Reddit's r/Economics Reading List (51 books)

The best introduction to economics is to pick up an introductory textbook. Mankiw, Cowen/Tabbarok, and Krugman/Wells are all fine choices; the differences between them are minor. However, there are also many books on economics directed at a popular audience. These are no substitute for an intro textbook, but make for fine, enjoyable, and stimulating reading.

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1	Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman 4.17 avg rating — 574,462 ratings score: 788, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoğlu 4.09 avg rating — 60,761 ratings score: 668, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit V. Banerjee 4.27 avg rating — 24,036 ratings score: 562, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality by Angus Deaton 3.81 avg rating — 2,437 ratings score: 478, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond 4.04 avg rating — 450,112 ratings score: 476, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor by David S. Landes 3.96 avg rating — 3,872 ratings score: 372, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Worldly Philosophers by Robert L. Heilbroner 4.16 avg rating — 8,840 ratings score: 297, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith 3.88 avg rating — 34,615 ratings score: 294, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel 4.14 avg rating — 40,025 ratings score: 288, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman 3.90 avg rating — 14,945 ratings score: 283, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The New Geography of Jobs by Enrico Moretti 4.03 avg rating — 2,735 ratings score: 260, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 29,276 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life (Norton Paperback) by Avinash K. Dixit 3.87 avg rating — 3,858 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler 3.84 avg rating — 93,642 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely 4.12 avg rating — 130,170 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt 4.01 avg rating — 890,581 ratings score: 187, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Free to Choose: A Personal Statement by Milton Friedman 4.22 avg rating — 9,423 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3,073 ratings score: 185, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Undercover Economist Strikes Back: How to Run-or Ruin-an Economy by Tim Harford (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 3,229 ratings score: 181, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else by Hernando de Soto 3.99 avg rating — 4,367 ratings score: 179, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World by Gregory Clark 3.76 avg rating — 1,281 ratings score: 172, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly 3.84 avg rating — 5,642 ratings score: 169, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists' Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics by William Easterly 3.96 avg rating — 1,648 ratings score: 168, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Global Financial Warriors: The Untold Story of International Finance in the Post-9/11 World by John Brian Taylor 2.80 avg rating — 20 ratings score: 158, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Armchair Economist: Economics & Everyday Life by Steven E. Landsburg (Goodreads Author) 3.73 avg rating — 4,017 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	The Nature of Economies by Jane Jacobs 3.80 avg rating — 498 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions by Jean Drèze 4.15 avg rating — 1,543 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Micromotives and Macrobehavior by Thomas C. Schelling really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,179 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life by Richard Florida 3.68 avg rating — 3,334 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The New Industrial State by John Kenneth Galbraith 3.91 avg rating — 493 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Pop Internationalism by Paul Krugman (Goodreads Author) 3.70 avg rating — 413 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Accidental Theorist and Other Dispatches from the Dismal Science by Paul Krugman (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating — 1,028 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Macroeconomic Patterns and Stories by Edward E. Leamer 3.73 avg rating — 22 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Gifts of Athena: Historical Origins of the Knowledge Economy by Joel Mokyr 3.96 avg rating — 122 ratings score: 78, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen 4.10 avg rating — 7,062 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs 3.69 avg rating — 11,215 ratings score: 72, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet by Jeffrey D. Sachs 3.65 avg rating — 1,798 ratings score: 71, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It by Paul Collier 3.85 avg rating — 7,967 ratings score: 70, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Wars, Guns, and Votes: Democracy in Dangerous Places by Paul Collier 3.86 avg rating — 854 ratings score: 69, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus 4.12 avg rating — 10,367 ratings score: 68, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammad Yunus 3.97 avg rating — 3,211 ratings score: 67, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Solomon's Knot: How Law Can End the Poverty of Nations (The Kauffman Foundation Series on Innovation and Entrepreneurship) by Robert D. Cooter really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 15 ratings score: 66, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	More Than Good Intentions: How a New Economics Is Helping to Solve Global Poverty by Dean Karlan (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 994 ratings score: 64, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations: A Story of Economic Discovery by David Warsh 3.93 avg rating — 320 ratings score: 63, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The Making of an Economist, Redux by David Colander 3.45 avg rating — 75 ratings score: 62, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Modern Macroeconomics: Its Origins, Development and Current State by Brian Snowdon 4.35 avg rating — 107 ratings score: 61, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	In an Uncertain World: Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington by Robert E. Rubin (Goodreads Author) 3.70 avg rating — 660 ratings score: 59, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Age of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan 3.65 avg rating — 7,246 ratings score: 57, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke's War on the Great Panic by David Wessel 3.74 avg rating — 1,069 ratings score: 56, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	A Term at the Fed: An Insider's View by Laurence H. Meyer 3.54 avg rating — 79 ratings score: 55, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System by Henry M. Paulson Jr. 3.80 avg rating — 3,110 ratings score: 54, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars