Free to Choose
Free to Choose by Milton Friedmanby Milton Friedman
Shares rank 4 of 19 economics books by recommenders
A clear introduction to economics for readers of any age that still looks prophetic in 2026.
A clear introduction to economics for readers of any age that still looks prophetic in 2026.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Clear introduction to economics
“a great introduction to economics for people of any age”
Comment from 9 Feb 2026 in “Nobody knows how the whole system works” Seen as prophetic today
“Milton Friedman looks prophetic in 2026, especially his book "Free to Choose."”
Comment from 13 Aug 2026 in “AI is removing the middle class of software engineering” Little focus on victimhood rhetoric
“you will learn almost none of the 'rhetoric' is focused around 'victimhood'”
Comment from 14 Dec 2025 in “Berlin Approves New Expansion of Police Surveillance Powers”
Other economics books people recommend
The four most recommended other economics books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital in the Twenty-First Centuryby Thomas Piketty | 12 | 6 | 67% | 7 | — | Approved |
| Why Nations Failby Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson | 9 | 0 | 100% | 7 | — | — |
| Progress and Povertyby Henry George | 6 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| Free to Chooseby Milton FriedmanThis page | 5 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalismby Vladimir Il’ich Lenin | 5 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
3 of the 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Milton Friedman looks prophetic in 2026, especially his book "Free to Choose."”
“a great introduction to economics for people of any age”
“you will learn almost none of the 'rhetoric' is focused around 'victimhood'”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.