The following is a list of books that have had a profound influence on my life. It is by no means exhaustive, but certainly a good start for anyone interested in philosophy, economics, and freedom.

1. The Virtue of Selfishness – Rand, Ayn
2. Atlas Shrugged – Rand
3. The Mystery of Capital… – DeSoto, Hernando
4. Human Action – Mises, Ludwig von
5. The Choice – Roberts, Russell
6. On Liberty – Mill, John Stuart

I would also recommend, as a bottomless resource, the Mises Institute. Which is full of online text from eleventy-billion writers. Essays, articles, whole volumes, etc, all free.

And my list of current reading, on top of my textbooks which I shall neglect like it’s my job:

1. Leviathan – Hobbes, Thomas
2. Wealth of Nations, The – Smith, Adam
3. Economic Sophisms – Bastiat, Frederic

Bastiat, I just picked up that one at Amazon the other day. I started reading it tonight, having been introduced to his works via the Mises institute. It’s unbelievable, and sure to bump one of the others out of the first list. Included in this volume is a chapter devoted to common arguments against free trade, and the logical refutation of those arguments. He is without a doubt one of the most concise and easily readable authors on the topic of Economics that I have ever come across.