Inspired by @Aardvark's post today, and at @grayruby's encouragement, here's my recommended reading list to have a strong grasp of basic economics.
Leave your favorites in the comments, or just tell me that I left out something important. My aim, though, is to get to the mountain top as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Economics in One Lesson by Henry HazlittEconomics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
This is pretty close to the universal answer to the "Where should I start?" question. Clear and concise, Hazlitt gets right to the point that economics is about tradeoffs and illustrates the idea through several evergreen examples.
Man, Economy, and State by Murray RothbardMan, Economy, and State by Murray Rothbard
This treatise comprehensively covers the basic concepts of economics (prices, production, supply, demand, etc.). Rothbard is a very clear writer and uses simple graphs and tables to illustrate his points.
Human Action by Ludwig von MisesHuman Action by Ludwig von Mises
From a previous post about Human Action
In my mind, this is the treatise on economics. Nowhere else will you find the underlying philosophical framework laid out so thoroughly. Some people really don't care about the philosophy (including most economists), but I find it fascinating.
I recommend reading them in this order, with some caveats:
- If you've been hanging around these parts for a while, you can probably skip the first one. It is short, though, and a pleasant read, so you may as well take an afternoon to read it.
- If you're more philosophically inclined, you might just jump straight to Human Action. It covers a lot of the same ground as Rothbard, but generally does so from a more grounded philosophical perspective. Most people seem to find this more challenging though and prefer the more conventional treatment from Rothbard as their introduction.
- Rothbard was Mises' successor, so there are some points where he corrects or refines Mises' arguments. In my suggested order, you get the corrected version first, which is a little awkward.
@k00b outlined a good approach on SNL, that's actually very much what I also did: find shorter articles/videos/podcasts about particular points of interest, by these and other authors.
The prompt for this post was what the best thing to read is for a general understanding of economics. Since that thing is Human Action, this is probably the fastest route there.
Book 1 complete. Great read. No. 2 should be here tomorrow.
You'll need your big boy pants for this one.
I see that. Lured me in with a 5-hour breezer. No. 3 looks dense and intense as well.
Yes. It's the final boss.
Do you mind if I ask if you are an economist by day, or just keenly interested?
Yes, economist by day
Excellent resource, thanks for sharing 🙏
I adore these publications because they always contribute a lot.
Don't forget Adam Smith - The Wealth of Nations.
... And for the little ones, this: https://amzn.eu/d/aka1cmQ 😜😅
Yes! Will absolutely add Tuttle Twins to the updated list.
this is great!
i attempted listening to Human Action as an audio book last fall, but i had to stop until i can give it my full attention reading it the old fashion way. i second your point about it being more philosophical. not necessarily casual listening.
No way can you do Human Action as an audiobook.
You could easily do Hazlitt though.
nope. definitely not with my amount of add.
This is nice. I'm still waiting for your list of failures in development economics lol.
Oh, and one additional book I'd recommend is The Economics Book: From Xenophon to Cryptocurrency, 250 Milestones in the History of Economics
It covers the history of economic thought in very short bit sized articles. Satoshi Nakamoto makes an appearance towards the end!
I know. I must have one of least bibliographic memories in all of academia and I had trouble finding the examples I remembered.
When I have more time available, I’ll track them down.
I'm horrible at remembering references too. I often don't feel like a scholar at all, and more like a technician, and that's certainly where my strengths lied as a grad student
Precise and Perfect!
I'm sorry I couldn't inspire you, @Aardvark is great at doing this. Surprising to see @grayruby encouraged you. I mean I wanted something very similar for ~Stacker_Sports, like one pinned post for sports schedule of the day/week/month, and may be one more post with the brief details about the pools, or what's happening at ~Stacker_Sports.
That sounds like a good idea. The intern should give it a shot.
Are you suggesting @grayruby is a good intern?
Clearly not
Then who is??
Most probably you're, senior intern! Haha.
Many thanks!
I'm inspiring! You're welcome world.
Solid list, kaibigan! Hazlitt is definitely the best on-ramp — simple, no-nonsense, and instantly eye-opening. Rothbard's Man, Economy, and State feels like a natural next step, especially if you're after clarity with depth. And Human Action? That's the Everest. Philosophical, intense, but deeply rewarding.
I’d maybe throw in The Law by Bastiat as a warm-up. It’s short but powerfully frames the moral foundation of economics and individual liberty.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s the kind of reading path that builds not just knowledge, but economic intuition. 🙌📚
Great list! I love how this goes from practical to deep theory — like hiking from the foothills straight to the summit. Hazlitt gives you that "aha!" moment about tradeoffs, Rothbard maps out the terrain, and Mises brings in the soul of the whole thing. Personally, I’d add The Law by Bastiat as a quick but powerful prelude — short, sharp, and hits you right in the ideas. Thanks for sharing this—it’s like a cheat code for understanding how the economic engine really works.