Book Recommendations for Economics and Investing

The housing and liquidity crisis of 2007-2008 was an eye opener for me. I was still fairly young at the time, so was lucky in that I did not have much invested in the markets. Nevertheless, it become clear to me very quickly that there was far more to the economy and markets than I assumed I knew.

As a result, I took up a new goal to absorb and understand all that I could about how the economy functions, in hopes of better serving myself and others. Since then, I've consumed about 10 or so books covering microeconomics, macroeconomics, and investing. I share with you below six books in particular that I highly recommend for starting out, should you (the reader) wish to take first steps yourself toward better understanding the complexities and realities of our modern economy.

For a philosophy to investing in the stock market:
- The Only Three Questions That Count by Ken Fisher

For an introduction to the global economy (currencies, imports, exports):
- Concise Guide To Macroeconomics by David Moss

For an introduction to economic development, housing, employment, and banking:
- Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell

For a history of paper money, gold standards, and economic relations between U.S., Europe, and China:
- Currency Wars by James Rickards

For analysis of the 2007-2008 housing and liquidity crisis^*:
- The Housing Boom and Bust by Thomas Sowell 
- Freefall by Joseph Stiglitz