Greg Mankiw wrote years ago on his blog a good list of introductory high level econ books: A student emails me asking for a summer reading list. Here are ten v

Greg Mankiw wrote years ago on his blog a good list of introductory high level econ books: A student emails me asking for a summer reading list. Here are ten very different books I like that are fun enough that you would not be embarrassed (well, not too embarrassed) reading them at the beach: Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom Robert Heilbroner, The Worldly Philosophers Paul Krugman, Peddling Prosperity Steven Landsburg, The Armchair Economist P.J. O'Rourke, Eat the Rich Burton Malkiel, A Random Walk Down Wall Street Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff, Thinking Strategically Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics John McMillan, Reinventing the Bazaar William Breit and Barry T. Hirsch, Lives of the Laureates I'd also recommend a good textbook, if you're a little more serious.