# Must read: Economics

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-read-economics/98533>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 15, 2002, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-read-economics/98533 "2002-03-15T22:10:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zweistein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/54ee81/32.png) [@Zweistein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zweistein)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-read-economics/98533/1 "2002-03-15T22:10:37Z")

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Hello: I discovered that I know virtually nothing about economics and economic theory.  
What 5 books should I read to get some basic understanding. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-read-economics/98533/2 "2002-03-15T22:46:09Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Zweistein \*  
> \*\*Hello: I discovered that I know virtually nothing about economics and economic theory.  
> What 5 books should I read to get some basic understanding. Thanks. \*\*

I’m sure others will come along with more serious suggestions, but _Eat the Rich_ by humorist P.J. O’Rourke actually does a decent job in its early chapters of laying out basic economic theory. And it’s funny, too.

N.B.: O’Rourke is an unabashed libertarian, so he leans heavily towards minimal government regulation of markets. Bear that in mind and understand there are other points of view.

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-read-economics/98533/3 "2002-03-16T06:39:05Z")

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A good, VERY readable summary of modern economic thinking can be found in a book called, “New Ideas From Dead Economists”. Can’t remember the author offhand.

For common-sense layman’s free market economics, I strongly recommend “Free To Choose” by Milton and Rose Friedman.

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**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-read-economics/98533/4 "2002-03-16T06:49:56Z")

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“The Wordly Philosophers” by Heilbroner is very well thought of. It summarizes the theories of the economic heaveweights of yore.

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**Author:** ![LiquidLobotomy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/898d66/32.png) [@LiquidLobotomy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiquidLobotomy)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/must-read-economics/98533/5 "2002-03-17T01:30:12Z")

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My favorite:  
The Armchair Economist- It puts economic theory into real world settings- really good stuff.  
But any intro Principles class text book will do- just how far do you want to go?