The most recommended books on the Austrian school of economics

Who picked these books? Meet our 12 experts.

12 authors created a book list connected to the Austrian school of economics, and here are their favorite Austrian school of economics books.
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Book cover of The Theory of Dynamic Efficiency

Philipp Bagus Author Of Blind Robbery! How the Fed, Banks and Government Steal Our Money

From my list on Austrian economics.

Why am I passionate about this?

In high school I became interested in politics and economics. Soon I found the Austrian school and decided to make it my profession. I went to the US to study Austrian economics and later to Spain to study with Prof. Huerta de Soto. Finally, I became a Professor of Economics myself, teaching and writing in the tradition of the Austrian School. 

Philipp's book list on Austrian economics

Philipp Bagus Why did Philipp love this book?

This book contains some of the most important articles written by Jesús Huerta de Soto, one of the leading Austrian economists.

I have come to live in Spain to study with Jesús Huerta de Soto. The quality of each one of these essays is extraordinary. I recommend to everyone interested in Austrian economics to study this book in depth.

Huerta de Soto is one of the leading Austrian economists living. His works are very creative and this book gives an overview of his impressive work on a wide range of subjects.

By Jesus Huerta De Soto,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Theory of Dynamic Efficiency as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book gathers a collection of English language essays by Jesus Huerta de Soto over the past ten years, examining the dynamic processes of social cooperation which characterize the market, with particular emphasis on the role of both entrepreneurship and institutions. The author's multidisciplinary approach to the subject is in keeping with a trend in economic thought established by the Austrian school of economics; a discourse that had witnessed a significant revival over the last thirty years.

Areas covered in this book include an introduction to the theory of dynamic efficiency as an alternative to the standard paretian criteria, an…


Book cover of Economics in One Lesson

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an economics professor who believes my profession has important things to contribute to society but has done a poor job. My colleagues spend much of their time writing esoteric articles that 6 other academics will read, and one in a million will actually improve the lives of people. I consider myself a “blue-collar academic”; I am basically a farm kid (still live on a small farm) with a bunch of degrees attempting to bring good economic insights to more people so those ideas can be applied and used by real people living real lives so I am always on the search for others who are doing just that. 

Brian's book list on Economics books that will not bore you like the students in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Brian Baugus Why did Brian love this book?

I think economics has a bad reputation, and it is mostly due to economists' either deliberately or inadvertently communicating poorly in class, on TV and radio, in podcasts, and in writing.

This book is none of that. It was written by a well-respected old-school journalist who could really write. I like its approach of short, punchy chapters. Hemmingway-like in its writing and style, it truly delivers what the title promises. I have a poster of this author on my office wall. 

By Henry Hazlitt,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Economics in One Lesson as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With over a million copies sold, Economics in One Lesson is an essential guide to the basics of economic theory. A fundamental influence on modern libertarianism, Hazlitt defends capitalism and the free market from economic myths that persist to this day.

Considered among the leading economic thinkers of the “Austrian School,” which includes Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich (F.A.) Hayek, and others, Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993), was a libertarian philosopher, an economist, and a journalist. He was the founding vice-president of the Foundation for Economic Education and an early editor of The Freeman magazine, an influential libertarian publication.  Hazlitt wrote…


Book cover of The Theory of Money and Credit

Michael G. Pento Author Of The Coming Bond Market Collapse: How to Survive the Demise of the U.S. Debt Market

From my list on fiscal destruction of America’s foundation of freedom.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion is to prepare clients' investments for the impending debt crisis. That is why I started Pento Portfolio Strategies and created the Inflation/Deflation and Economic Cycle Model. The US faces an entirely new paradigm – due to onerous debt, central banks are forced to either massively monetize the nation's debt or allow a cathartic deflationary depression to reset the economy. Our government is now compelled to seek a condition of perpetual inflation to maintain the illusion of prosperity and solvency. Our central bank is now walking the economy on a tightrope between inflation and deflation. This will require a vastly different and active investment strategy to fit the new dynamic.

Michael's book list on fiscal destruction of America’s foundation of freedom

Michael G. Pento Why did Michael love this book?

Written over a century ago, this is a book for the ages.

