Thanks for the thoughtful post Eliezer.

A recent economic novel on this topic is _The Price of Everything_ by Russell Roberts. It's about how our economy is a self-organizing system, which works pretty well without a single central authority. And, it's an enjoyable read.

A few more sources for the economic thought behind this are:

Hayek, Friedrich A., "The Use of Knowledge in Society" available online. "What is the problem we wish to solve when we try to construct a rational economic order?..." I suspect readers of this blog would find this article educational.

Read, Leonard E., "I, Pencil: My Family Tree as told to Leonard E. Read" available online No single person knows how to make a pencil. How do they come about? Another enjoyable article.

Smith, Adam., The Theory of Moral Sentiments. available online The author of The Wealth of Nations's equally dense book on the morality of economics and trade.