Ask HN: Best book(s) to learn about the basics of economics? ↗

The books people recommended

2010-06-27 · 61 points · 76 comments · 20 books named by at least one person here and at least 3 people overall. The number on the left is how many people named it in this thread.

5
Economics in One Lesson
Henry Hazlitt
5 here · 45 all-time · #100 overall
Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 4,979 ratings on Amazon
4
Basic Economics
Thomas Sowell
4 here · 33 all-time · #172 overall
Buy on Amazon4.9 out of 5, 5,209 ratings on Amazon
4Naked Economics
Naked Economics
Charles Wheelan
4 here · 8 all-time · #862 overall
2
Predictably Irrational
Dan Ariely
2 here · 35 all-time · #144 overall
Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 11,450 ratings on Amazon
2Capitalism and Freedom
Capitalism and Freedom
Milton Friedman
2 here · 14 all-time · #470 overall
Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 2,994 ratings on Amazon
2The Worldly Philosophers
The Worldly Philosophers
Robert Heilbroner
2 here · 12 all-time · #553 overall
Buy on Amazon4.6 out of 5, 891 ratings on Amazon
2The Origin of Wealth
The Origin of Wealth
Eric Beinhocker
2 here · 11 all-time · #565 overall
Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 135 ratings on Amazon
2The Undercover Economist
The Undercover Economist
Tim Harford
2 here · 10 all-time · #635 overall
Buy on Amazon4.4 out of 5, 1,821 ratings on Amazon
2Free to Choose
Free to Choose
Milton Friedman
2 here · 8 all-time · #832 overall
2Human Action
Human Action
Ludwig von Mises
2 here · 5 all-time · #1485 overall
1
The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith
1 here · 27 all-time · #212 overall
Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 2,706 ratings on Amazon
1Economics
Economics
Ha-Joon Chang
1 here · 16 all-time · #403 overall
Buy on Amazon4.5 out of 5, 1,519 ratings on Amazon
1The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money
The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money
John Maynard Keynes
1 here · 11 all-time · #599 overall
Buy on Amazon4.1 out of 5, 1,182 ratings on Amazon
1Money: The Unauthorised Biography
Money: The Unauthorised Biography
Felix Martin
1 here · 9 all-time · #695 overall
1The Cathedral and the Bazaar
The Cathedral and the Bazaar
Eric S. Raymond
1 here · 7 all-time · #949 overall
1The Affluent Society
The Affluent Society
John Kenneth Galbraith
1 here · 5 all-time · #1517 overall
1Hidden Order
Hidden Order
John Holland
1 here · 4 all-time · #1537 overall
1The New Industrial State
The New Industrial State
John Kenneth Galbraith
1 here · 4 all-time · #1763 overall
1How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes
How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes
Peter D. Schiff
1 here · 4 all-time · #1769 overall
1New Ideas from Dead Economists
New Ideas from Dead Economists
Todd Buchholtz
1 here · 3 all-time · #2460 overall