Human Action

A Treatise on Economics

Ludwig Von Mises

Book Reviews

One of the four books that taught Charles Koch "how the world works.”

Michael Saylor recommended Human Action on his Bitcoin website, Hope.com

Book Synopsis

Human Action, written by Ludwig Von Mises, explores the fundamental principles of economics and human decision-making. With remarkable clarity and comprehensive analysis, Mises examines the relationship between human action, individual choices, and the functioning of a market economy.

Using the praxeological method, Mises argues that all human action is purposeful and aims at achieving desired ends. He delves into the concept of subjective value, emphasizing the role of individuals in determining the value of goods and services. Mises also investigates the impact of incentives, entrepreneurship, and innovation on economic development.

Throughout the book, Mises meticulously dissects key economic concepts such as money, inflation, interest rates, and the business cycle. He exposes the flaws in various economic theories and highlights the importance of allowing the free market to thrive without government intervention.

Mises warns against the dangers of socialism, pointing out the inherent flaws in centralized planning and the destruction it brings to individual freedom and prosperity. He argues that economic planning must not ignore the realities of human action and the market's ability to coordinate complex interactions.

Human Action is a tour de force in economics, providing a foundational understanding of how individual choices shape the world we live in. Mises' rigorous analysis, sharp insights, and commitment to liberty make this work a seminal contribution to the field.

Explore More Books

See All
Math, Better Explained
The Unquiet Grave
Diaspora
The Cold Start Problem
Devil Take the Hindmost
The Innovators
The First Conspiracy
The Art of Stillness
I Contain Multitudes
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World
The Internet of Money Volume 1
Thinking and Deciding
A Father First
Blueprint
The Old Way
Think Like a Monk
With the Old Breed
Hunger of Memory
Into The Silence
A Hall of Mirrors
Down to Earth
The Gifts of Imperfection
The Laws of Thermodynamics
The Gallic Wars
Knowledge and The Wealth of Nations
Bowling Alone
Tuxedo Park
How To Live
The Measure of Reality
Memories, Dreams, Reflections
Built To Last
In FED We Trust
The Power Broker
A Cultural History of Physics
With All Due Respect
The Righteous Mind
Work Rules!
Successful Investing is a Process
The Theory of Investment Value
Plowman's Folly
How Google Works
Permanent Record
To Sell is Human
The Peacemaker's Code
What Works on Wall Street
Acid Test
Who
Epic Measures
Surface Detail
The Power of Broke
Into Thin Air
How Buildings Learn
The Piano Tuner
Hyperbole and a Half
Necessary Dreams
Autobiography of a Spiritually Incorrect Mystic
Living Within Limits
Scotland
Six Thinking Hats
Pandemic 1918
Who's In Charge
Trump: America First
Parasite Rex
Dear Chairman: Boardroom Battles and the Rise of Shareholder Activism
Tools and Weapons
The Agile Gene
The Fish That Ate The Whale
The Lord of the Rings
The Supermen
Queen of Fashion
Dealing with Darwin
Means Of Ascent
The Craft
Your Symphony of Selves
One of a Kind
Things Never To Tell Children
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
Levels of the Game
Red Star Over The Pacific
Hornblower Saga
Water in Plain Sight
Diet for a Small Planet
The Grapes of Wrath
Wild And Crazy Guys
Decrypting Money
The Emotion Code
You
Great Expectations
Biography of the Dollar
I Love Capitalism
Chaos Monkeys
Conscious Business
From Bacteria to Bach and Back
Cradle to Cradle
The Secret of Fatima
Competing in the Age of AI
Jane Eyre
Turtles All The Way Down
Tent Life in Siberia