Ask HN: Book Ideas for Math, Physics, AI, Economics
I know, big salad - any ideas on books (or single book) that synthesize theories, theorems, laws, paradoxes into an easy to read/digest book?
More advanced but still achieving the same goal would be The Theoretical Minimum by Leonard Susskind
Undergrad introductory textbook: https://www.core-econ.org/ebooks/ But it might be worth applying this to a topic while reading rather than simply reading a book.
Read papers vs 'news': https://ideas.repec.org/ the firehose of topics to subscribe (perhaps try reading a couple a month) http://nep.repec.org/ Central banks often have good macro summaries and topical papers.
econtwitter.net has a variety of people.
For econ history, or rather a history of economic thought, instead of attempting a tome, of which there are many progressing over centuries, and if reading really need to be read in full than in part (for example, discussion in part V III in The Wealth of Nations hardly paints discussion in I in an entirely positive light) try Blaug, Economic Theory in Retrospect.
For specific topics, like Industrial Economics, or Experimental Economics for example, consult the reading list of a university's undergraduate course options.
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, and the Wealth and Poverty of Nations by Landes are both pivotal works related to economics. The first book describes the fundamental underpinnings of the requirements for economies to work at the micro level. Its written in a very easy to understand way, and doesn't throw magical thinking on you as later more modern works do. Modern economic courses practical benefits are only good for lying, and deceit since you can match the data to whatever narrative you happen to be trying to push. Its an appeal to authority that often isn't backed in any scientific or realistic way though it gives that allure to those who don't otherwise know. Its not a real science, and has largely been used with planning/justifying loans for the purpose of coercion. You might get a kick out of John Perkin's book, "Confessions of an Economic Hitman".
The second book covers why northern lattitudes were able to accumulate so much wealth, while places like Africa and South America have been in a constant state of turmoil. It largely has to do with a number of factors that are not widely known outside certain circles. It has a number of historical case studies, it really drives home the ominous threat of climate change even though it doesn't touch on that at all.
It is also important that you have a good solid understanding of how debt actually works, and why some of those "line in the sand" aspects of Smith's work are no longer bounds (largely due to unbacked fiat, i.e. reasonable prices that account for what makes up the reasonable cost of producing something).
Additional research on the Economic Calculation Problem and how it relates to economics is also good. There were several books, that alas I cannot remember but someone mentioned them previously in a similar thread. The problem is most commonly scene in centrally planned economies, or in other words socialist economies, though it does affect all economies when the currency is not tied to a stable store of value (as in fiat currency).
Very important stuff since we have been recently seeing a number of economic issues which have been previously documented. First you centralize and concentrate, then you nationalize (though they won't call it that). Credibility is terribly important when it comes to stores of value, and once its lost, its lost for good. There can be no trust after a precipitating event.
As a final recommendation, I'd recommend the Big Debt Crises by Ray Dalio. It covers in-depth case studies of various economic cycles. (Cost Push vs Demand Pull Inflation, Hyperinflation, Depression, and Deflationary Spirals iirc). The media lies about this all the time, its good to be educated.
Though, you do have to ground yourself as some of the conclusions written are wrong due to fundamental misunderstandings of who determines prices and produces products. Price discovery is incredibly important, and everything goes out the window if the data you are looking at for a market lacks adequate price discovery. In the short, or long term (metals spot pricing and libor rates being a perfect example of price fixed markets).
Incidentally, this can also potentially dovetail into other historical research. Though, again, as a reminder, its important to ground yourself.
A lot of history is very dark, and those that fail to learn history are doomed to make the same missteps that repeat it. Don't get bogged down in what you can't control. Forewarned is forearmed.