Economics Books
recommended by economists
Last updated: December 11, 2024
We've asked some of the most eminent public figures and theorists to recommend economics books for Five Books. Robert Shiller (2013 Nobel economics prize) chose books on 'Human Traits Essential to Capitalism'. Paul Krugman (Nobel 2008) talked about the books that inspired him to become an economist (he included a work of science fiction). Daron Acemoglu (Nobel 2024) talked to us about inequality, Simon Johnson (Nobel 2024) on 'Why Economic History Matters.' Eric Maskin (Nobel 2007) spoke on 'Economic Theory and the Financial Crisis.' We also have reviews of the work of Claudia Goldin (Nobel 2023) on unfair pay. Far from a dismal science, economics can be a path to saving the world.
Behavioural Economics | Financial Crisis Books | Monopolies | Finance | Investing Books | Economic History | Development Economics | Fiction Recommended by Economists
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Growth: A History and a Reckoning
by Daniel Susskind -
The Shortest History of Economics
by Andrew Leigh -
The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century: Why (Almost) Everything We Are Told About Business Is Wrongfnew ec
by John Kay -
Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia
by Stephanie Baker -
Default: The Landmark Court Battle over Argentina's $100 Billion Debt Restructuring
by Gregory Makoff
New Economics Books
New Economics Books
Lots of new economics books are published each year, catering to a range of readers. Many are aimed at non-economists, trying to explain what the subject is about. Others focus mainly on how economics has been interpreted or used by politicians, with lots of analysis of ‘neoliberalism’ in particular over the past few years. Within academia, economics is normally expressed in equations, with new work published in article form and only occasionally as books.
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Between Debt and the Devil: Money, Credit, and Fixing Global Finance
by Adair Turner -
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Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World
by Adam Tooze -
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The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty
by Daron Acemoglu & James Robinson -
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Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century
by Brad DeLong -
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The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War
by Robert J. Gordon
The best books on Challenges Facing the World Economy, recommended by Martin Wolf
The best books on Challenges Facing the World Economy, recommended by Martin Wolf
Problems in the world economy can have a profound impact on politics. What’s happening in the US and elsewhere is disturbing, says Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times. He talks us through books to help us reflect on the challenges facing economies. His recommendations include two books that query whether the era of unprecedented economic growth—which has transformed our societies over the last 150 years—is finally coming to an end.
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Monetary Policy, Inflation, and the Business Cycle: An Introduction to the New Keynesian Framework and its Applications
by Jordi Gali -
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A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960
by Anna Schwartz & Milton Friedman -
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Inflation Targeting: Lessons from the International Experience
by Adam S. Posen, Ben Bernanke, Frederic S. Mishkin & Thomas Laubach -
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A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017
by Juan Pablo Nicolini & Timothy J. Kehoe -
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The Conquest of American Inflation
by Thomas J. Sargent
The best books on Inflation, recommended by Federica Romei
The best books on Inflation, recommended by Federica Romei
Inflation has been under control in the developed world for decades now. Many assumed we had it beaten, but it has picked up recently and is once again a major policy concern. Here, Oxford economist Federica Romei chooses five books to help you understand inflation from a historical and theoretical perspective, and when, if and why you should worry about it.
The best books on John Maynard Keynes, recommended by Robert Skidelsky
Keynes biographer Robert Skidelsky recommends the best books about one of the most important economists of all time, John Maynard Keynes.
The best books on Game Theory, recommended by Ariel Rubinstein
Game theory is marketed as a system you can apply to any sphere of life, but does it really have much to offer in terms of practical application? The distinguished game theorist, Ariel Rubinstein, suggests not. He recommends the best books on game theory.
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Predicting Our Climate Future: What We Know, What We Don't Know, And What We Can't Know
by David Stainforth -
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The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma
by Michael Bhaskar & Mustafa Suleyman -
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Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative
by Jennifer Burns -
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Capitalism and Crises: How to Fix Them
by Colin Mayer -
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Stuck Monkey: The Deadly Planetary Cost of the Things We Love
by James Hamilton-Paterson
The best books on Economics and the Environment, recommended by Dieter Helm
The best books on Economics and the Environment, recommended by Dieter Helm
If you want to take an economy that’s wholly dependent on fossil fuels and turn it into a low-carbon one it’s going to be expensive, says economist Dieter Helm—and the sooner we face up to that reality the better. He recommends books to help us think through the relationship between economics and the environment, including one that really shines a spotlight on our own, individual behaviour.
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Rational Expectations and Inflation
by Thomas J. Sargent -
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This Time Is Different
by Carmen Reinhart & Kenneth Rogoff -
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The Economics of Sovereign Debt and Default
by Manuel Amador & Mark Aguiar -
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End This Depression Now!
by Paul Krugman -
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Austerity: When It Works and When It Doesn't
by Alberto Alesina, Carlo Favero & Francesco Giavazzi
The best books on Fiscal Policy, recommended by Sergio de Ferra
The best books on Fiscal Policy, recommended by Sergio de Ferra
The best way to run an economy remains one of the most challenging aspects for a country’s leaders, with enormous consequences for people’s well-being. Sergio de Ferra, a macroeconomist at the University of Oxford, introduces some of the ideas and debates, and explains why it’s so hard to really know what works and what doesn’t.
The best books on Capitalism and Human Nature, recommended by Robert J Shiller
“You have to understand people first before you can understand how to devise an economic system for them” argues Robert J Shiller, the Yale economics professor and Nobel laureate. He chooses five books that explore who we fundamentally are, as human beings, and how that will determine the shape of a successful capitalism.
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Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life
by Avinash Dixit & Barry Nalebuff -
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Money Changes Everything: How Finance Made Civilization Possible
by William Goetzmann -
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Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life
by David Friedman -
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The Truth About Markets: Why Some Nations are Rich But Most Remain Poor
by John Kay -
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Grand Pursuit: The Story of the People Who Made Modern Economics
by Sylvia Nasar
The Best Introductions to Economics, recommended by Tim Harford
The Best Introductions to Economics, recommended by Tim Harford
Nearly every aspect of our life is determined by economics, and yet it’s easy to go through life understanding very little about it. Author and columnist Tim Harford (aka the ‘Undercover Economist’) introduces the best books to get you thinking like an economist.
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The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality
by Oded Galor -
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Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century
by Brad DeLong -
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Streets of Gold: America's Untold Story of Immigrant Success
by Leah Boustan & Ran Abramitzky -
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Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It
by Richard V Reeves -
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Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology
by Chris Miller
The Best Economics Books of 2022, recommended by Jason Furman
The Best Economics Books of 2022, recommended by Jason Furman
As we study the causes of economic prosperity over the millennia and particularly the last century-and-a-half, it’s worth remembering that humans are always the most important driver of economic growth. Jason Furman, a Harvard economics professor and former adviser to Barack Obama, picks out five of the best economics books of 2022, as well as topics he’d like to see books about in 2023.
