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Favorite Books on Economics

Winston

Winston

Give me convenience or give me death
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What are some of your favorite books on economics?

At the recommendation of a friend, I just started reading Secrets of the Temple by William Greider, and it sounds promising. I'm sure it will be educational, informative, and interesting. So far it's set the tone of what America was like during the end of Carter's presidency, when inflation was out of control, and the economy was in dire straits. Faith in the administration's ability to govern the economy was waning.

How about yourself? Do you have recommendations?
 
I read a hologram for the king. Not really a book on economics, but...more a study in cause and effect.
 
Winston said:
What are some of your favorite books on economics?

At the recommendation of a friend, I just started reading Secrets of the Temple by William Greider, and it sounds promising. I'm sure it will be educational, informative, and interesting. So far it's set the tone of what America was like during the end of Carter's presidency, when inflation was out of control, and the economy was in dire straits. Faith in the administration's ability to govern the economy was waning.

How about yourself? Do you have recommendations?
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https://www.amazon.ca/New-Confessions-Economic-Hit-Man/dp/1626566747

I enjoyed this one.
 
Winston said:
What are some of your favorite books on economics?

At the recommendation of a friend, I just started reading Secrets of the Temple by William Greider, and it sounds promising. I'm sure it will be educational, informative, and interesting. So far it's set the tone of what America was like during the end of Carter's presidency, when inflation was out of control, and the economy was in dire straits. Faith in the administration's ability to govern the economy was waning.

How about yourself? Do you have recommendations?
Click to expand...

Basically anything by Mark Blythe.

Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea

The Future of the Euro

Great Transformations: Economic Ideas and Institutional Change in the Twentieth Century

Routledge Handbook of International Political Economy (IPE): IPE as a Global Conversation

are especially good.
 
Winston said:
Confessions of an Economic Hitman has been on my bucket list for years now..
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It is an enlightening read. I also recommend Chalmers Johnson's Blowback as an unofficial companion book (one for understanding the consequences of economic interventionism and the latter for understanding military interventionism).
 
I assume you're not a fan of Blyth then?
 
Surrealistik said:
I assume you're not a fan of Blyth then?
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I have yet to hear a Mark Blyth interview that I disagree with. I find him remarkably prescient for predicting not only Brexit but Trump too.
 
Winston said:
I have yet to hear a Mark Blyth interview that I disagree with. I find him remarkably prescient for predicting not only Brexit but Trump too.
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Haha, was just wondering since literally every other post in the thread was liked/responded to; I suppose you're already familiar with his works then.

But yeah, if you haven't delved into his written word, do so; he writes almost as well as he speaks/presents.
 
Surrealistik said:
Haha, was just wondering since literally every other post in the thread was liked/responded to; I suppose you're already familiar with his works then.

But yeah, if you haven't delved into his written word, do so; he writes almost as well as he speaks/presents.
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Thanks for the recommendation. I just missed your post. Just saw it. I'll amazon one of his books. Do you recommend a magnum opus?
 
Winston said:
Thanks for the recommendation. I just missed your post. Just saw it. I'll amazon one of his books. Do you recommend a magnum opus?
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I'd say Austerity: The History of A Dangerous Idea is perhaps the most topical and immediately relevant/least dry book overall.
 
Surrealistik said:
I assume you're not a fan of Blyth then?
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Was just listening to some of Blyth. I liked this gem: "I am all for us tightening our belts the minute we are all wearing the same pants." :lol:
 
Since Confessions was already mentioned, I'll add Wealth of the Nations (still havent finished) and Superfreakonomics (got mine signed)

Is it weird that I still have my old freshman year Macro/Micro textbooks as well?
 
None.

There is no economic theory worth a nickel that requires an entire book to detail...one chapter should be more than sufficient.

Therefore, anyone who writes a book strictly about economics is probably doing so because a) they crave attention (a very bad sign in an economist); b) they need the money (another bad sign); c) they are little more than salespeople - and salespeople love to drown people in words as it tends to work on the weak-minded; d) a combination of the above.

No offense intended people but IMO, economic theories are for the weak and/or the ignorant....people who cannot/will not think for themselves and require/allow others to do it for them.
It's like when I was in numerous economics classes in university and I would look at the students and many of them would be wide eyed and glued to every word the prof with the big ego was saying...like disciples in a church or a sucker about to buy an overpriced, vacuum cleaner from a door-to-door salesman.

Economics/macroeconomics is imo about common sense, understanding basic human emotions, testing every 'theory' with unbiased, historical data and always keeping an open mind.
 
Winston said:
What are some of your favorite books on economics?

At the recommendation of a friend, I just started reading Secrets of the Temple by William Greider, and it sounds promising. I'm sure it will be educational, informative, and interesting. So far it's set the tone of what America was like during the end of Carter's presidency, when inflation was out of control, and the economy was in dire straits. Faith in the administration's ability to govern the economy was waning.

How about yourself? Do you have recommendations?
Click to expand...

The only major issue in economics is capitalism versus libsocialism. Liberals generally don't have the IQ to understand capitalism but knowing this Milton Friedman wrote Free To Choose anyway in a valiant effort to reach the liberal IQ and perhaps to save freedom.

Second, is Ayn Rand's Capitalism the Unknown Ideal ( an effort similar to Friedman's)

Third, is Robert Ringer's "Restoring The American Dream" ( even more general but aimed squarely at the abilities of liberals)
 
DA60 said:
Economics/macroeconomics is imo about common sense, understanding basic human emotions, testing every 'theory' with unbiased, historical data and always keeping an open mind.
Click to expand...

how naive as if libcommies like Obama don't think they have common sense!!!
 
DA60 said:
testing every 'theory' with unbiased, historical data and always keeping an open mind.
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Thats exactly what Keynes did in his 800 page General Theory and what Friedman did in his 600 page Monetary History!! Sorry to rock your world!!
 
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