Recommended Reading in Economics

Textbooks

If you're looking to start your study of economics like a college student, the gold standard in introductory econ textbooks is the pair of offerings from Harvard professor Greg Mankiw. His "Principles of Macroeconomics" and "Principles of Microeconomics" are clear, easy to read, and among the best textbooks of any sort on any subject in the modern era.

Popular reading

If you'd rather start out by reading popular works on economics, here are five great books to start:

• "Nothing is Sacred" by Robert J. Barro
• "Capitalism and Freedom" by Milton Friedman
• "The Commanding Heights" by Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw
• "Economics in One Lesson" by Henry Hazlitt
• "Getting It Right: Markets and Choices in a Free Society" by Robert J. Barro