There are many quotes about the virtues of reading, from Frederick Douglass’ “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free” to John Wooden’s “Drink deeply from good books” and Fran Lebowitz’ “Think before you speak. Read before you think”. But with sheer endless choice, it may be difficult to find what you are looking for, the right book to open your mind, to expand your view on your issue, or to simply entertain. This series seeks to be the helping hand needed to get started. Topics were helpfully suggested by our readers, to a handful of which I will provide a few reading suggestions designed to reflect broadly on the issue, if possible from a few different angles. This is of course not comprehensive and merely a starting point to arise people’s curiosity.

Topic #1: Economics

Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest & Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics by Henry Hazlitt (Austrian School, written by a Libertarian)

Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy by Thomas Sowell (Austrian School, written by a Libertarian Conservative)

Economics: The User’s Guide by Ha-Joon Chang (School of Institutional Economics, written by an Anti-Neoliberal)

Talking to my Daughter About the Economy: or, How Capitalism Works – and How It Fails by Yanis Varoufakis (Marxian Economics, written by a Progressive)

Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered by Ernst F. Schumacher (Environmental Economics, written by an Anti-Capitalist)

---

Topic #2: Mutualism

What is Property? by Pierre-Joseph Proudhorn (an intellectual history of capitalism, criticism of capitalism, anarchism, and socialism; Proudhornian Mutualism)

Studies in Mutualist Political Economy by Kevin A. Carson (More individualistic, market-centered mutualism)

Criticism of Mutualism:

Mutualism: A Philosophy for Thieves by George Reisman (Austrian School and Objectivist criticism)

Anarchist-Mutualism by John William Lloyd (Individualist anarchist criticism)

---

Topic #3: Flat Tax

The Flat Tax by Robert E. Hall and Alvin Rabushka (foundational text)

https://www.nationalreview.com/2015/05/flat-tax-questionable-economics-bad-politics-reihan-salam/ (critical article)

---