The Essence of Becker (Hoover Institute Press Publication, 426.)

Rating:
Summary: COMPILATION OF BECKER'S BEST WORKS
Review: This is a compilation of Becker's most significant articles. Becker is one fo the most brilliant economists in the 20th century, taking the tools of economic analysis to other social sciences, especially sociology.

The articles have varied topics, including:
- Economic analysis of marriage
- Economic analysis of family size
- Economic justification for altruism
- Economic analysis of restaurant pricing patterns
- Economic analysis of discrimination
- Economic analysis of crime

It is a bit academic, since these are the original article he wrote for academic journals, but they are understandable since it is mostly concepts and not too many equations (though there are some). For the absolute beginner, this may be too advanced, so I would recommend The Economics of Life by Becker as well. If you have some knowledge of economics, I believe this would be a great choice. It shows how the rationality acquired in economics is applicable elsewhere, almost everywhere.