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Economics in One Lesson
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Clean, bright used copy with tight binding. Some underlining in the beginning pages, but neatly done./lh
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Paperback, 193 pages
Published
by Crown Publishing Group
(first published 1946)
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Start your review of Economics in One Lesson

Aug 10, 2011
Whitaker
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
economics,
z_2011-read
Since I have been told (see Post #3) that I have insufficiently supported my point in the original review below, I thought I should expand on it. I have therefore added on Post #4 in full to this review.
Original Review
I read the free copy made available here. Well, actually I read the first three chapters and scanned through the rest to see if it was more or less based on the same type of argumentation and reasoning. It was.
Can't people tell that this is just rhetoric and argument? There are a ...more
Original Review
I read the free copy made available here. Well, actually I read the first three chapters and scanned through the rest to see if it was more or less based on the same type of argumentation and reasoning. It was.
Can't people tell that this is just rhetoric and argument? There are a ...more


5.0 STARS ALL THE WAY for this TERRIFIC book that I consider ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in understanding the "free market" theory that government intervention in the markets, no matter how well meaning the intent, almost always leads to negative consequences down the road.
Hazlitt, a prolific author and champion of "free markets" begins the book with the following lesson of Economics:
The art of economics consists of looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effe...more

This is a true ‘Economics for Dummies’ book. It can be useful in case you want something handy to bang over an economic nit-wit's head on short notice. Only such a dummy would be unable to puncture your simplistic arguments or need them in the first place.
Beyond that, it is hard to envisage much use for this volume, whether for serious discussion or for serious reflection. So if the initial bang was not good enough and if you pack no other arsenal, you might as well get out of there, and fast. ...more

If you want to read about Austrian economics and hear about how Keynesian economists are out there in the night, conspiring to tax you and build useless bridges for giggles, then read this book. If you know anything about economics and think about what you're reading, you'll see an agenda. Many generalizations and exaggerations are made to portray advocates of Keynesian economics as moronic and simple-minded.
Hazlitt doesn't say the government takes money from the rich and give to the poor; he sa ...more
Hazlitt doesn't say the government takes money from the rich and give to the poor; he sa ...more

Abbreviated Review: stop reading my review and go read “Economics in One Lesson” right now.
Full Review: In the first half of 2009, I visited several law schools before making my selection. While at Northwestern, I spoke at length with a professor who had recently worked on a paper supporting a national consumption tax. Encouraged by the fact that our positions on the desirability of a sales tax over an income tax aligned, I pushed him to explain his solution for getting out of the current financ ...more
Full Review: In the first half of 2009, I visited several law schools before making my selection. While at Northwestern, I spoke at length with a professor who had recently worked on a paper supporting a national consumption tax. Encouraged by the fact that our positions on the desirability of a sales tax over an income tax aligned, I pushed him to explain his solution for getting out of the current financ ...more

For a book that was written so long ago, this book is amazingly relevant to today. It clearly explains how things like stimulus packages, government subsidies, nationalization, currency inflation etc., aren't, and can't be, magic solutions that fix the economy. It gives examples of times these types of things have been tried in the past and haven't worked and why they won't work today and will never work. If you are skeptical of the hundreds of billions of dollars being printed and shuffled arou
...more

The point of this book is to show that there are facts that economists have worked out over the years that are now all but laws that can be used to determine how we should structure our interactions so as to provide the best possible benefit to the greatest possible number. These laws ought to be followed to the letter as ANY mucking about with them can only lead to tears. Unfortunately, it has always been the case that politicians (and even some economists – particularly economists contaminated
...more

The main thesis of this book is that the economy is a complex dynamical system and government's efforts to tamper with a free market economy is a game of whac-a-mole where a variety of hard-to-see n-th order (n>1) negative consequences dominate the intended easy-to-see positive consequences, resulting in an overall net loss for everyone. This thesis is illustrated with the use of few dozen example settings per chapter that are seemingly different (e.g. tariffs, rent control, unions, minimum wage
...more

Nov 27, 2014
Pezquenin
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Nobody
The book of fallacies
Mr Hazlitt's favourite word in the world is FALLACY. It appears countless times throughout the book. Only once or twice he uses equivalent terms, such as "delusion".
This is my (ironic) summary of the book:
- Chapter N
Theory A is a fallacy. People who support it only think about the benefits for one group, and only about the short-term consequences. They should think about the long-term consequences and its impact on all groups. Let me give you an example: example 1
- Chapter N ...more
Mr Hazlitt's favourite word in the world is FALLACY. It appears countless times throughout the book. Only once or twice he uses equivalent terms, such as "delusion".
This is my (ironic) summary of the book:
- Chapter N
Theory A is a fallacy. People who support it only think about the benefits for one group, and only about the short-term consequences. They should think about the long-term consequences and its impact on all groups. Let me give you an example: example 1
- Chapter N ...more

