Friedrich Hayek (1899 - 1992) was an Austrian-British economist who spent his early life serving in World War I, the experience of which influenced his views and his desire to avoid the mistakes that eventually led to the Great War.  Hayek studied at the University of Vienna, where he would earn doctorate degrees in law and political science in 1921 and 1923, respectively, before going on to spend his academic career at the London School of Economics and the University of Chicago.

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After joining LSE in 1931, Hayek would soon become one of the world's leading economists for his theory that changing prices communicate information - for which, he would eventually go on to receive the 1974 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, partly due to his work in this area.

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His book, The Road to Serfdom, is one of the most influential books on the philosophy and politics of free-market capitalism.  Hayek's main thesis is the notion that introducing government control over society, regardless of how minimal the initial intervention/ influence may be, leads to greater and greater government power, until the freedom of individuals is eroded in favour of the collective, or the state.  This is a must-read for anyone that is interested in understanding the dangers present in increasing the size and role of government in society; moreover, the book offers an interesting perspective as it was written and published during the Second World War.