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Library Book Shelves

ESSENTIAL READING

Understanding Capitalism

Why does capitalism work? More importantly, should it work? And if you're convinced it should, how do you defend it against critics who see it as exploitative, unfair, or destructive? 

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This reading list isn't just about economics - it's about understanding one of the most powerful and controversial ideas in human history. Capitalism isn't just a system for organizing trade and production; it's a comprehensive worldview about human nature, individual rights, and how societies should function.

Foundations

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Economics in One Lesson

Henry Hazlitt

The masterclass in economic thinking that teaches you to see beyond immediate effects to long-term consequences of any policy.

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Free to Choose

Milton Friedman

A compelling demonstration of how free markets consistently deliver better outcomes than government control.

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The Road to Serfdom

Friedrich Hayek

The prophetic warning that socialist planning inevitably leads to tyranny, written by the economist who saw it coming decades ahead.

Building Your Understanding

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Capitalism and Freedom

Milton Friedman

The definitive argument that economic freedom and political freedom are inseparable and mutually reinforcing.

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The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith

The foundational text that explains how individual self-interest, guided by market forces, creates prosperity for entire societies.

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Basic Economics

Thomas Sowell

Complex economic principles made crystal clear through real-world examples that show how markets work in practice, not theory.

The Moral Case

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Atlas Shrugged

Ayn Rand

​The epic novel that dramatizes what happens when society's productive creators go on strike against a system that punishes achievement.

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The Fountainhead

Ayn Rand

​The story of architect Howard Roark's uncompromising individualism that illustrates the conflict between creators and conformists.

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​The Virtue of Selfishness

Ayn Rand

​The philosophical case that rational self-interest is not only moral but essential for human flourishing and social cooperation.

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Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal

Ayn Rand

A collection of essays defending capitalism as the only social system that protects individual rights and enables voluntary cooperation.

Historical Perspective

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The Mystery of Capital

Hernando de Soto

The eye-opening explanation of how secure property rights transform "dead capital" into wealth-creating assets in developing nations.

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Knowledge and Decisions

Thomas Sowell

​The brilliant analysis of how different institutions - markets, governments, families - process information and make decisions that shape our world.

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The Myth of the Robber Barons

Burton W. Folsom

​Shows how market entrepreneurs drove America's rise as a major economic power while political entrepreneurs drained taxpayers and hindered genuine progress.

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New Deal or Raw Deal?

Burton W. Folsom

A sharply critical look at Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency reveals government policies that hindered economic recovery from the Great Depression - and are still hurting America today.

Advanced Reading

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Human Action

Ludwig von Mises

The monumental treatise on economics as the science of human choice that provides the theoretical foundation for free-market capitalism.

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Capitalism:

George Reisman

The comprehensive economic textbook that integrates Austrian and classical economics into a unified pro-capitalist framework.

Quick Reads & Essays

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I, Pencil

Leonard Read

The charming story of a pencil that reveals the miraculous complexity of market coordination and spontaneous order.

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Economic Sophisms

Claude Frédéric Bastiat

The witty demolition of protectionist fallacies that remain as relevant today as they were in 19th-century France.

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The Use of Knowledge in Society

Friedrich A. Hayek

​The elegant essay explaining why centralized planning can never match the information-processing power of free markets.

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The Law​

Claude Frédéric Bastiat

Brilliant essay arguing that law should protect individual rights, not redistribute wealth or engineer society.

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Economic Harmonies

Claude Frédéric Bastiat

The French economist's lyrical demonstration of how individual interests naturally harmonize through voluntary exchange.

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Important Disclaimer: While both hosts are leaders of the American Capitalist Party and proud capitalists, the views expressed on The Capitalist Corner represent our own personal opinions and analysis. We are not speaking as official representatives of the American Capitalist Party on this show.

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