I could not finish this book. It is trite, misleading, and misstates history. Here are my notes:
Notes on Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt (1946)
I'm with Hazlitt on the broken window fallacy: destruction of value needs to be added to the balance of new value created in replacing the destroyed.
But the next step is NOT a logical extension (p. 14): "But the more money is turned out in this way, the more the value of any given unit of money falls.“ Not true. Money has no value at all. It is ...more
Notes on Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt (1946)
I'm with Hazlitt on the broken window fallacy: destruction of value needs to be added to the balance of new value created in replacing the destroyed.
But the next step is NOT a logical extension (p. 14): "But the more money is turned out in this way, the more the value of any given unit of money falls.“ Not true. Money has no value at all. It is ...more

"The whole of economics can be reduced to a single lesson, and that lesson can be reduced to a single sentence. The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.
Nine-tenths of the economic fallacies that are working such dreadful harm in the world today are the result of ignoring this lesson."
Hazlitt covers a variety of topics incl ...more
Nine-tenths of the economic fallacies that are working such dreadful harm in the world today are the result of ignoring this lesson."
Hazlitt covers a variety of topics incl ...more

Don't get confused with the title. the author has not provided all the concepts of economics in one only lesson. Henry Hazlitt has done a remarkable job in summing up major economics concept in short. Moreover, I totally agree with his subtitle the shortest and simplest way understand Basic Economics.
It will provide you with the basic understandings about economics. How the economy operates, the role of the government, the structure of markets and many other interesting concepts of economics. I ...more
It will provide you with the basic understandings about economics. How the economy operates, the role of the government, the structure of markets and many other interesting concepts of economics. I ...more

Sep 11, 2008
Jeremy
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Economic novices
Recommended to Jeremy by:
Kelsey
I can't even count the number of times already that topics discussed in this book have come up in everyday conversation. To me that is the major value of a book like this and an indication of its effectiveness. The "one lesson" is this: to truly understand economics (and make good economic policies) we must consider the short-term and long-term effects of a policy as well as how it affects all people immediately and in the future.
There has been a paradigm shift in my thinking. I have been confro ...more
There has been a paradigm shift in my thinking. I have been confro ...more

HERE! THE BOOK IS FREE! READ MORE! IT IS LITERALLY RIGHT BELOW THIS PARAGRAPH! Your lazy ass does not even have to walk the whole two blocks to the library, you can just roll over in your semen covered bed with gummy worms stuck to your back and pizza crumbs ingrained and meshed in your disgusting pubic-like chest hair and fumble with the mouse until you click on the link, and read a very short and simple explanation of economics in one easy lesson...This is probably the most important book writ
...more

This book smacks down Keynesian economics with good ol' Austrian economics.
Highlights (these are from memory so they may not be verbatim):
"Inflation is the opiate of the masses" (LOVE the shoutout to Marx!)
"Inflation is taxation of the most regressive kind."
"The art of economics is not just seeing the immediate but the long term effects of any act or policy. You must trace the consequences of that policy not only for one group but for every group."
I love the chapters on inflation, unions, free ...more
Highlights (these are from memory so they may not be verbatim):
"Inflation is the opiate of the masses" (LOVE the shoutout to Marx!)
"Inflation is taxation of the most regressive kind."
"The art of economics is not just seeing the immediate but the long term effects of any act or policy. You must trace the consequences of that policy not only for one group but for every group."
I love the chapters on inflation, unions, free ...more

Dec 26, 2012
Jacob
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
economics-and-finance,
non-fiction
Reading Hazlitt's economic primer, I was reminded of the recent vice presidential debate, in particular Paul Ryan’s statement: “If you don't have a good record to run on, paint your opponent as someone people should run from.” Unfortunately, this book was plagued by a similar ailment. The author spends page after page decrying the evils and ineffectiveness of his opponents while spending far less time building evidence for his own theories. Even when Hazlitt tries to make an argument in favor of
...more

This book is an excellent, concise introduction to one particular kind of economic thinking: the idea that an economy works best if left to free market forces alone, and that any kind of government intervention is bad and disturbs the economy, rather than improving it.
This is what I like about the book: I have never seen such a clear exposition of this line of thinking. And this is my greatest disappointment: That these ideas are presented as the only possible way to understand economics, the on ...more
This is what I like about the book: I have never seen such a clear exposition of this line of thinking. And this is my greatest disappointment: That these ideas are presented as the only possible way to understand economics, the on ...more

If you only read one book on economics, read this one: read it and learn it. (But don't read just one book on economics.) It's astounding how so many fail to grasp the basic truths in this volume, or, more likely, ignore the evidence and rush ahead with their failed schemes of redistribution, inflation, etc. to provide short-term benefit to a favored few.
"Practically all government attempts to redistribute wealth and income tend to smother productive incentives and lead toward general impoverish ...more
"Practically all government attempts to redistribute wealth and income tend to smother productive incentives and lead toward general impoverish ...more

Dec 16, 2012
Michael
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
politics-history-econ
I wanted to dislike this book because of its borderline-snobbish tone, but Hazlitt nailed it, and thankfully pointed out that there is no rule, no doctrine, no shortcut, no party, no faith that can point us to correct economic conclusions. We simply have to do the work to look at the evidence before understanding the consequences of any policy. As a plaque at NASA is rumored to say, "In God we trust. All others bring data."
...more

Mar 05, 2018
Kellyn Roth
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-for-school,
nonfiction-books
That was not just one lesson.

