West Virginia ranks dead last in economic freedom according to a new book that's generating a lot of buzz around the Mountain State.

Each chapter of “Unleashing Capitalism: Why Prosperity Stops at the West Virginia Border and How to Fix It” opens with a satellite photo of economic activity on the other side of the state line.

"We have two or three Fortune 500 companies within a mile of our state border --- right on the other side--- and zero inside our state," said Dr. Russell Sobel, the book’s editor.

Sobel, an economist from West Virginia University, and two dozen colleagues studied the problem and compiled the book, full of essays and suggested policy reforms for making West Virginia more competitive.

The authors said they believe that state government so heavily regulates the economy that West Virginia has become the least capitalist state in the nation.

"West Virginia doesn't need to worry about where we need to drive the economy for future growth,” said Sobel. “What we need to do is get a policy climate so that when new innovations occur that we're going to capture some of those in West Virginia, whatever they may be."

Sobel has sent a copy of his book to every member of the state Legislature and to Gov. Joe Manchin.

NEWS9 asked Manchin about Sobel’s book and not only was the governor familiar with “Unleashing Capitalism,” he agreed that the state’s economy and people are too reliant on state government.

"If you had a child and you raised that child and that child is 40 years of age and still living at home and says 'hey mom and dad, you didn't give me my allowance this week,' you really haven't provided an atmosphere for a productive human being,” said Manchin.

“We haven't provided that atmosphere because of the impediments of the constitution."

Sobel said he and his colleagues wrote “Unleashing Capitalism” based on economic research and did not weed out policy reforms that would be politically challenging.

Among several tax reforms, Sobel's book calls for more lawsuit reform, elimination of the minimum wage and making West Virginia a "right-to-work" state.

Each suggestion has the potential to be politically problematic.

Sobel said some of the policies his book suggests are working just across the state line.

"Maybe it is possible,” said Sobel. “It would be fun to see if we could get some debate going on it. At least we need to get the state debating these and I think that's the most important thing to me."

For a link to more information about Unleashing Capitalism, click here.

Eric Minor, NEWS9