People who live in ivory towers shouldn’t throw away the books of Adam Smith or Milton Friedman.
People who live in Ivory Towers should voraciously consume the books of Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard, Henry Hazlitt, and Friedrich Hayek. Their analysis is profound, correct, and applicable to so much of what is happening in the world today.
Along the same line, I recommend that you take a look at David Stockman's latest writing: Sarajevo Is The Fulcrum Of Modern History: The Great War And Its Terrible Aftermath. Given your background, I believe you will find it insightful in light of current events.