I read this book early in my career, and it provided a basis for understanding money that helped form my current economic theories. Mises reveals how money originated in the market and how its value is based on its efficacy as a commodity in exchange.

Mises concisely lays out the case for sound money with no inflation and introduces the beginnings of a full-scale business cycle theory. 

By Ludwig von Mises,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Theory of Money and Credit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"It is impossible to grasp the meaning of the idea of sound money if one does not realize that it was devised as an instrument for the protection of civil liberties against despotic inroads on the part of governments." - from The Theory of Money and Credit

Originally published in 1912, Ludwig von Mises's The Theory of Money and Credit remains today one of economic theory's most influential and controversial treatises. Von Mises's examination into monetary theory changed forever the world of economic thought when he successfully integrated "macroeconomics" into "microeconomics" -previously deemed an impossible task -as well as offering…


Book cover of Money, Bank Credit & Economic Cycles

Philipp Bagus Author Of Blind Robbery! How the Fed, Banks and Government Steal Our Money

From my list on Austrian economics.

Why am I passionate about this?

In high school I became interested in politics and economics. Soon I found the Austrian school and decided to make it my profession. I went to the US to study Austrian economics and later to Spain to study with Prof. Huerta de Soto. Finally, I became a Professor of Economics myself, teaching and writing in the tradition of the Austrian School. 

Philipp's book list on Austrian economics

Philipp Bagus Why did Philipp love this book?

Those who want to understand the origins of business cycles and how to prevent them should read this book.

One of the most pressing, if not the most pressing, problem of our societies today is our monetary and financial system. This book explains why and offers a solution.

I believe that it is the most complete Austrian treatise on money and banking. It is interdisciplinary looking at law and history as well. I have used it as a textbook for years in class and I have translated it into German. Every serious student of money and banking has to have mastered this book.

By Jesus Huerta de Soto,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Money, Bank Credit & Economic Cycles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Can the market fully manage the money and banking sector?

Jesús Huerta de Soto, professor of economics at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, has made history with this mammoth and exciting treatise that it has and can again, without inflation, without business cycles, and without the economic instability that has characterized the age of government control.

Such a book as this comes along only once every several generations: a complete comprehensive treatise on economic theory. It is sweeping, revolutionary, and devastating--not only the most extended elucidation of Austrian business cycle theory to ever appear in print but also a…


Book cover of The Marginal Revolutionaries: How Austrian Economists Fought the War of Ideas

Alan Bollard Author Of Economists at War: How a Handful of Economists Helped Win and Lose the World Wars

From my list on how economists agree and disagree amongst each other.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an economics professor at Victoria University of Wellington. As a previous Secretary of the New Zealand Treasury and Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, I have had quite a bit of experience watching economists’ ideas succeed and fail in the real world. I have written a number of books about policy economists and their lives in peace and wartime. (And a couple of novels too!)

Alan's book list on how economists agree and disagree amongst each other

Alan Bollard Why did Alan love this book?

This is a heavier read taking us through a group history of the Austrian School of Economics from the coffee houses of Imperial Vienna to the modern-day Libertarians. Economists such as Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, and Joseph Schumpeter originated ideas that have had a big impact on economics and politics, and have been much debated ever since.

By Janek Wasserman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Marginal Revolutionaries as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A group history of the Austrian School of Economics, from the coffeehouses of imperial Vienna to the modern-day Tea Party

The Austrian School of Economics-a movement that has had a vast impact on economics, politics, and society, especially among the American right-is poorly understood by supporters and detractors alike. Defining themselves in opposition to the mainstream, economists such as Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, and Joseph Schumpeter built the School's international reputation with their work on business cycles and monetary theory. Their focus on individualism-and deep antipathy toward socialism-ultimately won them a devoted audience among the upper echelons of business…


Book cover of Epistemological Problems of Economics. Ludwig Von Mises

Jasper Becker Author Of Made in China: Wuhan, Covid and the Quest for Biotech Supremacy

From my list on understanding the history of communism.

Why am I passionate about this?

