Jan 25, 2011 at 9:16 AM
After numerous requests by email, I'm putting together a reading list for the YAL member interested in expanding his or her understanding of the principles of liberty. The thing is, though, that I need your help -- because as much as I've read, it's unrealistic to think I'll come up with everything good. So here's a short preliminary list to get us started:
- Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson
- Laurence Vance on foreign policy/the relationship of Christianity and liberty
- Ron Paul, of course -- his extensive speeches and writings explain the issues very well in the vernacular
- Dr. Tom Woods is great for simple, clear presentations of economic issues — and also just a really nice guy
- For older stuff: Bastiat's The Law, as well as Locke, Smith, Paine, and Jefferson (not perfect, but clearly classic)
- Rothbard’s Man, Economy, and State for the basic understanding of economics your college econ (if it's like mine) course will so dismally fail to supply
- Ludwig von Mises, for the same reason
- Robert Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia on the subjects of justice and slavery
- Albert Jay Nock’s Our Enemy, the State is extremely interesting — particularly on the motivations of the founding fathers to revolt
- In terms of non-book reading, LewRockwell.com is a standby
- The American Conservative is one of the best magazines in print
- The Freeman is a great journal, but sadly one to which I’m not subscribed
- And for a younger perspective, the YAL blog, of course!
Please submit lots of your own suggestions in the comments on this post! In case I'm not familiar with each work, please note if you think it's a beginner, intermediate, or advanced reading project. Thanks!
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Ayn Rand of course! Both her fiction (Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, We The Living, Anthem, etc.) and non-fiction (Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, Philosophy: Who Needs It?, etc.).
"The Grapes of Wrath" ...It is as important to understand the human impact of the Great Depression as it is to learn about the interventionist economics that caused it.
The Bible - NIV application bible is my fav
National Suicide - Martin Gross
What Americans Really Want...Really - DR Frank Lutz
I think An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard by Justin Raimondo is a great look into the history of libertarianism in the 20th century, not to mention the life of one of the greatest thinkers of our time.
Hidden Order - David Friedman
The above suggestions are great reads. Here are a few more:
We -Zamyatin (Fiction)
They thought they were free -Mayer
No Treason -Lysander Spooner
I Must Speak Out: The Best of The Voluntaryist -Watner
What has Government done to our money? -Rothbard
Machinery of Freedom- Friedman
For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto by Murray N. Rothbard
Tom Baugh's book Starving The Monkeys is a must-read, must-share
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Add The Market for Liberty by Linda & Morris Tannehill to the list. Explains in great detail how a stateless society could & would function, but easy to read & follow. 2nd on my list. For a New Liberty by Rothbard being #1
Walter Block - Defending the Undefendable
Thomas DiLorenzo - Lincoln Unmasked
Andrew Napolitano - Lies the Government Told You
My personal top 3 would be:
Ron Paul- "The Revolution: A Manifesto"
Harry Browne- "The Great Libertarian Offer"
Murray Rothbard- "For a New Liberty"
Those books all changed my life in significant ways, and I recommend them highly to anyone interested in libertarianism.
I highly recommend the new book 'Libertarianism Today' by Jacob Huebert
Most of this great book is available online here
Here is a presentation that helps to explain the current fiscal situation, I think this presentation helps to draw in many people in the scientific fields. The presenter claims to be an Austrian, with limitations - and uses a lot of data by applying it through applied science, a combination of physics and economics! Not sure if the video applies to this post but it's worth the watch for everyone.
http://outerdnn.outer.jhuapl.edu/rethinking/VideoArchives/MrJamesGRickardsPresentationVideo.aspx
Human Action: A treatise on economics Ludwig Von Mises
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Moretnson, why you might ask? Very simple...private peace efforts go a long way to combat terrorism, and many have said that Mr, Moretenson by going over to Pakistan and Afghanistan and building schools for children there has done more to combat terrorism than American military operations. This book is a real world story on, as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2 put it "privitizing peace"
Also, the essay "Persuasion vs. Force" by Mark Skousen is excellent!
Naomi Klien - "The Shock Doctrine" I know, she is a lefty, but this book will show you how horrible Friedman's Chicago School actually is.
John Perkins- "Confessions a an Economic Hitman"
Suzanne Collins - "The Hunger Games Trilogy" Just finished this for some good light fiction reading. Lots of liberty oriented ideas, and the coniving ways that politicians exploit others. I was able to read the whole trilogy in like 2 weeks, its a quick one.
To add just another post to back it up - Murray Rothbards "For a New Liberty: A Libertarian Manifesto" For all you minarcists this is or perhaps Mary Ruwarts "Healing our World" will answer many questions you might have of your anarchist brothern
Agree with Healing our World.
Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
I think it would be helpful to split this up by subject matter and difficulty, as Bonnie suggested.
Economics:
Anarcho-capitalism:
Classical Liberalism/Paleoconservativism/etc
Central Planning:
"Modern" Philosophy:
Fiction:
Nonviolence and political change:
Miscellaneous:
That is beautiful, Grant. Thank you!
"The Constitution of Liberty" by Hayek is stellar.
The Giver and Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry are both excellent on collectivism and property rights, respectively...
I'd suggest The Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible for when you're not busy reading. Gotta have a hobby.