No, I don't think David's book is what you're looking for. It's more of an argument that anarchy is a plausible and desirable arrangement for society given the

No, I don't think David's book is what you're looking for. It's more of an argument that anarchy is a plausible and desirable arrangement for society given the current state of microeconomic thought. He offers a theoretical basis for private law enforcement and law making, as well as other functions that are normally performed by the state. On the empirical side, he does have a very nice chapter on Iceland, which went without a public bureaucracy for a few centuries. Law enforcement was essentially a private business for awhile. It's a good read. I know that one of the big Public Choice guys did some writing on the feasibility of anarchy (Buchanan, I think). However, I'm not sure if it's the kind of work you are looking for. There's been few functional anarchies on this planet that we know about, and it's not a topic that gets most economists published. I'll let you know if I find anything. If you're looking for information on the problems of collective action, then the Public Choice guys are definitely the place to start (Buchanan, Tullock, etc.).