Reading comprehension strategies for the works of Mises, Hayek, Rothbard, Bastiat, etc?

[Son_of_Liberty90]

Ok folks, serious question. The brain can only hold so much information. If you were to download every PDF posted on RPF, it would probably take several lifetimes reading without doing anything else.

So what's your strategy? How do you internalize the knowledge you read without having to read the same text 100s of times? Because if you keep rereading the text, then you're holding yourself back from internalizing other works from the author.

I feel so weighed down with what I "have to read" for later that it's becoming overwhelming.

Same thing with hours of youtube videos. I need your help.

[r3volution 3.0]

The best way to learn is to teach, as it were.

Passively reading a text only goes so far.

You need to write out the your understanding of the text in your own words, as if you were trying to explain it to another person.

When you can do that effectively, you understand the material.

Assign yourself some homework: "What is Mises' point in Chapter 2 of...." And then do it.

Also, I wouldn't rely too much on youtube videos of people explaining Mises et al. Go the source.

Mises was a better writer than anyone on youtube is a speaker.

[Suzanimal]

Easy to read Human Action

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...s-Human-Action

[Suzanimal]

Start with something easy and short

The Law, for example. If I remember correctly, when I printed it for my kids to read, it was only around 60ish pages.

https://mises.org/library/law

[r3volution 3.0]

As far as introductory economics books, check out the three linked in my sig.

I'd suggest Economics in One Lesson and/or Essentials of Economics first, and then go to the specifically Austrian book.

[Son_of_Liberty90]

Those are great starting points, thanks Rev and Suz!

[undergroundrr]

Also, take written notes as you read (better than typing on a computer). As r3v indicates, the act of writing and expressing the concepts to others solidifies them in your brain. If you just read the text and never look at it again, it won't do you much good unless you have phenomenal recall.

[Son_of_Liberty90]

Also, take written notes as you read (better than typing on a computer). As r3v indicates, the act of writing and expressing the concepts to others solidifies them in your brain. If you just read the text and never look at it again, it won't do you much good unless you have phenomenal recall.

Understood, I need to start doing that as well. Luckily I have several blank notebooks to use!

[Suzanimal]

You can also download videos to your ipod/mp3/phone and listen to them in the car or when you're waiting somewhere. I have a crappy old mp3 player I use outside and listen when I'm in the pool - I bought a cheap set of battery operated speakers.

[presence]

The best way to learn is to teach, as it were.

I couldn't agree more.

Great way to introduce yourself to an important literary work is to teach it to the internet.

Find something "important" take your favorite chapter, break out your best bbcode crayons, and teach it to us.

Example:

Thread: Planning the End of Planning: Disintervention and the Knowledge Problem


One issue you come to early on in learning theory of just about anything is terminology. A good way to get through that is via wikipedia.

Anarchism is the quest for liberty. Anarchism comes in a variety of flavors. To truly get acquainted with all the nuances of libertarianism its would be good to familiarize yourself with the basic tenets of each school of anarchy and minarchism; an-syndicate, an-cap, mutualism, constitutionalism, individualism, objectivism, egoism, agorism, etc. etc. then once familiarized with the nuances, seek source material for how these claims are justified. You'll find yourself working through works as you "need the knowledge"; in this way it will help it stick.

Sometimes keyword searches of "vs" help to discern the differences; individualism vs mutualism... what is it?


Another element of it is time. I've been self-studying various branches of religious, political, economic, and ethical philosophy pretty heavily during most of my free time for about 2 decades now. The rabbit hole is endless, set yourself up a reading list and take it one item at a time... jump on for the long haul.


For me much of the quest has been "what am I"? How can I classify my beliefs relative to the classics?

[Occam's Banana]

If you're going to read Human Action by Ludwig von Mises, I recommend using Robert Murphy's study guide while you do so.
You can find it here: https://mises.org/library/study-guid...tise-economics

If you're going to read Man, Economy, and State by Murray Rothbard, I recommend using Robert Murphy's study guide while you do so.
You can find it here: https://mises.org/library/study-guid...nomy-and-state

If you're going to read them both, I recommend you read Man, Economy and State first (because Human Action is the more difficult text and assumes the reader is already familiar with or knowledgeable about certain topics, whereas Man, Economy and State makes no such assumptions and builds things "from the ground up").

[Son_of_Liberty90]

Side note: How often do you guys look up references?