Skill Track
Economic Theory & Schools of Thought
Economics shapes markets, policy, and investment opportunities. Understanding the intellectual history of economic thought - from classical liberalism to modern heterodox approaches - provides frameworks for interpreting the world and anticipating change.
Classical Economics (Pre-1870s)
The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith, 1776
The foundational text of modern economics. Introduces the invisible hand, division of labor, and the case for free markets. Required reading for understanding market economics.
Read Free on EconLibEssay on the Nature of Commerce
Richard Cantillon, 1755
Often considered the first treatise on economics, predating Adam Smith. Introduces concepts of entrepreneurship, monetary theory, and the role of uncertainty in markets.
Read Free PDF on Mises InstituteThe Fable of the Bees
Bernard Mandeville, 1714
A controversial satirical work arguing that private vices produce public benefits. Anticipates many ideas in classical economics about self-interest and social outcomes.
Read Free on Online Library of LibertyUtilitarian Tradition
On Liberty
John Stuart Mill
Mill's philosophical defense of individual freedom and limited government intervention. Essential for understanding liberal economic philosophy.
Read Free on Project GutenbergUtilitarianism
John Stuart Mill
The classic defense of utilitarian ethics - the greatest good for the greatest number. Provides philosophical foundations for welfare economics and cost-benefit analysis.
Read Free on Project GutenbergPrinciples of Political Economy
John Stuart Mill
Mill's comprehensive treatise on economics, combining classical economic theory with utilitarian philosophy and social reform.
Read Free on EconLibAn Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Jeremy Bentham
Bentham's foundational work on utilitarianism and the principle of utility. Influenced economic policy analysis and welfare economics.
Read Free on Online Library of LibertyMarxist Economics
Das Kapital (Capital) - Volume I
Karl Marx
Marx's critique of political economy and capitalism. Introduces concepts of surplus value, commodity fetishism, and the labor theory of value. Essential for understanding one of the most influential economic frameworks in history.
Download Free PDF on Marxists.orgThe Communist Manifesto
Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
A concise introduction to Marxist theory of class struggle and historical materialism. While primarily a political document, it provides the philosophical underpinnings of Marxist economics.
Read Free on Marxists.orgAustrian School
Principles of Economics
Carl Menger, 1871
The founding text of the Austrian School. Introduces subjective value theory and marginalism, challenging the labor theory of value.
Read Free PDF on Mises InstituteHuman Action
Ludwig von Mises
Mises's magnum opus presenting economics as the study of human action (praxeology). A comprehensive defense of free-market capitalism and critique of socialism.
Read Free PDF on Mises InstituteThe Road to Serfdom
F.A. Hayek
Hayek's warning against central planning and collectivism. Argues that economic control inevitably leads to political tyranny. Highly influential on modern libertarian and conservative thought.
View on Amazon (University of Chicago Press)Man, Economy, and State
Murray Rothbard
A comprehensive treatise on economics from the Austrian perspective, building on Mises's work with a more radical libertarian approach.
Read Free PDF on Mises InstituteKeynesian Economics
The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money
John Maynard Keynes
The book that launched macroeconomics as a discipline. Keynes argues for government intervention during recessions and introduces concepts like aggregate demand and the multiplier effect.
Read Free on Gutenberg CanadaSociological Economics
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
Max Weber
Weber's influential thesis connecting Protestant religious values to the development of capitalism. A foundational text in economic sociology.
View on AmazonContemporary & Critical Economics
Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Thomas Piketty
Piketty's data-driven analysis of wealth and income inequality over 300 years. His argument that r > g (returns on capital exceed economic growth) sparked global debate about inequality.
View on Harvard University PressDebt: The First 5,000 Years
David Graeber
An anthropological history of debt that challenges conventional economic narratives about money's origins. Argues that credit preceded barter in human societies.
View on Melville HouseWhat Money Can't Buy
Michael Sandel
A philosophical examination of the moral limits of markets. Sandel argues that some things should not be for sale and that market thinking has become too pervasive.
View on HarvardJustice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
Michael Sandel
Based on Sandel's famous Harvard course, this book explores competing theories of justice that inform economic policy debates.
View on AmazonFree Online Resources
Library of Economics and Liberty
Free access to classic economics texts, encyclopedia entries, and podcasts.
Online Library of Liberty
Extensive collection of classical liberal texts freely available.
Mises Institute
Free Austrian economics books, articles, and educational resources.
Marxists Internet Archive
Complete works of Marx, Engels, and other Marxist writers.
Technology Integration
Data Analysis for Economics
Python and R enable you to work with economic data, test theories empirically, and build models. Essential for modern economic analysis.
Automate the Boring Stuff (Free)AI in Economic Analysis
AI tools can help analyze economic literature, synthesize different schools of thought, and process economic data. Use them to enhance your understanding while maintaining critical thinking.