Hello, good people of the most honorable Mises Institute. I hope to become a very active member of this community, one which I've been lurking on for a couple of weeks now; but before I dstart engaging in economic discussions with you all, I think it only makes sense that I get a much better understanding of Austrian economics then the bare-bone comprehension I have of it now. So basically, my question is this; where should I start in my reading of Austrian economic theorists? I'm currently reading An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of The Wealth of Nations; while I understand that Adam Smith wasn't by any means an Austrian economic theorist, I felt it appropriate to begin with the work that many claim to be the backbone of modern capitalist theory. Is it a good idea to start with this book, and assuming that it is, where do I proceed from there? Do I begin working my way through Ludwing von Mises' library of work, or proceed in a different fashion?
All suggestions are much appreciated, and thanks for taking the time to anser.
Rcder:At the risk of making myself sound like a dullard, the language was very difficult to traverse, and I wasn't getting much out of it to begin with.
You don't sound like a dullard. Murray Rothbard felt the same way...
the much revered Wealth of Nations is a huge, sprawling, inchoate, confused tome, rife with vagueness, ambiguity and deep inner contradictions.
I think all my suggestions for reading have already been mentioned, but I would go for (in this order):
I also would like to especially recommend this lecture series by Joseph Salerno.
Welcome to the community.
Government Explained 2: The Special Piece of Paper
Law without Government
Thanks for the suggestion. Looks like I've got quiet a bit of reading ahead of me, so I'd better get started.