Andrew Wilkow Book Recommendations

A world where bit by bit everything in life is more and more controlled by the government, and the most brilliant minds in industry and science are vanishing. The mystery unravels through the eyes of Dagny Taggart, a railroad executive in continuous struggle to keep afloat the business, which seems to drown in such chaotic elements. The issues that are taken up by the plot include individualism, freedom, and the human mind in the course of existence. Who is John Galt? That was the question the whole world found on its lips as it collapsed under the load of regulations and the mediocrity this breeding ground fostered. This becomes the key to the discovery of a mass exodus of the world's innovators, and the road to a new way of life.

This book narrows down the broad field of economics to a single fundamental lesson: that what counts is understanding the consequences of economic policies not only in the short run, but also over the long term. It challenges popular myths and misconceptions in economics, extolling policies that take into account effects on all groups – rather than on a chosen few – regardless of their popularity. In clear examples, it shows well-intentioned policies can have unintended bad effects. A must-read for anyone looking to grasp the basics of economic theory and its practical applications in everyday life.

F. A. Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" is one of the benchmark books arguing against the perils of central planning and totalitarianism, setting the free-market case for freedom of the individual. Hayek went on to predict the coming of authoritarian rule and the slow, diminutive loss of freedom once economic decision-making was in the hands of governments.

"Watership Down" by Richard Adams stands truly as an epic adventure and survival story of a small band of rabbits as they trek in search of a new home after the destruction of their warren. In this allegoric tale, Adams introduces many themes to his readers in this event, including leadership, community, and the quest for freedom through hardship.

In his "The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution," Cassistant. P. Snow points out that there is an ever-widening gap between science and humanities prevailing during the 20th century. Snow presents such cultures that need to be integrated, showing them the necessity of one another for putting up solutions towards complications existing in the world.

"The Law" by Frederjson Bastiat is an "All-Time Favorite Book," where the author shows his brilliant work in political philosophy and economics while advocating the principles of liberty, property, and justice. Bastiat attacked the use of law for plunder and not for the protection of the same, and, accordingly, he prescribes to have a legal system that will protect individual rights.