Jasper Becker is a foreign correspondent who spent decades reporting on China and the Far East. His the author of numerous books including Hungry Ghosts – Mao’s Secret Famine, Rogue Regime – Kim Jong Il and the looming threat of North Korea, City of Heavenly Tranquillity, and most recently Made in China – Wuhan, COVID and the Quest for Biotech Supremacy.

Jasper's book list on understanding the history of communism

Jasper Becker Why did Jasper love this book?

This book written in 1922 by the Austrian economist at the University of Vienna is one of the few truly foundational works in political economy. Mises takes apart the theory of the Marxist moneyless planned economy which Lenin and then Stalin tried to apply to the Soviet Union. Mises lucidly explains why not only that it could never work but would lead to catastrophic and unending shortages, dictatorship, repression, and arbitrary rule enforced by a militarized one-party state. Although Mises had no knowledge of China, it is the best book to read in order to understand what happened in China in the 20th century.

By Ludwig von Mises,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Epistemological Problems of Economics. Ludwig Von Mises as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published in German in 1933 and in English in 1960, Epistemological Problems of Economics presents Ludwig von Mises’s views on the logical and epistemological features of social interpretation as well as his argument that the Austrian theory of value is the core element of a general theory of human behavior that transcends traditional limitations of economic science.

This volume is unique among Mises’s works in that it contains a collection of essays in which he contested the theories of intellectuals he respected such as Carl Menger, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, and Max Weber. Mises describes how value theory applies to…


Book cover of The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money: With the Economic Consequences of the Peace

Hersh Shefrin Author Of Ending the Management Illusion: How to Drive Business Results Using the Principles of Behavioral Finance

From my list on psychology's impact on economics and finance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I became a behavioral economist in the 1970s, at the time modern behavioral economics came into existence. Much of my work has focused on the way in which the combination of emotions and deliberative thinking impact the way people make decisions about their economic lives. For over four decades, I have been identifying the fascinating ways in which this two system psychological approach influences the important questions of our day.

Hersh's book list on psychology's impact on economics and finance

Hersh Shefrin Why did Hersh love this book?

Keynes’ book is not just a classic, but to my mind is the finest book in economics written in the first half of the twentieth century. Although I studied the book as an undergraduate student, at the time I failed to appreciate what Keynes wrote about the role psychology played in economic decision making. It was only after becoming a behavioral economist myself, and re-reading the book, did I realize that Keynes was a stellar behavioral economist. Although many professionals learn about Keynes’s ideas from other sources, there is nothing like the original. In this work Keynes speaks to us about how human psychology impacts economic decisions and events. Those who read carefully will see that he writes about psychology, optimism, confidence, and sentiment – terms very much in vogue today among modern behavioral economists.

By John Maynard Keynes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) is perhaps the foremost economic thinker of the twentieth century. On economic theory, he ranks with Adam Smith and Karl Marx; and his impact on how economics was practiced, from the Great Depression to the 1970s, was unmatched.

The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money was first published in 1936. But its ideas had been forming for decades ? as a student at Cambridge, Keynes had written to a friend of his love for 'Free Trade and free thought'. Keynes's limpid style, concise prose, and vivid descriptions have helped to keep his ideas alive -…


Book cover of Organizing Entrepreneurial Judgment: A New Approach to the Firm

Randall Holcombe Author Of Entrepreneurship and Economic Progress

From my list on entrepreneurship and economic progress.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an economics professor and have been dissatisfied with the way that economic theory has described the miracle of economic growth the global economy has seen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Growth cannot come without progress, which means new and improved goods and services, and more efficient production methods. Progress is the result of entrepreneurship. The role of entrepreneurship in the creation of economic progress has been underappreciated by economists, which was my motivation for exploring the topic in more detail.

Randall's book list on entrepreneurship and economic progress

Randall Holcombe Why did Randall love this book?

Economists tend to characterize firms as profit maximizers, but the people who manage firms operate in an uncertain environment and the path to profitability is rarely clear.

Firms that suffer losses or go out of business provide evidence on this. Foss and Klein depict those who run firms as entrepreneurs who must use their judgment in the face of uncertainty to direct their firms.

They connect the concepts of management and entrepreneurship more closely than has been done in the past, creating a bridge between the academic literature in economics and management.

