To understand capitalism more fully, it is essential that the interested reader consult many of the works listed below. The following bibliography is divided into sections according to the kind of book or article included on the list.
The section entitled "Classic Works on Capitalism" contains those works which should be read by everyone. They are the classic treatments of the nature of a free society by its most earnest defenders. The list of "Essential Works" are those that should be read by anyone interested in a grasp of the main fundamentals of capitalism and its theory and practice. The works listed in the bibliographies in the various "Topics" sections are categorized by the specific topic or aspect of capitalism that unites the. The works in these lower lists are often more specialized and include works whose authors may not necessarily support capitalism, but whose research offer insights to serious students of capitalism. (Click on any section to see the list.)
Classic Works on Capitalism
Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Frederick Bastiat, The Law
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
Ludwig von Mises, Human Action: A Treatise on Economics
Friedrich von Hayek, The Road to Serfdom
Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom
Thomas Sowell, The Quest for Cosmic Justice
Essential Works on Capitalism
coming soon
Topics: Property Rights
• James Ely, The Guardian
of Every Other Right
• Richard Epstein, Supreme Neglect
• Richard Epstein, Takings: Private Property and
the Power of Eminent Domain
• Tom Bethell, The Noblest Triumph
• Richard Pipes, Property and Freedom
• Terry Anderson and Fred McChesney, eds., Property
Rights: Cooperation, Conflict, and Law
• Terry L. Anderson, Property Rights: A Practical
Guide to Freedom and Prosperity
• Ellen Frankel Paul and Howard Dickman, eds.,
Liberty, Property, and the Foundations of the
American Constitution
• Jerome Huyler, Locke in America
Topics: Contract Law
• Lawrence Freidman, A History of American Law
• Morton Horwitz, The Transformation of American Law, 1790-1860
• Kevin Teeven, A History of the Anglo-American Law of Contract
• Harry Scheiber, ed., The State and Freedom of Contract
• F. H. Buckley, The Rise and Fall of the Freedom of Contract
Topics: Corporations
• James Willard Hurst, The Legitimacy of the Business Corporation in the Law of the United States, 1780-1970
• John Meyer and James Gustafson, eds., The U.S. Business Corporation
• Richard Tedlow, The Rise of the American Business Corporation
• Adolf Berle and Gardiner Means, The Modern Corporation and Private Property
Topics: Money and Banking
• Richard Salsman, Gold and Liberty
• Kevin Dowd, Laissez-Faire Banking
• Kevin Dowd, Money and the Market
• Kevin Dowd, The Experience of Free Banking
• George Selgin, Good Money
• George Selgin, The Theory of Free Banking
• Lawrence White, Competition and Currency
• Hugh Rockoff, The Free Banking Era: A Re-examination
Topics: Labor Law
• Paul Kens, Lochner v. New York: Economic Regulation on Trial
• Howard Gillman, The Constitution Besieged
• John Orth, Combination and Conspiracy: A Legal History of Trade Unionism, 1721-1906
Topics: The Environment
coming soon
Topics: Taxes
• Elliot Brownlee,
Federal Taxation in America
• John F. Witte, The Politics and Development of
the Federal Income Tax
• Robert Stanley, Dimensions of Law in the Service
of Order
• Steven Weisman, The Great Tax Wars
(return to outline)