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John Cochrane

Economist at the Hoover Institution; wrote The Fiscal Theory of the Price Level and blogs as The Grumpy Economist.

5 things

Parliament of WhoresBook P.J. O'Rourke

loved

Recently I found out that P.J. O’Rourke’s masterpiece of political philosophy, Parliament of Whores, is online , for free. In your archives of classics, this book should go alongside Plato, Macchiavelli, Hume, and the Federalist Papers.

Post reprinting O'Rourke's budget-balancing chapter.

2026-02-04·grumpy-economist.com ↗

Knowledge and DecisionsBook Thomas Sowell

loved

Then I found the just-published Knowledge and Decisions , Tom Sowell’s economic masterpiece. (I read several other eye-opening Sowell books at the same time, especially his works on race, and culture. But it is not my task to share that experience today.) This was a world-view-changing experience

Essay on how Sowell's book shaped his thinking.

2025-10-20·grumpy-economist.com ↗

Late AdmissionsBook Glenn Loury

loved

Glenn Loury’s “Late Admissions” memoir is superb. Read it. Better, get the audiobook, read by Glenn, and listen to Glenn tell you about his life in his own voice, as I did for 1400 miles.

Cochrane reviews Glenn Loury's memoir on his blog.

2024-06-20·grumpy-economist.com ↗

The Celebration Honoring John TaylorBook Hoover Institution Press

recommendedtheir own

I don’t mean to slight the many other great contributions. You will learn a lot about macro and monetary economics from this lovely book.

Announcing two Hoover Press volumes he co-edited.

2026-05-19·grumpy-economist.com ↗

The Conservative SensibilityBook George Will

recommended

In your archives of classics, this book should go alongside Plato, Macchiavelli, Hume, and the Federalist Papers. (And George Will’s Conservative Sensibility. )

Aside in a post about P.J. O'Rourke's Parliament of Whores.

2026-02-04·grumpy-economist.com ↗

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