If you absolutely had to pick only 1 book to recommend...

[angelatc]

 

[Dary]

Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do : The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in Our Free Country -
Peter McWilliams

http://www.amazon.com/Aint-Nobodys-Business-You-Consensual/dp/0931580587

 

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

If you absolutely had to pick only 1 book to recommend reading for an aspiring libertarian, what would it be?

Plato's Republic. Actually, these were scrolls. Some interesting notes. Aristotle never did finish his works by developing them to form as did Plato. Plato didn't write for people to read, but he wrote his dialogues to be performed. The lone student often left in attendence during Plato's performances had to be Aristotle as he was the one responsibility for enscribing the performance as he was the only one other than Plato who knew how to both read and write (these two abilities weren't considered intelligent abilities at the time). While it might appear that Plato never wrote conclusions, the dialectic was always the main idea in every dialogue. Plato should be considered the greatest fiction writer to ever live because he developed the endeavor of science as a genre. Plato believed mathematics was science. Plato wasn't a writer who picked up philosophy, but he was a philosopher who picked up a pen to challenge every filthy poet, as he viewed them. In the end, Plato succeeded in bettering most of the writers and at least matching the very best of them.
On and on.

 

[matt0611]

The Law, by Bastiat, I think is the best if you could only read one.

Runner's up are Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson, The Revolution: A Manifesto, Rothbard's For a New Liberty and Tom Wood's Rollback (it has a terrible name but its really an awesome book for people new to liberty)

 

[Roxi]

 

[Romulus]

That is a great book..... I still don't have any friends though. lol

 

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

The Law, by Bastiat, I think is the best if you could only read one.

Runner's up are Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson, The Revolution: A Manifesto, Rothbard's For a New Liberty and Tom Wood's Rollback (it has a terrible name but its really an awesome book for people new to liberty)

"The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." -Alfred North Whitehead

Why not read the work that produced the underlying philosophy of every book written in Western Civilization? How can this even be questioned? Have we fallen this far?

 

[Cowlesy]

Fahrenheit 451.

 

[Kotin]

Anything on John Locke's property rights concepts..

 

[jj-]

hahahaha!

sorry.

 

[jj-]

lol @ people recommending 1984 and brave new world.

1984 wasn't even good enough to convert the one who wrote it! If one is to recommend something like that, go with Atlas Shrugged. At the very least the author wasn't a socialist.

 

[jj-]

I'd recommend "End The Fed".

 

[GeorgiaAvenger]

“I strongly recommend that every American acquire some basic knowledge of economics, monetary policy, and the intersection of politics with the economy. No formal classroom is required; a desire to read and learn will suffice. There are countless important books to consider, but the following are an excellent starting point: The Law by Frédéric Bastiat; Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt; What has Government Done to our Money? by Murray Rothbard; The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek; and Economics for Real People by Gene Callahan.
If you simply read and comprehend these relatively short texts, you will know far more than most educated people about economics and government. You certainly will develop a far greater understanding of how supposedly benevolent government policies destroy prosperity. If you care about the future of this country, arm yourself with knowledge and fight back against economic ignorance. We disregard economics and history at our own peril.”

—Ron Paul

 

[NoOneButPaul]

1984 wasn't even good enough to convert the one who wrote it! If one is to recommend something like that, go with Atlas Shrugged. At the very least the author wasn't a socialist.

Always found Orwell's socialism simply fascinating since he wrote perhaps the two most anti-socialists books in history...

 

[mikeyc90]

liberty defined by ron paul

 

[NoOneButPaul]

“I strongly recommend that every American acquire some basic knowledge of economics, monetary policy, and the intersection of politics with the economy. No formal classroom is required; a desire to read and learn will suffice. There are countless important books to consider, but the following are an excellent starting point: The Law by Frédéric Bastiat; Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt; What has Government Done to our Money? by Murray Rothbard; The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek; and Economics for Real People by Gene Callahan.
If you simply read and comprehend these relatively short texts, you will know far more than most educated people about economics and government. You certainly will develop a far greater understanding of how supposedly benevolent government policies destroy prosperity. If you care about the future of this country, arm yourself with knowledge and fight back against economic ignorance. We disregard economics and history at our own peril.”

—Ron Paul

3 of my 5 picks

And the two he didn't include, that I did, were his own books

Anyone read Economics for Real People? Is it any good?

 

[The Free Hornet]

In one of the debates, the candidates were asked if they could only recommend 1 must read book, which would it be.

Ron answered Bastiats, The Law.

It's only 74 pages long and available for free online:

http://mises.org/books/thelaw.pdf

FEE has Economics in One Lesson for free as well.

 

[jj-]

Anyone read Economics for Real People? Is it any good?

I read it, was underwhelmed.

 

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Anything on John Locke's property rights concepts..

Could you elaborate please?

 

[BuddyRey]

Lysander Spooner's "No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority"