This is the first post in our series of summer reading recommendations from some of SFL’s favorite pro-liberty advocates. You can support SFL by purchasing any of the following books on Amazon by clicking here before shopping. 

Dr. Davies teaches economics at Duquesne University. You can find Dr. Davies’ full list of reading recommendations here.

1. Free Our Markets: A Citizen’s Guide to Essential Economics (2013) by Howard Jr. Baetjer

“A practical treatment of economics with a focus on the benefits of freedom. This book is fundamental for anyone who wants an intuitive understanding of economics.”

2. The Moon is A Harsh Mistress (1965) by Robert A. Heinlein

“The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of the high points of modern science fiction, a novel bursting with politics, humanity, passion, innovative technical speculation, and a firm belief in the pursuit of human freedom. The book won the 1967 Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.”

3. Eat the Rich: A Treatise on Economics (1998) by P.J. O’Rourke

“The author (not an economist) traveled the world in an attempt to answer the question, ‘What makes some countries rich and other countries poor?’ This book is the result of those travels. The author, P.J. O’Rourke, is extremely funny. The fact that he is not an economist is a help to non-economist readers.”

Ilya Shapiro is a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute.

4. The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Right and Left (2013) by Yuval Levin

5. Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning (2008) by Jonah Goldberg

“These will educate students on the broader roots of the liberty movement and its opponents.”

Jeffrey Tucker is the Chief Liberty Officer at Liberty.me.

6. Young Pioneers (1932) by Rose Wilder Lane

“Lane was an original American libertarian, a brilliant journalist and intellectual who is personally responsible for so much Americana. This book in particular is thrilling because it deals with the American experience of the pioneer and what it entailed. In the digital age, we are all pioneers on a new frontier, and it helps us to appreciate what it means to overcome barriers, succeed, and make a new world.”

7. Memoirs of a Superfluous Man (1943) by Albert Jay Nock

“You can’t tackle this book in the normal way. Nock almost seems to conspire to deter the reader. He buries its most powerful insights in tiny anecdotes and stories. But when you find them, they hit like a hard blow. It’s not for kids; there are insights in here that qualified as adult theme. But the power is overwhelming, and here’s why: Nock shows how to think like an anarchist. It’s compelling enough to be a life changer.”

Lawrence W. Reed is the President of the Foundation for Economic Education.

8. Uncle Sam Can’t Count: A History of Failed Government Investments, from Beaver Pelts to Green Energy (2014) by Burton W. Folsom Jr. and Anita Folsom

“Noted free market historians, the Folsoms provide so many examples of cronyism and corruption that corporate welfare gets the permanent black eye it’s long deserved. This book not only informs, it positively entertains on every page.”

9. The Art of Thinking Clearly (2014) by Rolf Dobell

“If you plan to wade into public debate with state worshipers, be prepared to run head-on into an endless stream of seductive fallacies, false assumptions, rhetorical shenanigans and erroneous conclusions. In about three or four pages each, Dobelli explodes 99 of the most common errors you’ll need to rebut.”

10. Seven Men and the Secrets of their Greatness (2013) by Eric Metaxas

“Life isn’t all about bad people doing bad things to good people. We need to be uplifted from time to time by the stories of good and great people who have left humanity freer and more civil because of their courage and commitment to principle. A master storyteller, Metaxas explores the inspiring stories of such towering historical figures as William Wilberforce, Jackie Robinson, Eric Liddell and George Washington—all in riveting, bite-sized chapters.”