As for Acemoglu, I like his The Narrow Corridor which I think is intellectual modest (not claiming too much), though I haven't read Why Nations Fail so can't compare.
I also like The Dictator's Handbook by de Mesquita, and Wars, Guns, and Votes by Collier with similar/related themes.
I wonder what you think about Golden Fetters by Eichengreen his other writings sound sometimes sketchy but this one seems legit.
Any recommendations for a fun, readable but solid econ 101 book with a conservative bent? I'm surrounded by conservatives who don't understand the first thing about economics but won't read a "lib" book. I've been recommending Sowell's "Basic Economics", but it seems a bit too dry for many.
The final paragraph reads: "Let me say finally about Sowell: he does put the conservative case more compellingly than anyone else ever has before him. He is indeed one of American conservatism’s sharpest thinkers and clearest writers. The fact that his version of reality—even when presented with such skill—is still an obvious fraud should tell us conclusively that the right’s worldview cannot be defended."
I would put him in the "ideologically tainted" trashcan.
Principles of Economics by N. Gregory Mankiw. It's an econ 101 textbook but it reads like a popular nonfiction book, and yes, the author is conservative.
And like most textbooks, there's a thriving market in cheap used copies, especially of older editions. I took my college economics course in like 2002, so I don't really know what the current editions are like...
Thank you! If I may boast, I'm amazed at how many of these books this retired English professor of very little brain has read. Now I've more to add to the pile.
I thought "How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth" by Mark Koyama and Jared Rubin, was excellent for a broad overview of economic history
I actually liked Freakonomics, but always thought that chapter was a stretch. My favorite was the chapter before: "If Drug Dealers are So Wealthy, Why Do They Live With Their Moms?" That alone was worth a library checkout.
Otherwise, yeah, Steven Leavitt is humorous but not particularly useful.
The English title is "Weeb Economy"! Half of the book is republished old blog posts of mine about Japan. The new half is about how Japan can leverage its global cultural appeal to increase FDI and exports.
Well, just another reason why I subscribe! I majored in Economics, many years ago, but never really paid attention to what I learned until the last several years made say-Uh! Started collecting what I thought were relevant. They say History tends to repeat itself. Having read some of the ones published in the 60's and 70's, boy, they weren't kidding! Thanks for list. May need to get another bookshelf!
"The Myth Of The Rational Market" great, great book. I actually read all of Piketty and the historical data was very interesting but the core idea that economic inequality compounds without government intervention could be gotten without reading the whole book. I can only hope that by the time I actually get to "Why Nations Fail" and "The Rise and Fall of American Economic Growth" they won't be hopelessly out of date.
I also strongly recommend “How Markets Fail” by John Cassidy, a non-ideological explanation of market failure that helps the reader understand the arguments for intervention.
Thomas Sowell also wrote a wonderfully readable book called “Basic Economics” that should be required reading of every American high school student. Sowell’s politics are more conservative than mine, but it has no bearing on the logical beauty of the writing and the quality of its exposition.
Perhaps not an econ topic but my reading over the past year was in part to understand "money". Best read so far is "Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing" by Jacob Goldstein.
I'm in the camp of although there is some inherent value in certain forms of money (gold), in a practical sense the "value" we ascribe to bitcoin/euro/silver always has a quantum uncertainty (today a dollar is worth something between x and y which will be determined at the moment of the trade). More troubling, any currency can have a crisis of confidence - tulip bulbs were very valuable until they weren't. Thus "paper wealth" will always be somewhat uncomfortable except for those who live to trade and enjoy volatility.
Why would money not be an econ topic, considering that money is just debt? You can read it all in Graeber's book. ;-)
Anyways there's also 'Money has no value' by Samuel Chambers if you're into full length books on the nature of money. Or the work of Geoffrey Ingham, but I haven't gotten round to reading The Nature of Money yet.
Can I pay extra for a more comprehensive anti-reading list? 😎🤫
Really! I was shocked at how tiny the anti-reading list is. Perhaps you need another section called "Ideologically tainted".
As for Acemoglu, I like his The Narrow Corridor which I think is intellectual modest (not claiming too much), though I haven't read Why Nations Fail so can't compare.
I also like The Dictator's Handbook by de Mesquita, and Wars, Guns, and Votes by Collier with similar/related themes.
I wonder what you think about Golden Fetters by Eichengreen his other writings sound sometimes sketchy but this one seems legit.
Embarrassingly, I haven't read Eichengreen's books, just his papers!
Any recommendations for a fun, readable but solid econ 101 book with a conservative bent? I'm surrounded by conservatives who don't understand the first thing about economics but won't read a "lib" book. I've been recommending Sowell's "Basic Economics", but it seems a bit too dry for many.
Sowell is the one I thought of.
