Books About Precious Metals

Here is a list of popular books about gold, silver, Austrian economics, the perils of central banking, and the need for sound money.

How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes by Peter D. Schiff (2010)

How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes by economist and tireless gold advocate Peter Schiff is a great starting point for anyone who is looking to learn about the principles of economics and sound money and how they actually work in the real world and not just in mainstream economics textbooks. Schiff uses an entertaining graphic novel format to explain complex economics concepts in very simple terms — even bright middle school students can gain a significant understanding of real world economics by reading this book. Particularly interesting is Schiff’s explanation of the dangers of money printing, how it creates inflation, and how it ultimately results in serious damage to the economy and overall society.

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Austrian Economics: An Introduction by Steven Horwitz (2020)

Austrian Economics: An Introductionby professor Steven Horwitz is an excellent book to read for those who are looking to learn about Austrian economics, which is the school of economic thought that recommends limited government, free markets, sound money (typically backed by gold), the absence of central banks, and maximum personal & economic freedom.

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The Theory of Money and Credit by Ludwig von Mises (1912)

The Theory of Money and Credit by economist Ludwig von Mises is a core component of the Austrian economics book canon. Anyone who is looking for a deep and comprehensive understanding of what money is, how it works, and the difference between sound money and unsound money needs to read this book. Please be aware that this book is fairly technical, so it may not be the best starting point for a novice who is looking to learn the basics of Austrian economics. Novices would be better off starting with Austrian Economics: An Introduction by Steven Horwitz and How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes by Peter Schiff.

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What Has Government Done to Our Money? by Murray Rothbard (1963)

What Has Government Done to Our Money? by Austro-libertarian economist Murray Rothbard is a famous and classic book that all goldbugs and libertarians need to read — actually, anyone who earns a living, saves money, and is concerned about the society in which they live needs to read it! Rothbard explains how and why governments, time and time again, rack up debt, go bankrupt, stop backing their currencies with gold, and print their “paper” currencies to oblivion. Rothbard makes the case that gold-backed money is the best prescription for monetary and economic stability.

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The Case for Gold by Ron Paul (1982)

The Case for Gold was written by Austro-libertarian former Congressman Ron Paul to make the case for backing the U.S. dollar by gold once again. If our society and government had listened to Ron Paul all the way back in 1982, we would have avoided racking up the national debt to $32 trillion and counting, as well as the boom, bubble, and bust cycle that is shaking our economy to pieces. Though this book was written in 1982, its unusual prescience and wisdom makes it a must-read for fiscal conservatives and believers in sound money.

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Dying of Money: Lessons of the Great German and American Inflations by Jens O. Parsson (1974)

Dying of Money is a fascinating account of historic inflationary or hyperinflationary episodes or episodes when fiat or “paper” currencies severely weaken or fail, leading to surges in the supply of money and consumer prices, along with the subsequent destruction of unprotected wealth. Parsson explores Weimar Germany’s hyperinflation in the 1920s along with the “Great American Inflation” that occurred during WWII and the mid-twentieth century. Parsson also added a section of the book called the “General Theory of Inflation,” where he explains the root causes of inflation and how inflation can be mitigated.

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When Money Dies: The Nightmare of Deficit Spending, Devaluation, and Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany by Adam Fergusson (1975)

Adam Fergusson’s When Money Dies is a riveting and detailed account of Germany’s hyperinflationary catastrophe in the 1920s, which caused tremendous political strife that ultimately led to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party.

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The Fiat Standard: Debt Slavery Alternative to Human Civilization by Saifedean Ammous (2021)

In his book The Fiat Standard, economist Saifedean Ammous explains the flaws inherent in fiat or “paper” money and how they inevitably lead to debt slavery, inflation, credit bubbles, and economic instability. Though Ammous is a Bitcoin-bug rather than a gold and silver bug, his criticisms of fiat money are still valid and worth reading even by investors who prefer precious metals over cryptocurrencies.

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The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve by G. Edward Griffin (1994)

The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin is a book that is famous within Austro-libertarian and goldbug circles for exposing the shady and nefarious origins, purpose, and operations of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Griffins further explains why fiat or “paper” money is a scam and how the Fed and the paper U.S. dollar keep everyday Americans poor and indebted. “The Creature from Jekyll Island” is a non-negotiable read for all concerned citizens and precious metals afficionados.

