Free to Choose and Capitalism and Freedom
are both superb and both by M. Friedman.
Then skim Das Kapital for the other side. A week with Marx and you'll understand why communism was doomed to failure.
I've read a few socialist/marxist books (including good ole Karls original stuff).
It simply amazes me how many people make the foolish claim that this stuff works in theory and has just been screwed up in practise.
Its even screwed up in theory.
Its also pretty clear that the original communists never ever gave a seconds thought about applying these ideas to anything other then industrialized society (and even there, they skip over some without thought, its not an economic threory, its a pseudo junk philosophy).
Mao revamped communism with populism, and still China couldn't do anything with it.
Bad theories always make worse policies in practise.
I've read one of the 2 books mentioned by Friedman along with another book by him about education.
Much better economist then his son is, then again his sons views are "anarcho-capitalist" and uses mostly circular logic.