Before you recommend Sowell, you should read this:
https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/2023/09/is-thomas-sowell-a-legendary-maverick-intellectual-or-a-pseudo-scholarly-propagandist
The final paragraph reads: "Let me say finally about Sowell: he does put the conservative case more compellingly than anyone else ever has before him. He is indeed one of American conservatism’s sharpest thinkers and clearest writers. The fact that his version of reality—even when presented with such skill—is still an obvious fraud should tell us conclusively that the right’s worldview cannot be defended."
I would put him in the "ideologically tainted" trashcan.
Keep pushing Sowell. That book fucks.
Principles of Economics by N. Gregory Mankiw. It's an econ 101 textbook but it reads like a popular nonfiction book, and yes, the author is conservative.
Unfortunately, it’s priced like a textbook, 10X the price of Sowell.
And like most textbooks, there's a thriving market in cheap used copies, especially of older editions. I took my college economics course in like 2002, so I don't really know what the current editions are like...
Thank you! If I may boast, I'm amazed at how many of these books this retired English professor of very little brain has read. Now I've more to add to the pile.
I thought "How the World Became Rich: The Historical Origins of Economic Growth" by Mark Koyama and Jared Rubin, was excellent for a broad overview of economic history
It's on my shelf to read!
I actually liked Freakonomics, but always thought that chapter was a stretch. My favorite was the chapter before: "If Drug Dealers are So Wealthy, Why Do They Live With Their Moms?" That alone was worth a library checkout.
Otherwise, yeah, Steven Leavitt is humorous but not particularly useful.
What's the title of the Japanese book going to be? I'd like to purchase it when it becomes available.
The English title is "Weeb Economy"! Half of the book is republished old blog posts of mine about Japan. The new half is about how Japan can leverage its global cultural appeal to increase FDI and exports.
Just pre-ordered it on Amazon jp. Gonna read the translation and share it with my family here in Okinawa. Excited to get it 😃.
Thanks Buzen
Nice. Would add some Pettis on there too, The Great Rebalancing or Trade Wars are Class Wars?
I reviewed it here!
https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/book-review-trade-wars-are-class
Fantastic post Noah.
Care to do one on books written pre-1990 in the same categories.
What do you think of The Power of Creative Destruction by Phillip Aghion and his colleagues? My view is that it updates Schumpeter rather well
I haven't read it! I really should.
Well, just another reason why I subscribe! I majored in Economics, many years ago, but never really paid attention to what I learned until the last several years made say-Uh! Started collecting what I thought were relevant. They say History tends to repeat itself. Having read some of the ones published in the 60's and 70's, boy, they weren't kidding! Thanks for list. May need to get another bookshelf!
Glad to see the 'Myth of the Rational Market". I loved that book.
I'd throw in 'Knowledge And the Wealth of Nations 'https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Wealth-Nations-Economic-Discovery/dp/0393329887' I never took a development class during my encon undergraduate turn, But after reading this book it's the field of econ that I find the most interesting.
I also really enjoyed 'The Price of Peace' https://www.amazon.com/Price-Peace-Democracy-Maynard-Keynes/dp/0525509038. More a biography (and a good brief history of the interwar period) than an econ book, but an enjoyable read none the less.
"The Myth Of The Rational Market" great, great book. I actually read all of Piketty and the historical data was very interesting but the core idea that economic inequality compounds without government intervention could be gotten without reading the whole book. I can only hope that by the time I actually get to "Why Nations Fail" and "The Rise and Fall of American Economic Growth" they won't be hopelessly out of date.
(At this point I have gotten enough of a parallel Shabbat reading trend going that the Adrienne Rich and Susan Sontag biographies can go in there)
I also strongly recommend “How Markets Fail” by John Cassidy, a non-ideological explanation of market failure that helps the reader understand the arguments for intervention.
Thomas Sowell also wrote a wonderfully readable book called “Basic Economics” that should be required reading of every American high school student. Sowell’s politics are more conservative than mine, but it has no bearing on the logical beauty of the writing and the quality of its exposition.
Perhaps not an econ topic but my reading over the past year was in part to understand "money". Best read so far is "Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing" by Jacob Goldstein.
I'm in the camp of although there is some inherent value in certain forms of money (gold), in a practical sense the "value" we ascribe to bitcoin/euro/silver always has a quantum uncertainty (today a dollar is worth something between x and y which will be determined at the moment of the trade). More troubling, any currency can have a crisis of confidence - tulip bulbs were very valuable until they weren't. Thus "paper wealth" will always be somewhat uncomfortable except for those who live to trade and enjoy volatility.
Why would money not be an econ topic, considering that money is just debt? You can read it all in Graeber's book. ;-)
Anyways there's also 'Money has no value' by Samuel Chambers if you're into full length books on the nature of money. Or the work of Geoffrey Ingham, but I haven't gotten round to reading The Nature of Money yet.
Congratulations on your new book Noah!