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". Glorious!!!

However, Doug seems to be a fan of SF lit, so I bet he initially picked it up from Heinlein.

Yes.

(Though I'd personally argue the literary merit of Heinlein.)

Heresy! Of course, Bitt's opinions on literary matters are suspect to begin with -- I have it on unimpeachable authority that he was unable to get through Samuel Delaney's book "Dahlgren".

(Actually, all that proves is that Bitt isn't quite as weird as some of the rest of us...)

Dahlgren, for those of you who haven't read it, might best be described as... disturbing.


tanstaafl.

No, no. It's not an issue of being unable to get through it due to the content. It's an issue of being able to get through it due to me being lazy when it comes to reading.

And I'll admit that most of the Heinlein I've read is from his early "boys' adventure" era.