Newbies

Re: Introduction to Economics

Giant_Joe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:39:39 GMT

Lilburne:

If you commute, and you have a way to play digital media in your car, I would take this approach:

Listen to Rothbard's Economics 101 lecture series 3 times.

Listen to the audiobook of Human Action 2 or more times.

Read Man, Economy, and State.

In Human Action, you won't get all the nuts and bolts you get in MES (like, for existence, Rothbard's full exposition on price formation). But too many nuts and bolts are onerous the first time around. With Human Action, you'll have the key principles eloquently expressed, and see the might edifice of the market economy loom up before your eyes, even if you don't see in precise detail how every single girder joins the next. Human Action is much more enjoyable to listen to than MES is to read, so I would start with Mises first. Even if you're not familiar with the historical allusions, you can still understand their import, because his expression is so forceful. And each time you listen to it, its teachings will become more clear. Just make it the Official Soundtrack of your car, and you won't be sorry!

Brilliant idea. I owe you a 12-pack of some of my fine, Canadian beer. :p

Re: Introduction to Economics

patientliberty7 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:52:28 GMT

A constant fear of mine; the fact that LewRockwell.com publishes such neo-fascists doesn't comfort me one bit.

Re: Introduction to Economics

Thedesolateone — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:12:55 GMT

Conza88:

Thedesolateone:
my ex-Austro-libertarian (now apolitical neo-fascist, although somehow a quite lovely person) friend.

Woah, time out. lol

Can you pm an explanation to that one?

Sorry don't want to threadjack.

May as well do it here as so many people have asked.

I have met this fellow called Henry at college, who used to be a libertarian/Austrian, including once sending a 14-page letter to a local council leader whose views he disagreed with. I think what happened is he got so tired of the world being so wrong that he became cynical and apolitical. He's only partially a neo-fascists I think, and mainly says very provocative stuff to shock people, but I think he has some of the tendencies. I really wish he had stayed Austro-lib though; even at the libertarian society I'm the only Austrian, and I'm one of only two libertarians at my college.

He's a great guy though, lots of fun and very strange. I don't tell people he used to be a libertarian otherwise they'll have fuel in accusing it of leading people to nazism!

Re: Introduction to Economics

energybackedmoney — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:20:05 GMT

David.:

I also recommend Economics for Real People (Callahan) and Economics in One Lesson (Hazlitt). Very easy to read, very easy to understand. And better yet, Economics for Real People is available free online.

I really enjoyed Economics in One Lesson and there appears to be a free, yet older, version available online (search Google for the title). I think I'll try Economics for Real People next.

Re: Introduction to Economics

The Late Andrew Ryan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:12:02 GMT

Yes! Finally someone appreciates my awesome sig!!!

Re: Introduction to Economics

bboy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:04:58 GMT

The Late Andrew Ryan:

Yea I think he's got some s'plaining to do.

haha I lol'ed irl after reading ur quote from Watchmen.

Re: Introduction to Economics

David. — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:40:26 GMT

I also recommend Economics for Real People (Callahan) and Economics in One Lesson (Hazlitt). Very easy to read, very easy to understand. And better yet, Economics for Real People is available free online.

Re: Introduction to Economics

The Late Andrew Ryan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:37:28 GMT

bboy:
But now i want to know what Thedesolateone means by ex-Austro-liberatarian...because the way i see it is that once you realize the state is evil, theres no going back. It's analogous to The Matrix in my opinion.

Yea I think he's got some s'plaining to do.

Re: Introduction to Economics

bboy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:35:08 GMT

wow lots of good advice, again ty to all for the suggestions, i will start by reading Economics for Real People, then Thomas Taylor's Intro, listen to Economics 101 by rothbard, and finally begin on MES.

But now i want to know what Thedesolateone means by ex-Austro-liberatarian...because the way i see it is that once you realize the state is evil, theres no going back. It's analogous to The Matrix in my opinion.

Re: Introduction to Economics

krazy kaju — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:30:17 GMT

Conza88:

Thedesolateone:
my ex-Austro-libertarian (now apolitical neo-fascist, although somehow a quite lovely person) friend.

Woah, time out. lol

Can you pm an explanation to that one?

Same here.

Re: Introduction to Economics

Conza88 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:13:39 GMT

Thedesolateone:
my ex-Austro-libertarian (now apolitical neo-fascist, although somehow a quite lovely person) friend.

Woah, time out. lol

Can you pm an explanation to that one?

Sorry don't want to threadjack.

Re: Introduction to Economics

Alex M — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:35:20 GMT

Absolutely read Man, Economy, and State first. It's what got me started and I can't think of a better way to approach Austrian economics than from the ground up, beginning with the fundamental axioms and deriving the entire economic edifice from them. Sure, there's a lot of nuts and bolts, but it's an enjoyable ride from beginning to end and seems far better organized than Human Action (which I am halfway through). That said, I'm loving Human Action now, though I can't imagine what I'd be getting out of it had I not started with Rothbard.

Re: Introduction to Economics

Thedesolateone — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:55:07 GMT

In my opinion you should read, like the guy above me said, a few genuinely introductory texts first.

Economics for Real People - Gene Callahan
Economics in One Lesson - Henry Hazlitt
How an Economy Grows and Why it Doesn't - Irwin Schiff [no jokes, it's actually really good and fun]
An Introduction to Austrian Economics - Thomas C. Taylor

Those are all good ones I've read.

I haven't read either Human Action or Man, Economy and State but the reason I haven't is because I can get them for free off my ex-Austro-libertarian (now apolitical neo-fascist, although somehow a quite lovely person) friend.

Combined with the economics-maths mush they're feeding me here, my good economics has almost withered away (most of the good reading I did was about a year ago). But I shall re-kindle it.

Anyway, read the basics first, and you'll find the more complex stuff easier.

Re: Introduction to Economics

The Late Andrew Ryan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:38:22 GMT

bboy:
Should I first read Rothbard's Man, State, and Economy or Mises' Human Action? I will have study guides for both.

Do not start with these things, economics for real people then economics in 1 lesson then man state and the economy

Re: Introduction to Economics

Daniel James Sanchez — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:10:59 GMT

If you commute, and you have a way to play digital media in your car, I would take this approach:

Listen to Rothbard's Economics 101 lecture series 3 times.
Listen to the audiobook of Human Action 2 or more times.
Read Man, Economy, and State.

In Human Action, you won't get all the nuts and bolts you get in MES (like, for existence, Rothbard's full exposition on price formation). But too many nuts and bolts are onerous the first time around. With Human Action, you'll have the key principles eloquently expressed, and see the might edifice of the market economy loom up before your eyes, even if you don't see in precise detail how every single girder joins the next. Human Action is much more enjoyable to listen to than MES is to read, so I would start with Mises first. Even if you're not familiar with the historical allusions, you can still understand their import, because his expression is so forceful. And each time you listen to it, its teachings will become more clear. Just make it the Official Soundtrack of your car, and you won't be sorry!