I often get asked to list my favorite or most influential books. Obviously, the list could go on and on (it’s a bit like choosing a favorite Beatle’s song), but for now since a few of you have recently asked, let’s start with the big three. I’ve broken these down into three categories, first, philosophy, second, economics, and finally, political science. So, in that order, here you go:
1) ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand: the seminal work on why freedom is the only condition proper to human beings. After 25 million copies sold, agree with her or not, she’s definitely on to something.
2) ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON by Henry Hazlitt: this indispensable classic is the best primer I know on the dismal science; in fact, it’s downright joyful. Hayek called it “brilliant,” I just call it a must read.
3) POWER DIVIDED IS POWER CHECKED by Jason Lewis: No doubt, self-serving…but what I tried to do is take the best from all sources (especially the original ones, i.e., the framers) on the issue of federalism and put it in one book. If I didn’t think it was worthy, I wouldn’t have written it.
Read these and you’re off to a very good start.
2 down, 1 to go. I just don’t know if I can sit and read an entire book on economics…
You can get this book in an audio version and it is a very good tool to learn and understand the business cycle. I have read it and plan to read it again, hoping to learn more from a second read. -Christin Davies
One I hope you will recommend to your listeners is ‘Blacklisted by History’ (the untold history of Joe McCarthy). This is a good book to learn the truth about a very important period in American hisotry (the 1950s Cold War era). If I am not mistaken, you interviewed its author (M Stanton Evans) some time ago.