A Vision Worth Sharing
Belle Isle isn’t just a novel—it’s a spark. These voices come from readers, thinkers, and builders who believe in the power of bold ideas to change the world. Their words are proof that the future isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we shape.
Testimonials & Endorsements for Belle Isle-Freedom City
“Rod Lockwood has written an amazing book. Belle Isle champions freedom and opportunity, the powers that attracted so many adventurous souls to America over the years. In Belle Isle, he helps us rediscover the roots that built this great nation and suggests that these great powers might once again work their magic, this time for Detroit, for Michigan, and perhaps even once again for the country we love.”
HAL SPERLICH
FORMER PRESIDENT, CHRYSLER CORPORATION, AND MEMBER OF THE AUTOMOTIVE HALL OF FAME
“As a non-American, I have to say that Rod Lockwood’s inspiring book has a relevance that reaches far beyond the borders of the USA. It has lessons for all of us living in any Western democracy, with its inevitable bureaucratic compromises and, often, its complacency. His fresh proposals as to how we might rise above the daily restrictions and penalties under which we all live, and which often limit both our ability to find success and our motivation to do so, should make Belle Isle required reading for politicians throughout the supposedly free world.”
SIMON TAYLOR
FORMER CHAIRMAN, HAYMARKET MAGAZINES, UK; FORMULA 1 RACE ANNOUNCER FOR RADIO AND TV ON BBC AND ITV; PLAYED HIMSELF IN THE RACE MOVIE RUSH
“When given the opportunity, free from overbearing government regulations and restrictions, individuals will outperform the decisions made by bureaucrats. Nowhere is that more evident than in Rod Lockwood’s story of the transformation of Belle Isle. Central planners and obstructionists be damned—and stay far, far away. Bold actions are needed to transform Detroit, and Lockwood’s vision lays the groundwork to make it all happen.”
MANNY LOPEZ
AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST AND FORMER OPINION EDITOR, DETROIT NEWS
“Change requires us to think differently. Detroit has been changed by Cadillac, Woodward, and Henry Ford in the past. Rod Lockwood’s vision and passion for Detroit and its citizens are the changes we need for the future. I hope the people who decide will see the vision for what it is—finally real freedom and opportunity for us Detroiters, the chance of a lifetime to let us
share in the American Dream. And we need it now.”
LARRY MONGO
OWNER, CAFE D’MONGO’S SPEAKEASY IN DETROIT, AND ENTREPRENEUR
“Aristotle wrote that ‘the soul never thinks without a picture.’ Rod’s book paints a vivid picture of the impact the Belle Isle concept would have on individual lives and standards of living—both on the island and in surrounding areas. Art, according to Aristotle, is supposed to consist of ‘life
as it could be or ought to be.’ In this sense, Rod’s book is most certainly art—the most effective medium for conveying concepts. As Detroit continues to decline in both population and capital, the likelihood of Rod’s idea taking hold will most certainly increase.
STEVE THOMAS
OWNER, VINTAGE DETROIT COLLECTION
“I found Belle Isle: Detroit’s Game Changer to be cogent, interesting, well written, and easy to read. Much writing is focused and narrow; this book is broad in scope and outlines important ideas. As a university professor, I can see Belle Isle being used as a special resource in a class in macroeconomics, public administration, or strategy. I would ask the students to take one of the issues (education, health care, role of government) and contrast the issue as developed in the book with current practices. Belle Isle is about ideas and would prove to be a great learning tool.”
DR. NEIL BUCKLEW
FORMER PRESIDENT, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
“Rod Lockwood’s Belle Isle laboratory creates a culture of beauty, optimism, and economic freedom that reawakens a once-powerful Detroit economy. Our beautiful island is the catalyst for his experiment—a chemistry that combines government and financial institutions that embrace individual opportunity, celebrate the growth of wealth, and unleash the extraordinary power of the human spirit.”
BILL VOLZ
FORMER DEAN, MIKE ILITCH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
“Progress depends on freedom, courage, and imagination. Lockwood’s Belle Isle is not another fig leaf to dress up the status quo. It is the sort of bold, outside-the-box thinking that promises to revitalize a region and inspire the whole country.”
LAWRENCE W. REED
PRESIDENT EMERITUS, FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
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