The Machinery of Freedom (ISBN 0812690699) is a book of essays by libertarian economist David Friedman.

The book calls for the privatization of all government functions, details suggestions for many specific instances of privatization, explores the consequences of libertarian thought, examples of libertarian society, such as in the Saga Age of the Icelanders, and offers the author's personal statement about why he chose to be a libertarian.

Topics addressed in the book include the privatization of law (both legislation and enforcement), and the knotty problem of providing for public goods (such as national defense) in a purely libertarian society. Friedman's approach and conclusions may be specifically described as anarcho-capitalist.

Several chapters are freely available on the book's website.