By Nicolai J. Foss, Peter G. Klein,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Organizing Entrepreneurial Judgment as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Entrepreneurship, long neglected by economists and management scholars, has made a dramatic comeback in the last two decades, not only among academic economists and management scholars, but also among policymakers, educators and practitioners. Likewise, the economic theory of the firm, building on Ronald Coase's (1937) seminal analysis, has become an increasingly important field in economics and management. Despite this resurgence, there is still little connection between the entrepreneurship literature and the literature on the firm, both in academia and in management practice. This book fills this gap by proposing and developing an entrepreneurial theory of the firm that focuses on…


Book cover of The Economics of Time and Ignorance

Edgar Peters Author Of Fractal Market Analysis: Applying Chaos Theory to Investment and Economics

From my list on books to become a market chaologist.

Why am I passionate about this?

I believe that knowledge is power. Understanding how something works leads to practical applications. In markets, I believe you should develop your own ideas on how to invest rather than being told. After all, how can you profit if you’re doing what everyone else is doing? Markets are efficient enough to give an opportunity to everyone but advantage to no one, unless you do something different than the crowd. My list is designed to give you information to develop investment strategies based on chaos theory, complexity, and fractals. It is not designed to tell you how to invest.

Edgar's book list on books to become a market chaologist

Edgar Peters Why did Edgar love this book?

The Austrian School of Economics has been completely non-mathematical. Yet their concepts have direct analogies to complexity theory. Reading this book gives you fundamental economic ideas that tie back to the mathematical foundations of complexity, chaos, and fractals.

When dealing with markets, which are made up of people, after all, I have always found that basing your ideas on behavior rather than pure mathematics is always the way to go. Otherwise, you will not know when the markets have changed, and your ideas may no longer work.

This book also brings us back to the idea of cycles and explains them in an intuitive way. O’Driscoll and Rizzo also write well, so this isn’t a dry academic overview. It is a book that gives you both theory and intuition.

By Gerald P O'Driscoll, Mario J Rizzo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Economics of Time and Ignorance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Economics of Time and Ignorance is one of the seminal works in modern Austrian economics. Its treatment of historical time and of uncertainty helped set the agenda for the remarkable revival of work in the Austrian tradition which has led to an ever wider interest in the once heretical ideas of Austrian economics. It is here reprinted with a substantial new introductory essay, outlining the major developments in the area since its original publication a decade ago.


Book cover of For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto

Mark Gober Author Of An End to Upside Down Liberty: Turning Traditional Political Thinking on Its Head to Break Free from Enslavement

From my list on libertarian politics and economics.

Why am I passionate about this?

I previously had no interest in politics, but in 2020 the world became so politically charged that I wanted to better understand the landscape. That led me down a rabbit hole of questioning the basic assumptions about what government is and why we have it. Fortunately, there are many brilliant thinkers whose work I was able to study. I ultimately integrated this thinking into my own worldview. This list of books provides a starting point for thinking about our world—and the nature of reality—in an entirely new way. They certainly helped to alter my views, and they all contain excellent references if you’d like to explore them even further. 

Mark's book list on libertarian politics and economics

Mark Gober Why did Mark love this book?

For a New Liberty breaks apart traditional assumptions about politics in ways that I hadn’t considered until reading this book.

Rothbard uses common-sense reasoning to explain the problems with our governing structures today and paves the way for a whole new paradigm. Even more than that, Rothbard shows how society could look in the future if government functions were privatized.

This book is also a great primer for the “Austrian School” of economics. I had many aha moments when reading this book, and it helped change my worldview. 

By Murray N. Rothbard,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked For a New Liberty as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, Rothbard proposes a once-and-for-all escape from the two major political parties, the ideologies they embrace, and their central plans for using state power against people. Libertarianism is Rothbard's radical alternative that says state power is unworkable and immoral and ought to be curbed and finally overthrown.To make his case, Rothbard deploys his entire system of thought: natural law, natural rights, Austrian economics, American history, the theory of the state, and more.It is relentless, scientific, analytical, and morally energetic — a book that makes an overwhelming case. Indeed, it gave an entire movement…