General

Re: Choose my next book to read

Chris — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:32:43 GMT

Jonathan M. F. Catalán:

Chris:

After reading Prices, Production, and Other Works I realized Hayek didn't exactly make for light reading.

I want to write an article for Wikipedia on Richard Cantillon, so I am focusing on reading stuff relevant to him, but afterwards I want to start reading some "heavy" literature. I'm not sure if I should read Prices and Production or Pure Theory of Capital first. I have read de Soto's book (although, I will have to re-read it and take notes), but I want to get through all the big Austrian works: Human Action, Prices and Production and Man, Economy and State.

Human Action and Prices, Production, & Other Works are both excellent. The latter was heavy reading although some essays were easier to read than others in the book. After just skimming through The Pure Theory of Capital I'm thinking I should have read that first but I still think I got a lot out of reading Prices, Production, & Other Works.

Re: Choose my next book to read

Jonathan M. F. Catalán — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:22:12 GMT

Chris:

After reading Prices, Production, and Other Works I realized Hayek didn't exactly make for light reading.

I want to write an article for Wikipedia on Richard Cantillon, so I am focusing on reading stuff relevant to him, but afterwards I want to start reading some "heavy" literature. I'm not sure if I should read Prices and Production or Pure Theory of Capital first. I have read de Soto's book (although, I will have to re-read it and take notes), but I want to get through all the big Austrian works: Human Action, Prices and Production and Man, Economy and State.

Re: Choose my next book to read

Chris — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:07:03 GMT

Jonathan M. F. Catalán:

The Pure Theory of Capital will take more than a couple of weeks, as you will definately have to take notes. Books like de Soto's are easier to read (even though it's still good to take notes), so you can understand it without having to re-read it and whatnot. I have not read or looked at MES, so I don't know about that one (I still need to buy it; I get paid tomorrow, so I might buy it then).

My break is a month long I don't think there would be a snowball's chance in hell I could read MES in two weeks haha. Thanks for your suggestions. I know, at least in my opinion, Hayek is a bit difficult to read (takes me a while to get through his writing with a full understanding). After reading Prices, Production, and Other Works I realized Hayek didn't exactly make for light reading.

Re: Choose my next book to read

Jonathan M. F. Catalán — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:20:24 GMT

The Pure Theory of Capital will take more than a couple of weeks, as you will definately have to take notes. Books like de Soto's are easier to read (even though it's still good to take notes), so you can understand it without having to re-read it and whatnot. I have not read or looked at MES, so I don't know about that one (I still need to buy it; I get paid tomorrow, so I might buy it then).

Re: Choose my next book to read

Chris — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:43:33 GMT

Conza88:

Chris:
would MES be too "beginner" at this point (yeah I kinda worked backwards I've read 5 other Rothbard books but not this one yet)?

What are the other ones? They'd deal more with Libertarianism though, wouldn't they?

I'd suggest MES before DeSoto.

Other ones by Rothbard I've read: What has Government done to our Money, Mystery of Banking, History of Money and Banking in the US, America's Great Depression, Education Free/Compulsory. As I said before, I am going to eventually read all three of the books sitting on my shelf unread (I buy a lot at one time and read them over a year usually) but I am just curious as to what order everybody here would recommend. I've already read Human Action so I am not sure if MES would be more of a refresher for that (in which case I'd read it in the spring or summer) or if I would stand to learn a lot of new things from it. Thanks your all your suggestions so far.

- Chris

Re: Choose my next book to read

E. R. Olovetto — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:49:15 GMT

Economics sucks. Read something else if it isn't clear where to go.

Re: Choose my next book to read

Conza88 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:44:58 GMT

Chris:
would MES be too "beginner" at this point (yeah I kinda worked backwards I've read 5 other Rothbard books but not this one yet)?

What are the other ones? They'd deal more with Libertarianism though, wouldn't they?

I'd suggest MES before DeSoto.

Re: Choose my next book to read

Beefheart — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:27:43 GMT

Money, Bank Credit, and Economic Cycles.

Re: Choose my next book to read

krazy kaju — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:48:52 GMT

I agree with lam. Also, MES is probably too beginner for you at this point.

Re: Choose my next book to read

laminustacitus — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:20:46 GMT

De Soto's Money, Bank Credit, and Economic Cycles. Hayek's Pure Theory of Capital is notoriously dense, and deservingly so.

Choose my next book to read

Chris — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:17:50 GMT

After Tuesday my winter break from school will start (thankfully). So now that I will be free from college for a bit I can actually start learning useful material again. I consider myself to be intermediate in Austrian Economics and I have a few books here I haven't read yet - MES (Rothbard), Money, Bank Credit & Economic Cycles (DeSoto), and The Pure Theory of Capital (Hayek). Realistically I will only be able to finish one of thse books during the time I have for break - what do you guys think? I have read plenty of Mises, Hayek, Rothbard, and a bunch of other books here; would MES be too "beginner" at this point (yeah I kinda worked backwards I've read 5 other Rothbard books but not this one yet)? I will read all of them eventually, but 2 will have to wait until after the spring semester. Which one should I read first?

- Chris