Cities and the wealth of nations

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"Basic Economics" by Thomas Sowell is the easiest to read, accurate introduction I have read. "Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life" by David Friedman requires a little more work. Several previous commentors have recommended Hayek's "Road to Freedom", but I think his last book, "The Fatal Conceit" covers more or less the same ground and is easier to read. "Software As Capital" by Howard Baetjer, Jr is interesting, but I wish he had discussed open source in it, since his analysis contradicts most open source theories and practice. A good Engineering Economics text may be useful. And I second the other commentors who suggested Jane Jacobs's "Economics of Cities" and "Cities and the Wealth of Nations" and O'Rourke's "Eat the Rich", his "On the Wealth of Nations", an analysis of Adam Smith's classic is also worth reading.

A few books I've found extremely helpful for thinking about these things. Jane Jacobs on cities as the economic entities that really matter: The Death and Life of Great American Cities, The Economy of Cities , and Cities and the Wealth of Nations. Peter Drucker: Entrepreneurship and Innovation . and the classic textbook: Paul Samuelson: Economics

I don't have statistics, but in "Cities and the Wealth of Nations" Jane Jacobs argued that what really happens in modern times is that cities end up subsidizing rural areas. So more urbanized areas would "subsidize" those less so.

If anybody is interested in delving deeper into this, I would recommend that they read two of Jane Jacobs's books: The Economy of Cities and Cities and the Wealth of Nations .