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Best Books for Economics Study

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The best economics books help to make an incredibly broad subject easier to understand, even if you’re not employed or studying in the field. Many of the titles will teach you far beyond want you learned in Economics 101 in high school or university, such as how economies work, if the stock market influences them, and even a deep dive into interest rates.

As an average consumer, you would be surprised at the sheer amount of useful information you’ll find in the best books on economics. People who have always been interested in investing will find a particular interest in the best books for economics, as you can learn about how housing prices are affected by spending patterns. You’ll also have the opportunity to make better investments to ensure your money is being allocated to the correct areas.

Even tasks such as knowing when to buy or sell stocks will become substantially more natural if you’re able to understand what to look for in a potential economic downturn (as we’re living right now, in the times of COVID-19).

Your finances are incredibly important, and having a keen understanding of what to do with your money to ensure you are protected is essential. It’s also important to note that the best books on economics are excellent resources for students studying for their dream careers.

Instead of pushing you to read dreadful textbooks with little to no flair, these personable pieces of writing make the world of economics more exciting and far more relatable. Within the books, you will be able to pick up on unique tips and tricks from industry leaders as well as some insight into what to expect when you begin investing.

We have found that the best economics books feature practical information that is easily applicable to anyone’s financial situation, as well as the state of the world. From international economics and how they affect domestic relations to buying stocks and bonds, there is a limitless amount of information for you to put to good use with the best books for economics.

Best Economics Books

Technology vs. Humanity: The coming clash between man and machine (FutureScapes)

Gerd Leonhard is most definitely a member of Team Human. Here s his convincing and heartfelt call for the reinstatement of people and purpose into the technology program.

Douglas Rushkoff

Author, Professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics

The Only Game in Town: Central Banks, Instability, and Avoiding the Next Collapse

I think [Mohamed A. El-Erian] is one of the smartest guys in the world. We’re going to crash... El-Erian is saying the same thing. He’s saying we have less than three years. He’s saying we’re at a T-junction in the economy. A T-junction means the end of the road. We cannot keep doing what we’re doing. Something is going to force us to change. And what [El-Erian is] talking about is the Fed and the central banks, like the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, People’s Bank of China. We’re going down. The good news is you make more money on a crash than you do going up.

Robert Kiyosaki

Best-selling Author

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

This book is highly relevant not only for young professionals but also for any and all professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs- everyone. We are nearing the start of an era known as the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ which is set to fundamentally changing the way we live, work and relate with one another. In this book, Klaus Schwab, who is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, provides insights and advice for understanding and thriving in this new era.

Miracle Olatunji

Founder & CEO/OpportuniMe

Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White-Collar Criminal

This summer, Mackenna is learning more about the birth of behavioral economics, the psychology of white collar crime, and the restoration of American cities as locations of economic growth.

Francisco Perez Mackenna

CEO/Quineñco

The Soros Lectures: At the Central European University

I promote range and diversity. Thus, I recommend readers to expose themselves to as many different topics as possible. I usually have 2-4 books I refer back to at any given time. They range in topics from management, art, spirituality and philosophy. Trying to get the engineering thing going but don't much of a mind for science.

Henry Medine

Co-Founder/Space Jam Data

Who Owns the Future?

Free information sounds great on paper, but it causes all sorts of deep, systemic problems when implemented at scale. For one, it spawns an extremely aggressive and intrusive advertising model. For two, the economics of data collection create a situation where a small number of servers collect all the data and gain terrifying amounts of power…and then inevitably abuse that power (*cough* Facebook). For three, when software eats the world, it generates greater inequality, not less. For four, when all information becomes free, it becomes valueless and meaningless. People feel entitled to start believing whatever they want, since it’s always unclear what information is more valuable than other information. For five–he can keep going… and does.

Mark Manson

Founder/MarkManson.net

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

My next book for A Year of Books is Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoğlu and James A. Robinson. This book explores the different kinds of social institutions and incentives that nations have applied to encourage prosperity, economic development and elimination of poverty. This is a good complement to our last book, Portfolios of the Poor, which focused on how people live in poverty. This one discusses why poverty exists and how to reduce it.

