Economics

Money, markets and incentives shape so much of daily life, and most of us were never taught much about them. This shelf has books on personal finance and getting out of debt, on how ordinary people build wealth slowly, on why some nations prosper and others don't, and on the crashes and manias that keep repeating. A few are classics written decades ago, and a few take strong positions that other economists dispute. I try to say where each author stands so you can weigh it. If you only read one or two, pick something practical for your own family's money and one big-picture book about how the system works.