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Classic economic thought and economists

Economics

The founding texts of economics by Smith, Ricardo, Malthus, Marx, Keynes, Hayek, Mises and Schumpeter, with histories of economic ideas and biographies of economists.

25 books on Classic economic thought and economists, 3 of them tier 1, recommended by 18 people including Mohnish Pabrai and Marc Andreessen.

25 books · 19 experts

Start here

  1. On the Principles of Political Economy and TaxationDavid Ricardo, 1817
  2. The Economic Consequences of the PeaceJohn Maynard Keynes, 1919
  3. Capitalism, Socialism and DemocracyJoseph A. Schumpeter, 1942
  4. Marginal Revolutionaries: How Austrian Economists Fought the War of IdeasJanek Wasserman, 2019
  5. The Road to SerfdomF. A. Hayek

The best books on Classic economic thought and economists 25

On the Principles of Political Economy and TOn the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation
T1 On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation
David Ricardo · 1817
Open Library
The Economic Consequences of the PeaceThe Economic Consequences of the Peace
T1 The Economic Consequences of the Peace
John Maynard Keynes · 1919
Written before the fact by a Treasury insider; the reparations arithmetic that set up the collapse.
Open Library
Capitalism, Socialism and DemocracyCapitalism, Socialism and Democracy
T1 Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy
Joseph A. Schumpeter · 1942
unverified
Marginal Revolutionaries: How Austrian EconoMarginal Revolutionaries: How Austrian Economists Fought the War of Ideas
T3 Marginal Revolutionaries: How Austrian Economists Fought the War of Ideas
Janek Wasserman · 2019
History of the Vienna school as a network, including its financing and its export to the US.
Open Library
The Road to SerfdomThe Road to Serfdom
T3 The Road to Serfdom
F. A. Hayek
Hayek's 1944 warning that central economic planning corrodes political freedom alongside economic efficiency. Written for a British Left audience, it argued that the path to socialism and the path to fascism share structural features. Its critics say it proves too much; its admirers say history vindicated it.
unverified
“Hayek's argument that central planning inevitably concentrates power is a bedrock text in Andreessen's political economy. He has referenced it repeatedly to explain his skepticism of regulatory overreach in tech, particularly around cryptocurrency, speech platforms, and AI governance.”Marc Andreessen
Recommended byLi LuMarc AndreessenPeter Thiel
The Wealth of NationsThe Wealth of Nations
T3 The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith · 1776
The origin point. Smith's argument that specialization and voluntary exchange create wealth still underlies most of what follows. Often misread as a simple endorsement of greed; actually a nuanced account of how self-interest, constrained by competition and moral sympathy, tends toward social benefit.
Open Library
“Smith's foundational account of how free markets generate prosperity is in Dalio's background reading for understanding what conditions produce long economic expansions. He returns to it as a baseline against which mercantilist and nationalist deviations stand out.”Ray Dalio
Recommended byNaval RavikantPatrick CollisonCharlie MungerMohnish PabraiElon MuskMarc AndreessenNick SzaboRay Dalio+1 more
The Theory of Moral SentimentsThe Theory of Moral Sentiments
T4 The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Adam Smith · 1759
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
An Essay on the Principle of PopulationAn Essay on the Principle of Population
T4 An Essay on the Principle of Population
Thomas Robert Malthus · 1798
The original population-versus-resources argument that still frames the debate
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Das KapitalDas Kapital
T4 Das Kapital
Karl Marx · 1867
Open Library
Recommended byElon Musk
Essays in PersuasionEssays in Persuasion
T4 Essays in Persuasion
John Maynard Keynes · 1931
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiWarren Buffett
The General Theory of Employment, Interest, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money
T4 The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money
John Maynard Keynes · 1935
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiEric WeinsteinWarren Buffett
The Great TransformationThe Great Transformation
T4 The Great Transformation
Karl Polanyi · 1944
Open Library
Recommended bySatya Nadella
Human ActionHuman Action
T4 Human Action
Ludwig von Mises · 1949
Open Library
Recommended byCharles Koch
The Fatal ConceitThe Fatal Conceit
T4 The Fatal Conceit
F.A. Hayek · 1988
Open Library
Recommended byNick Szabo
A History of Economic TheoryA History of Economic Theory
T4 A History of Economic Theory
Jurg Niehans · 1989
Open Library
Recommended byEric Weinstein
More Heat Than LightMore Heat Than Light
T4 More Heat Than Light
Philip Mirowski · 1989
How economics borrowed physics metaphors, and what that cost it
Open Library
“there's a wonderful book called More Heat Than Light by a professor named Phil Mirowski, which documents how economists mapped over equations from Newtonian physics”Michael Mauboussin
Recommended byMichael MauboussinEric Weinstein
Where Keynes Went WrongWhere Keynes Went Wrong
T4 Where Keynes Went Wrong
Hunter Lewis · 2009
Polemic against Keynesian policy from an Austrian-leaning investor
Open Library
“This is another timely classic given the present condition. The outline structure of the book is brilliant.”Christopher Bloomstran
Recommended byChristopher Bloomstran
Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic GeniusGrand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius
T4 Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius
Sylvia Nasar · 2011
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
How Adam Smith Can Change Your LifeHow Adam Smith Can Change Your Life
T4 How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life
Russ Roberts · 2014
Open Library
Recommended byTim O’Reilly
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of theAn Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations: Volume 1
T4 An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations: Volume 1
Adam Smith · 2015
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of theAn Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations: Volume 2
T4 An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations: Volume 2
Adam Smith · 2015
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Universal Man: The Lives of John Maynard KeyUniversal Man: The Lives of John Maynard Keynes
T4 Universal Man: The Lives of John Maynard Keynes
Richard Davenport-Hines · 2015
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
An Apology for the Builder
T4 An Apology for the Builder
Nicholas Barbon
unverified
Recommended byMarc Andreessen
John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, PJohn Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman
T4 John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
Keynes: The Return of the MasterKeynes: The Return of the Master
T4 Keynes: The Return of the Master
Robert Skidelsky
unverified
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai

Experts 19

The people who wrote this page's books, and the people who recommend them.

Authors 1

AS
Adam Smithwrote 4 books here

Recommenders 18

MP
Mohnish Pabrairecommends 10 books hereMarc Andreessenrecommends 3 books hereEric Weinsteinrecommends 3 books hereWarren Buffettrecommends 2 books hereElon Muskrecommends 2 books here
NS
Nick Szaborecommends 2 books herePatrick Collisonrecommends 2 books hereCharlie Mungerrecommends 1 book here
MM
Michael Mauboussinrecommends 1 book herePeter Thielrecommends 1 book hereRay Daliorecommends 1 book here
LL
Li Lurecommends 1 book here
Show all 18
Tyler Cowenrecommends 1 book hereCharles Kochrecommends 1 book here
CB
Christopher Bloomstranrecommends 1 book hereNaval Ravikantrecommends 1 book hereSatya Nadellarecommends 1 book hereTim O’Reillyrecommends 1 book here
See all 19 in the Experts tab →

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