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Freakonomics
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool?
What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?
How much do parents really matter?
These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He studies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to parenting and sports—and reaches conclusions that turn conventional wisdom on its head.
Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They set out to explore the inner workings of a crack gang, the truth about real estate agents, the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, and much more.
Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, they show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives—how people get what they want or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing.
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suggested
Bob Murphy
Contra Krugman
With a foreword by Ron Paul
This book is a relentless assault on the ideas of Krugman and on the Keynesian economics that would have the government direct the economy in order to maximize prosperity and prevent recessions.
In fact, the more they try to manage the economy the worse they make it - as during the housing bubble years when the Fed and the federal government colluded to gin up the housing market in order to keep the economy robust after 9/11. Oops.
Unfortunately for Krugman and his followers, Krugman is able to declare victory for Keynesianism only by citing highly selective data, by ignoring or misrepresenting his own predictions, or by misstating the views of his opponents. Krugman even claims to have predicted the housing bubble - after having called for the very policies that created it.
Economist Robert Murphy (PhD, NYU) has an uncanny ability to recall Krugman's columns and interviews and puts his command of this material to devastating use in this book. As Murphy shows, in no way can it be said that Keynesian analysis has won the day. To the contrary, the Austrian School - which has been critical of government intervention, particularly central banking - has been vindicated in episode after episode.
Topics include:
- The Great Depression
- Obamacare
- Krugman's predictions
- Monetary policy
- Climate change
- Financial "reform"
- Employment and wages
- The minimum wage
- Business cycles
- Stimulus
Listen to this book, and never lose a debate again.
Adam Smith
The Wealth Of Nations
It is symbolic that Adam Smith’s masterpiece of economic analysis, The Wealth of Nations, was first published in 1776, the same year as the Declaration of Independence.
In his book, Smith fervently extolled the simple yet enlightened notion that individuals are fully capable of setting and regulating prices for their own goods and services. He argued passionately in favor of free trade, yet stood up for the little guy. The Wealth of Nationsprovided the first--and still the most eloquent--integrated description of the workings of a market economy.
The result of Smith’s efforts is a witty, highly readable work of genius filled with prescient theories that form the basis of a thriving capitalist system. This unabridged edition offers the modern reader a fresh look at a timeless and seminal work that revolutionized the way governments and individuals view the creation and dispersion of wealth--and that continues to influence our economy right up to the present day.
Read moreIn his book, Smith fervently extolled the simple yet enlightened notion that individuals are fully capable of setting and regulating prices for their own goods and services. He argued passionately in favor of free trade, yet stood up for the little guy. The Wealth of Nationsprovided the first--and still the most eloquent--integrated description of the workings of a market economy.
The result of Smith’s efforts is a witty, highly readable work of genius filled with prescient theories that form the basis of a thriving capitalist system. This unabridged edition offers the modern reader a fresh look at a timeless and seminal work that revolutionized the way governments and individuals view the creation and dispersion of wealth--and that continues to influence our economy right up to the present day.
General Smedley D. Butler
War Is A Racket
"War is a Racket" is marine general, Smedley Butler's classic treatise on why wars are conducted, who profits from them, and who pays the price. Few people are as qualified as General Butler to advance the argument encapsulated in his book's sensational title. When "War is a Racket" was first published in 1935, Butler was the most decorated American soldier of his time. He had lead several successful military operations in the Caribbean and in Central America, as well as in Europe during the First World War. Despite his success and his heroic status, however, Butler came away from these experiences with a deeply troubled view of both the purpose and the results of warfare.
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