The Collected Works of Robert Giffen

by Robert Giffen

Sir Robert Giffen (1837-1910) was a prolific writer on economic, financial and statistical subjects. His main contributions lie in his accurate measurement and prediction of such indicators as wage rates, economic growth, and national product. Primarily a statistician, his keen eye for the pitfalls of prediction enhanced the reputation and encouraged the study of statistics in this country.

Although he tried to avoid political partisanship he delivered a 'most powerful and damaging indictment' of the finances of Gladstone's Home Rule proposals. A strong individualist, Giffen viewed any infraction of the rule of laissez-faire with suspicion, but conceded that a slightr preference to colonial imports might be justified politically. He remains one of the true pioneers of applied economics in its modern sense.

2208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995