If I were to read just one book about Austrian Economics...

Miscellaneous Newbies
1

What should it be?

I looked at a few posts in the forums, and didn’t see anything all that quickly to answer this question.

I did a bit of economics in university, it was easy, but a fair bit of it was clearly nonsensical - so I’m not studying it any further at university.

What one book would you recommend I read to give me a very thorough introduction to AE?

I’ve heard Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson recommended. Is this a decent size of book? I’d prefer to get something substantial.

Thanks,

David

2

It’s pretty small.

Thomas Wood’s Meltdown book is a great introduction to layman Austrian economics.

3

Any book of Mises

4

Hazlitt’s book is pretty small (211 pages) and seems to be an overview. I wouldn’t consider it a thorough introduction so much as a gentle one. I haven’t finished it yet though.

I chose three books as my jumping off point into AE.

  1. Economics in One Lesson, Henry Hazlitt

  2. Economics for Real People, Gene Callahan

  3. Principles of Economics, Carl Menger (available for free on mises.org)

5

I’d like to second Economics for Real People by Gene Callahan.

6

Man, Economy, and State (!!!)

7

over 1000 pages of Rothbardian goodness.

8

I’m now reading ‘Economics for Real People’ by Gene Callahan, because it’s free.

If I like it, I’ll have a look at buying something a little heavier, like Human Action.

Thanks for the advice.

9

This, but so long as it’s combined with P&M.

10

P&M?

11

Power and Market

12

Power & Market, a 2nd book bundled with expanded edition of MES

13

I read Economics for Real People online, then bought a copy of it (and a copy of essentials of economics by Faustino Ballve).

I’m now deciding between Human Action or Economics in One Lesson (I’ll almost certainly get both eventually). If I get economics in one lesson, I might get more than one copy… Does this book tend to be a highly lendable/giftable book?

Thanks

14

It does, but keep in mind unlike HA it’s pop econ (even though it’s correct and well laid out.) HA is a treatise in economics, it’s for people who want to begin acquiring a sound grasp of Austrian econ beyond the layman’s level. If you read it with its study guide and Bettina Greaves’ book (Mises Made Easier) it’s digestible, but my point is that it’s much more thorough and technical than Hazlitt’s book. OTOH, Economics in one lesson is great for getting people who haven’t done much economics to get interested in the topic. It’s sort of like the applied version of Economics for Real People.

15

I guess I would have to say Human Action, but I worry that people get stuck in the first 200 pages. Start page 201 and pick up the beginning later.

16

I read the first 200 pages of Human Action almost 8 times (which is a rough estimate especially because I did not read the book linearly) before I decided to venture to page 201 and beyond.

17

Human Action. Encompasses must of Economics and Mises’s writing is very clear without being “cheap”.

18

Human Action.

19

Alas, the first two-hundred pages are the best part of the entire book.

20

Alright, I’ll pick up a copy of Human Action first. I had always intended on getting both books, and fully understand that they are very different books.

I’m usually fine with reading dense, dry material - the only book I’ve ever put down for that reason is ‘The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’. How necessary is the study guide to HA?

And to my other question: how giftable/lendable is Economics in One Lesson? Is it easier for people to get into than Economics for Real People (which is, in my opinion, rather easy to read)? I’m deciding how many copies to buy (in order to get the discount on multiple copies :p)