Im not an economics buff, but I do have a decent grasp of it, so which of these books would you recommend I read first:
Man, economy, and State by Rothbard
or
Human Action by Mises.?
The previous books ive read on Austrian economics has been
Hazlitt’s economics in one lesson, and Principles of economics by Menger.
What interests you most? Do you just want a basic overview? Describe your goals in more detail please
I am interested in Austrian economics in general and would like to broaden my knowledge on the school of thought. I’ve read that Mises’ Human action is not suitable for the layman, so im wondering if it will be too hard to grasp for a person of limited economic understanding and if im better off reading Rothbard’s work as a primer of sorts. In short I would like to know as much as possible about Austrian economics, to the finest detail, but am worried that if I jump straight to human action, that I may not yet have the skills to properly digest it.
Thomas Woods “Meltdown” is great for the layman and brand new. There is also the Politicaly Incorrect Guide to Capitalism. But of the two choices you gave, in my opinion Rothbard is easier to understand for the layman.
Rothbard’s is probably a more comprehensive introduction to the Austrian school, especially as far as anarcho capitalism goes. MES was intended to be a textbook on Mises’ HA but eventually it turned into a treatise of its own. In doing so it lot some of the philosophical focus and became more similar to a neoclassical treatment of economics. So I’d say if you’re looking to gain an insight into the philosophical issues of Austrianism go for Mises, if you’re looking for a more accessible treatment of the market and State intervention go for Rothbard.
Ive read both meltdown and the politically incorrect guide to capitalism, they were both fantastic.
Rothbard is more of a text-book format, but Mises is…better. Definitely philosophically richer.
A lot of what Mises argues is only relevant within the historical context it was written, and will likely appear pointless unless you understand that context. I actually recommend reading the biography of Mises by Hullsmann before Human Action.