BRIEF HISTORY OF ECONOMICS, A: ARTFUL APPROACHES TO THE DISMAL SCIENCE

by E Ray Canterbery

Blending past and present, this brief history of economics is the perfect book for introducing students to the field.
A Brief History of Economics illustrates how the ideas of the great economists not only influenced societies but were themselves shaped by their cultural milieu. Understanding the economists' visions - lucidly and vividly unveiled by Canterbery - allows readers to place economics within a broader community of ideas. Magically, the author links Adam Smith to Isaac Newton's idea of an orderly universe, F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby to Thorstein Veblen, John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath to the Great Depression, and Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities to Reaganomics.
Often humorous, Canterbery's easy style will make the student's first foray into economics lively and relevant. Readers will dismiss "dismal" from the science.

Genres: Economics, History

500 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Emily Blanchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half of the book. Colorful and playful romp through the early history of economic thought/ political economy. Very nicely done. Alas, the book goes off the rails in the 20th century. Keynes and Samuelson are garbled at best, and it becomes a rant by the 1970s or so. Sigh. Someday there will be a cogent, balanced, and thoughtful narrative of the past fifty years of economics. But this isn't it...

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the concept. Take the economic thinkers, discuss their ideas, and space the facade with the cultural and literary milieu of the Era. Often, this paid off very nicely. I gained a new appreciation for Percy Shelly's poetry and his moral economic views related to class and labor.

But the book is inconsistent. Some chapters dragged on, others were fairly strong. The final third was editorial, rather than scholarly. It is always difficult to write "history" when you're in the middle of it and arguing for one side.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love economics!

[David Hany · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب متخصص أكثر في سرد تطور التاريخ الاقتصادي بدون أن يدخل في شرح مفصل لكل عالم اقتصادي

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book mixed a thorough overview of economic history and practice with the worst writing I've ever seen. The introduction informs us that an economist, like an airplane pilot, has many approaches, and the metaphors just get more labored from there. It's a good introduction to the Dismal Science, but you've got to have a strong stomach to finish it.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book as he traces, very amusingly, the theories of economics from Adam Smith up to and including the Depression. Post-Depression economic theory lost me, however, but don't let that prevent you from reading the first two thirds of the book. The insights from economists and the colourful characters are fantastic.