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Comment by thr0waway1239 | Hacker News Reader

Thomas Sowell [1], an almost-published novelist turned hard core economist (i.e. got his Ph.D. in Economics) is one of the best writers of economics books, many having a libertarian slant.

I recommend the following books especially - 1. Basic Economics 2. Applied Economics and 3. Knowledge and decisions.

He also produced a crazy detailed trilogy about culture and has written an autobiography which might read a bit like the written version of Mad Men. He often remarks that he is 1/3rd as old as America itself.

And even if you end up completely disagreeing with his opinions, it is worth it to check out at least one of his works to see that it is possible to write economics books which are not utterly boring.

[1] After 9/11, he turned into a slightly loony war hawk. But his best work was produced before that.

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His writings on economics, and concepts such as leftist intellectuals attempting to establish "cosmic justice" through the use of government intervention, are fantastic. It is hard for me to respect his intellect after reading some of his foreign policy articles though. It's a real shame he promotes the foreign policy he does.

Edit: I dont know if he came up with the "cosmic justice" bit but he certainly popularised it, and that has tremendous value for the public debate.

I read Sowell's "Economics in One Lesson" and recommend against it. It's basically a libertarian promotional pamphlet. If one wants an economic education, something like "The Undercover Economist" is much better.

edit: oops, I definitely mixed Sowell and Hazlitt up. Leaving this up anyway, so that the replies make sense. Sorry!

Even UC Berkeley, not exactly known as being a libertarian stronghold used Economics in One Lesson when I went there. I wouldn't exactly throw it away just because you don't agree with it.

I think the parent poster is misremembering. Economics in One Lesson isn't by Thomas Sowell. Not sure it should be characterized as a libertarian textbook either - most would class it as coming from the school of classical economics.

http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2005/04/economics_in_on.html is worth reading.

I can't believe that Delong actually approves (at least partially) of EiOL. I'm shocked!

The libertarial, classical, and supply-side ideas can all be very close to each other but often come at them from different directions.

> Sowell's "Economics in One Lesson"

"Economics in One Lesson" was written by Henry Hazlitt.

I strongly recommend "The Undercover Economist" written by Tim Harford, A Financial Times columnist with a BS and MS Economics from Oxford. It is fun to read and focuses on microeconomics (market inefficiencies, market failures). He has a chapter dedicated to the failing economy of Cameroon which he visited and the growing economy of China.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199926514/

Harford also as a book on macroeconomics, "The Undercover Economist Strikes Back" https://www.amazon.com/dp/159463291X/

Harvard Economist Eduard Glaeser is an expert on cities and he will help to explain (as does Harford) that the reason for the high cost of housing in NYC, London, SF, SD, LA, DC, Boston, and other cities is because of "economic rents" which is a market inefficiency that in this case uses politics to create artificial scarcity in housing through zoning density restrictions. These economics rents benefit landlords by transferring wealth from apartment renter to landlord.

Glaeser: Build Big Bill: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/build-big-bill-article-1....

Glaeser book: "Triumph of the City" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143120549/

"Economics in One Lesson" is not by Sowell.

"Undercover" is an entertaining read. Highly recommended. Has none of the rigor of Sowell's work. Much more highly recommended.

Has anyone read Sowells "Black Rednecks and White Liberals"? It's on my reading list and the premise (that much of black culture is derived from Scottish highland culture) is very interesting.

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