Mark Zuckerberg

CEO/Facebook

The Evolution of Everything: How New Ideas Emerge

The Evolution of Everything by Matt Ridley, one of my favorite authors. I’ve read everything of his, and reread everything of his.

Naval Ravikant

CEO & Co-Founder/AngelList

The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty

The Prosperity Paradox has the power to transform our thinking about philanthropy and social good. Aswe continue to grapple with how to lift people out of poverty, Clay Christensen, Efosa Ojomo and KarenDillon provide a new and innovative solution for millions of people around the world. It's a must-readfor anyone with an interest in global affairs who wants to create a truly thriving society.

Arianna Huffington

Founder/Thrive Global

Models.Behaving.Badly.: Why Confusing Illusion with Reality Can Lead to Disaster, on Wall Street and in Life

Here is what I wrote in my endorsement: Emanuel Derman has written my kind of a book, an elegant combination of memoir, confession, and essay on ethics, philosophy of science and professional practice. He convincingly establishes the difference between model and theory and shows why attempts to model financial markets can never be genuinely scientific. It vindicates those of us who hold that financial modeling is neither practical nor scientific. Exceedingly readable.

From the remarks here, people seem to be blaming Derman for not having written the type of books they usually read... They are blaming him for being original! This is very philistinic. This book is a personal essay; if you don't like it, don't read it, there is no need to blame the author for not delivering your regular science reporting. Why don't you go blame Montaigne for discussing his personal habits in the middle of a meditation on war inspired by Plutarch?

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Flaneur

Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies

The physics behind biology, cities, economics and companies. Do they grow, scale and die by the same math equations? New insights that are enlightening and delightful.

Vinod Khosla

Co-Founder/Sun Microsystem

Revolutionary Wealth: How it will be created and how it will change our lives

Question: What books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path?

Answer:

Anything by Peter Senge.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz
Once you are Lucky, Twice you are good – Sara Lacey
Revolutionary Wealth – Alvin Toffler
Black Swan – Taleb
Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change, by Ellen Pao.
Creative Class – Richard Florida
Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull & Amy Wallace
Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis
American Government 101: From the Continental Congress to the Iowa Caucus, Everything You Need to Know About US Politics – Kathleen Spears
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
Any book by Herman Hesse
The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

Audrey Russo

President & CEO/Pittsburgh Technology Council

The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age

Who are the Indian nouveau riche and what do they want? James Crabtree’s The Billionaire Raj will prove the defining work on these questions. It is a must-read for anyone interested in wealth, inequality, India, or the evolution of capitalism.

Tyler Cowen

Author, Economics Professor, Host/Marginal Revolution blog

Understanding Art Markets: Inside the world of art and business

Iain Robertson takes a deep dive into the international art market, in an account that is both impressive in its depth and breadth. He explains the processes by which art is created and valued within the socio-economic context of post-war consumerist society, with a painstakingly curated choice of art and artists from around the world and across the centuries. This is a must-read for anyone involved in the art trade, as well as the casual reader curious about how a single painting can be valued at more than $250 million

Sundaram Tagore

Owner/Sundaram Tagore Galleries

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational totally blew my mind.

Gabriel Coarna

Founder/Readable

The Sharing Economy: The End of Employment and the Rise of Crowd-Based Capitalism

I will only recommend you read these books if you are into collaborative & shared resources startups. They talk about the rise of crowd based capitalism - a new way of organizing economic activity that may supplant the traditional corporate-centered model. They allow you to make quick comparisons & brainstorm ideas with the existing peer-to-peer platforms such as Airbnb, Uber, TaskRabbit, China's Didi Kuaidi, and India's Ola.

Erik Cheong

Co-Founder/Park N Parcel

Globalization and Its Discontents Revisited: Anti-Globalization in the Era of Trump

These books propelled me to want to work on a social enterprise and underscored my passion for making a difference in food policy. I believe we can build an innovative company that has deep social impact. That we can use the same mindsets that single bottom-line companies have to build successful triple and quadruple bottom-line companies. It is the holy grail -- for your work to present the challenge to be creative, innovative, quick on a daily basis but also at the end of the day, the knowledge that you are making a real difference in people's lives. I feel extremely fortunate to be in this position right now.

Leah Lizarondo

Co-Founder/412 Food Rescue