Summer Reading List from the Experts: Part III

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

 Dr. Daniel D’Amico is a professor of economics at Loyola University. 

1. Liberalism (1929) by Ludwig von Mises

2. The Counter-Revolution of Science (1980) by F.A. Hayek

3. Why Nations Fail (2012) by Acemoglu and Robinson

 

“Most young libertarians have a very confused understanding regarding the positive social scientific findings which have been at the core of the liberal tradition since its founding and accumulated recently. With such confusion comes also a warped vision of how society changes and what variables are most influential in such processes of social change. The above list is aimed to in part correct for such confusion.”

 

 Dr. Mark Pennington is a professor of public policy and political economy at King’s College London.

6. Why Not Capitalism? (2014) by Jason Brennan

“Why Not Capitalism is a brilliant exposition of the moral case for the market economy – and it makes that case by responding directly to the most sophisticated arguments for Socialism, espoused in Gerry Cohen’s book Why Not Socialism? Brennan shows that the case for markets applies not simply in contexts where humans are too ‘flawed’ to make socialism work efficiently, but also shows that ‘morally perfect’ agents would be better suited to a life that involves a deep respect for private property. It is one of the, if not the best moral as opposed to efficiency based defense of capitalism I have seen.”

 

Dr. Michael Huemer is a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

7. The Problem of Political Authority (2012) by Michael Huemer

“I recommend The Problem of Political Authority because it makes the case for libertarianism on the strongest grounds: skepticism about authority. my argument doesn’t depend on any controversial premises that are specific to libertarians; it rests only on common sense morality.”

8. The Machinery of Freedom (1989) by David Friedman

“This book makes the most sensible, economic case for anarchy.”

9. The Myth of the Rational Voter (2011) by Bryan Caplan

“This book helps the reader understand why so much of political discourse and thinking is irrational.”

Dr. Sarah Skwire is a Fellow at Liberty Fund, Inc. and the author of the college writing textbook, Writing with a Thesis, which is in its 12th edition. 

10. Little Brother (2008) by Eory Doctorow

“This novel is about a Bay Area terrorist attack, and the group of teenagers that resists the growth of the security state that follows. I’m not as wild about the sequel, ‘Homeland’, but fans of debates over art and IP law will also like Doctorow’s ‘Pirate Cinema’ about what happens when repurposing the art created by others becomes over-regulated.”

11. Ella Minnow Pea (2002) by Mark Dunn 

“This is a delicate epistolary novel with a steel spine. When the government of the fictional island of Nollop begins to outlaw the use of certain letters in speech or writing, how long can the culture survive?”

12. Marzi (2011) by Marzena Sowa

“This is a beautiful graphic novel about growing up in Poland during the Solidarity movement. It’s a political story and a coming of age story, and you really shouldn’t miss it.”

T.K. Coleman is a philosopher, writer, lecturer, entrepreneur, and life coach as well as the Educational Director for Praxis. 

My recommendations address libertarian ideas from the existential vantage point of finding and embodying freedom in everyday life. These books provide a way of answering the following question: ‘outside of political involvement, how can we experience more freedom in the way we think, the way we create, the way we work, and the way we coexist.’”

13. Self-Reliance (1888) by Ralph Waldo Emerson

“This is a classic work providing contemporary culture with a much needed reminder of the possibility and power of the self-determined life. Emerson brilliantly articulates his ideas on the importance of non-conformity, individualism, self-respect, and the refusal to depend on external governance as the way to well-being.”

14. How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World (1973) by Harry Brown

“Harry Brown begins with an intriguing and promising premise. He writes,

‘Freedom is the opportunity to live your life as you want to live it. And that is possible, even if others remain as they are. If you’re not free now, it might be because you’ve been preoccupied with the people or institutions that you feel have restrained your freedom. I don’t expect you to stop worrying about them merely because I suggest that you do. I do hope to show you, though, that those people and institutions are relatively powerless to stop you — once you decide how you will achieve your freedom. There are things you can do to be free, and if you turn your attention to those things, no one will stand in your way. But when you become preoccupied with those who are blocking you, you overlook the many alternatives you could use to bypass them.’

I consider this to be one of the most overlooked yet pivotal books addressing how libertarian ideals can be brought to bear in our pursuit of greater freedom in relationships, work, family-life, etc. This book can truly change a person’s life. I personally think every libertarian should read this one.”

15. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass (1845) by Frederick Douglass:

“I first read this in high school and it changed my life. In the life of Douglass, we see an inspiring example of someone who fought for and achieved freedom in spite of great physical, social, and political opposition. For Douglass, his physical freedom was the logical outworking of an interior sense of freedom that he cultivate while he was a slave. This book is not only interesting and inspiring, but it also chronicles the life and philosophy of a man who, while praised by people within all political circles, provides libertarians with a lot of ammo for how we can win the fight for freedom in our own time. While Douglass was not explicitly a libertarian, much of his life and work can be described from a libertarian point of view.”

16. How to Change The World (2012) by John-Paul Flintoff

“This book is part of Alain de Botton’s School of Life Series. This series of books tackles the traditional questions of the self-help genre with the scholarly rigor intellectual depth of western analytic philosophy. There’s no cheesy stuff about lollipops, rainbows, and positive affirmations here.

The world (and I don’t consider the libertarian movement to be an exception here) is filled with brilliant people who have very little faith in the ability to significantly change the world in their lifetime. Flintoff makes a compelling case for why we can have an impact and he offers pragmatic advice on how to do so. 

The book isn’t about libertarianism per se, but it is about the power of the individual to make the world a freer place. In essence, it’s a book about how to criticize by creating.”