Economics in One Lesson must be an absolute necessity for any Austrian School of Economics advocates. Hazlitt fiercely dissects and debunks the many economic fallacies created by government policy and special interest groups. Every single lesson is truly a testament to real economic prosperity rather than delusions spouted by politicians and media personnel.
All 25 Lessons have significant importance, but fundamentally, the preeminent lesson is inflation. Single-handedly, inflation can be blamed ...more
All 25 Lessons have significant importance, but fundamentally, the preeminent lesson is inflation. Single-handedly, inflation can be blamed ...more

The book uses simple examples of economics between individuals to understand the cost vs. benefit relationships surrounding economic decisions and policies. Examples and principles described are very easy to understand and are relevant to arguments made. Author is a Classic Economist and argues that economic growth is never optimal with government intervention. He shows how saving money is perhaps better to the growth of the economy than is consumption spending. He persuasively argues against Ke
...more

This book lives up to it's promise.
I can confidently claim that this book granted me the understanding of basic economic principles and equipped me with knowledge to recognize common fallacies.
The core lesson is straight forward. A coherent interpretive insight into a complicated economic decision can be made through keeping two principals in mind. The first being the consideration of how that decision affects the whole community at large, rather than a special group. Secondly, to always regard ...more
I can confidently claim that this book granted me the understanding of basic economic principles and equipped me with knowledge to recognize common fallacies.
The core lesson is straight forward. A coherent interpretive insight into a complicated economic decision can be made through keeping two principals in mind. The first being the consideration of how that decision affects the whole community at large, rather than a special group. Secondly, to always regard ...more

Finally got around to reading this. Though it's a bit dense, it was a good and necessary read. Every proponent of free enterprise should read this!
...more

A shortsighted and smarmy screed for the Joe The Plumbers of the world.
This book, being almost 70 years old, is quite dated and holds a number regressive and oversimplified attitudes about economics.
Hypocritically, most of the problems this book claims to answer (that many economic policies do not take into account the full consequences of their effects) are almost immediately dispensed with inside of a single economic cycle.
What this means is that decisions made by individuals and governments ...more
This book, being almost 70 years old, is quite dated and holds a number regressive and oversimplified attitudes about economics.
Hypocritically, most of the problems this book claims to answer (that many economic policies do not take into account the full consequences of their effects) are almost immediately dispensed with inside of a single economic cycle.
What this means is that decisions made by individuals and governments ...more

It seemed like a fitting time to get a refresher on basic economics. Listening to the Audible version read by Jeff Riggenbach. A classic everyone should be familiar with. Highly recommended.

Apr 19, 2015
Binit
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
2015-reading-challenge
I think a better title for this book should "Amoral Economics in One Lesson - I hate government and here are some simplistic arguments as to why you should too". As far as I can tell the arguments of this book is the economics is a zero-sum game, government spending is uniformly bad, humans are rational economic actors and charity & kindness have no place in economic thought.
Economics is not a zero sum game, wealth is created and sometimes the government is the only agency to be able to do so. T ...more
Economics is not a zero sum game, wealth is created and sometimes the government is the only agency to be able to do so. T ...more

As of this writing, the 1946 first edition of this book, a good introduction to Libertarian thought, is available as a free, 200-page, slow-downloading .pdf file from the URL on the Goodreads page for this book. The link is just below the ISBN and original title (same link here). For a free, but faster-loading, .html version of this book from the same source, readable in any web browser, click here.
However, like an idiot, I paid $9.99 on Amazon. It's the second edition of the book, from 1978, wi ...more
However, like an idiot, I paid $9.99 on Amazon. It's the second edition of the book, from 1978, wi ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Is it true that employers will reinvest all profits in factories, etc.? | 2 | 22 | Feb 15, 2015 01:58PM |
Henry Hazlitt was a libertarian philosopher, an economist, and a journalist for various publications including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and Newsweek. He was the founding vice-president of the Foundation for Economic Education and an early editor of The Freeman, an important libertarian magazine. In 1946 Hazlitt wrote Economics in One Lesson, his seminal text on free market e
...more
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“When Alexander the Great visited the philosopher Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for him, Diogenes is said to have replied: ‘Yes, stand a little less between me and the sun.’ It is what every citizen is entitled to ask of his government.”
—
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“Practically all government attempts to redistribute wealth and income tend to smother productive incentives and lead toward general impoverishment. It is the proper sphere of government to create and enforce a framework of law that prohibits force and fraud. But it must refrain from specific economic interventions. Government's main economic function is to encourage and preserve a free market. When Alexander the Great visited the philosopher Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for him, Diogenes is said to have replied: "Yes, stand a little less between me and the sun." It is what every citizen is entitled to ask of his government.”
—
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