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End The Fed by Ron Paul (2010)

End The Fed was written by the passionate and prescient Austro-libertarian former Congressman Ron Paul to explain why the U.S. Federal Reserve is terrible for America and why it should be ended as soon as possible. Ron Paul explains the Fed’s role in creating destabilizing booms and busts like the mid-2000s U.S. housing bubble and resulting Great Recession as well as the incessant inflation that erodes the living standards of the majority of Americans while enriching the few at the top of the financial food chain. End The Fed is a great companion book to G. Edward Griffin’s The Creature from Jekyll Island.

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The Lords of Easy Money: How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy by Christopher Leonard (2022)

The Lords of Easy Money by business journalist Christopher Leonard is an eye-opening look at the loose monetary policies of the U.S. Federal Reserve in the 2010s and how they exacerbated wealth inequality and set the stage for even more economic instability. Gold and silver investors, sound money advocates, and concerned citizens alike should read this book.

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Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis by Jim Rickards (2011)

Currency Wars is a book written by the prolific Austro-libertarian economist and writer, Jim Rickards, who warns of the impending destruction of fiat or “paper” currencies as global central banks race each other to the bottom through the process of competitive currency devaluations. Rickards further explains why gold will be the primary beneficiary of these incredibly foolish and destructive currency wars. Though this book was written in 2011, it still has relevance for precious metals investors and anyone who is looking to become informed about the economic and monetary risks that we face.

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The Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System by Jim Rickards (2014)

In The Death of Money, Jim Rickards warns about the coming collapse of the international monetary system that has been in place since 1971 as well as the utter and total destruction of fiat or “paper” currencies. Rickards warns that the global monetary collapse won’t be a straightforward process, but will entail financial warfare, deflation, hyperinflation, market collapse, and overall chaos. Rickards explains why the best investments in the times ahead are hard assets, including gold, land, fine art, and other long-term stores of value.

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The New Case for Gold by Jim Rickards (2016)

The New Case for Gold is a pro-gold manifesto written by Jim Rickards. In this book, Rickards explains why gold is an irreplaceable store of wealth and a standard for currency that will thrive in the times ahead. Rickards warns of a future financial collapse that will dwarf the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, which will send gold soaring to previously unimaginable heights.

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The Great Gold & Silver Rush of the 21st Century by Mike Maloney (2023)

The Great Gold & Silver Rush of the 21st Century by the vocal precious metals advocate Mike Maloney is a compelling introduction and summary of the bullish gold and silver thesis. Maloney effectively makes the case that gold and silver are extremely undervalued, especially relative to other assets that have boomed in price such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and cryptocurrencies. Maloney further argues that a horrific financial and economic crisis is ahead that will be the catalyst that propels precious metals to astronomical heights while enriching precious metals investors.

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Why Gold? Why Now?: The War Against Your Wealth and How to Win It by E.B. Tucker (2020)

Why Gold? Why Now?, by investment industry veteran E.B. Tucker, explains how governments throughout history have used inflation as a silent way to confiscate their citizens’ wealth — a process which continues unabated in most countries today. Tucker further explains that gold ownership is the antidote to the inevitable wealth destruction caused by the printing press. Tucker also discusses the different ways to invest in gold, including physical bullion bars and coins, mining stocks, and gold royalty companies.

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Gold Matters: Real Solutions To Surreal Risks by Egon von Greyerz & Matthew Piepenburg (2022)

Gold Matters, by well-known market bear and gold bug Egon von Greyerz and his co-author Matthew Piepenburg, examines the serious financial economic and financial risks that the world faces in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. von Greyerz and Piepenburg encourage investors to seek shelter from the coming storm in gold.

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The Great Silver Bull: Crush Inflation and Profit as the Dollar Dies by Peter Krauth (2022)

Peter Krauth’s The Great Silver Bull convincingly makes the case that silver is the best wealth-building opportunity of this era or even our lifetimes due to its scarcity as well as the coming surge of demand that will occur as global paper currencies fail. Krauth explains how to build the ideal silver portfolio and discusses different ways to invest in silver, from coins to junior exploration stocks.

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The Big Silver Short: How The Wall Street Banks Have Left The Silver Market In Place For The Short-Squeeze Of A Lifetime by Chris Marcus (2020)

In The Big Silver Short, former Wall Street trader Chris Marcus explains how the big banks and other financial institutions have colluded to suppress the price of silver, which should be much higher than it is currently, based on its underlying fundamentals. Marcus further explains that those conspiring institutions will soon lose control of their massive silver short position, which will result in a silver short-squeeze of a lifetime as the silver price surges to astronomical prices and enriches loyal and long-suffering physical silver investors in the process.

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