Economics Book List

[Marcos Buenijo]

Thanks to Ben for bringing up economics in his most recent post.

I began studying economics several years ago. I was compelled to do so primarily to understand the causes of two observations: (1) why oil prices were rising, and (2) why home prices were rising. Well, I answered my questions, and many more. I've read many books over the last several years, and I came across a handful that were so good that I read them more than once. I recommend these books for anyone who may be interested in learning about economics:

*Economics in One Lesson (Hazlitt) http://jim.com/econ/chap01p1.html
*The Concise Guide to Economics (Cox) http://www.conciseguidetoeconomics.com/
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal (Rand)
What Has Government Done to Our Money (Rothbard)
The Biggest Con (I. Schiff)
Crash Proof (P. Schiff)
The Fatal Conceit (Hayek)

* The first two are available in their entirety on line. These two are also, in my opinion, the best books to begin your study. In fact, you will get a wonderful understanding of economics by restricting your study to these two books alone.

[Marcos Buenijo]

Check this out: http://usdebtclock.org/

Please note the last row of entries that include the unfunded liabilities of the U.S. gov't. This is most telling. The real debt is nearly 10 times greater than most believe, and far greater than the net worth of the country.

[Adam]

Cool to see that others in this forum are also students of economics. Basic Economics - Thomas Sowell was what got me started.

[Steve Unruh]

Gentlemen
What I am saying is that in my world view I value function far, far above form. I could give a tinkers damn about the name on it, it's origin or how "Pure" a particular form of government or economy is but will judge harshly how much it allows the individuals to express being human. And, how much of mine or your humanity must I or you must sacrifice and pay out to support it. The more a government/economic system takes care of my and yours needs for protection, shelter, food, and entertainment the less human I feel and the more of an overly specialized insect we both become. Bee and ant extreme individual specialization is good for the health of the colony but really sucks on the individual.

The bigger problem as I see it is how much time, effort and responsibility I or you are willing to use to express being human.

My hand grown and raised eggs at equivalent +$4.00 a dozen that we eat and trade and barter to neighbors. The yolks are orange from all of the grasses/weeds and green scrap beta carotene. Or watery pale yolked eggs (government/corporation "guaranteed just as nutritious") from a 4,000,000 hen brood house directly employing 12 very specialized de-humanized tyvex clothed people located out in the middle of the desert to hide it's ugliness. Now add in the indirect highly specialized people to make the feeds, equipment, packaging, buildings and supply the massive amounts of non-renewable diesel, propane and natural gas needed to support 4,000,000 chickens all cooped up in the same place living on wire for all of their short lives: 12 more people paying taxes into and dependent the social/economic hive collective.
So yes, I do guess this makes my half an hour a day chicken/egg raising activities to some to be very anti-social and dangerous.
I, however think it makes myself and my neigbors and my feed supplier more human.
Your choice. Which do you want to be? Expressive human? Or sacrificial social insect?
I will, as I expect you to do, will judge by what you do or don't do. Any labeling beyond this is always a con-man smoke and mirrors.

Regards
SteveU.

[Radam]

Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.
- Winston Churchill

[ben]

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to chop it up, does it make syngas?

[Radam]

If someone says something is false, that does not mean that whatever he says is true.

[chris seymour]

Great reply, Steve! I'm ganna check out these books, thanks for posting Marcos.

[Steve Unruh]

Very good book list MarcosB.
I have read 3 of the lower 5. I will try your recommended top two.
Once a person had an understanding of economic forces to their satisfaction it seems to me that the course of action to do something about it is then where we all seem to part direction.
Without polarizing the group by using social/economic labels what we can do seems to me to fall into three broad avenues:
1) Ignore it. Accept whatever is happening around you with these economic tides, wind and waves. Go where ever these carry your bottle. All is up to fate, fortune; powers beyond your control.
2) Bull your way through. With a modern high powered ship or car it seems you can just ignore the tides, the winds, the waves, the hills and even the curves in the road. This is a happy illusion. Until you run out of power or the opposing forces become so great, and you are now so overcommitted that when reality finally smacks your destruction is certain. The car is off the road f-a-a-l-l-ing to crash and burn. Your ship is aground up on the rocks powerless to stop the current and waves from grinding it to bits. Nothing is more stuck than a big four wheel drive out in the sand and mud up to its windows in goo.
3) Become a very good sailor, truck driver or bicyclist. While you really can't affect these forces, acknowledge them, learn to use them to take you places you wish to go. When the tides and wind are not both in alignment you can learn to use the wind to carry you against the tide, or the tide against the wind. Slowly grinding your way up the hill tell your self Any forward progress is progress. On the ride down the backside don't let the exhilaration allow you to lose control. Recognize when the forces are too great and it is best to anchor in place, pull off the road and let the storm pass. Learn to hunker down and even enjoy the pause given by the crash of the storm and the howl of the wind secure in the knowledge the suns going to come out tomorrow.
Learn to enjoy the journey and not just be fixated on the destination, the prize.

regards
SteveU.