# How Brian Doherty Became a Libertarian **URL:** **By** Brian Doherty **Published:** May 17, 2012 --- Brian Doherty is a senior editor at Reason magazine and Reason.com, and is a preeminent historian of the American libertarian movement. His books include _Ron Paul's rEVOLution: The Man and the Movement He Inspired_ (2012), _Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement_ (2007), and _Gun Control on Trial: Inside the Supreme Court Battle Over the Second Amendment_ (2008). If you are a libertarian, what inspired you to become one? Was it a fiction book? A novel? A philosophical treatise? A movie? A politician? Family? Your own reflections on freedom? Tell us in the comments. Produced by Evan Banks.