Accidental Theorist

A bit dated (the essays are from ~1996), and it's mostly Econ 101 ... but this is still important stuff and highly relevant today. Although the world has changed, basic principles have not. Unfortunately, Krugman's writing style is hard to get through. He tries, and he succeeds quite well, but just not well enough for me. There are too many sections where my reading came to a slogging halt.

For those so inclined, and with more time, I recommend Prof. Timothy Taylor's Economics, 3rd Ed. course from The Teaching Company. (Wait for it to go on sale, as it does every few months).