Tuesday, June 4, 2013

What is the modern "The Worldly Philosophers" alternative?

Posted by dkuehn at 8:49 AM
I imagine a lot of people will mention "The Clash of Economic Ideas", but let's say something that does not take that slant on economic thought.

9 comments:

  1. bradJune 4, 2013 at 9:16 AM

    "The Worldly Philosophers"

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  2. Blue AuroraJune 4, 2013 at 10:30 AM

    Sylvia Nasar's Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius might come closest to fitting your criteria, but this book might also suit the job.

    http://www.amazon.com/Economics-Good-Evil-Economic-Gilgamesh/dp/0199767203/

    Furthermore, here's a book review giving the aforementioned book four stars.

    http://www.amazon.com/review/R2VV3ARCC8Z40X/

    There's also, of course, New Ideas from Dead Economists by Todd G. Buchholz, The Ordinary Business of Life by Roger E. Backhouse, and Economics Evolving by Agnar Sandmo. I'm sure there are other works out there, of course...

    http://www.amazon.com/New-Ideas-Dead-Economists-Introduction/dp/0452288444/

    http://www.amazon.com/The-Ordinary-Business-Life-Twenty-First/dp/0691116296/

    http://www.amazon.com/Economics-Evolving-History-Economic-Thought/dp/0691148422/

    Ah yes, Daniel Kuehn - perhaps you might want to look at the work of William J. Barber, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He apparently had a good book meant as a reader for this subject.

    http://www.amazon.com/History-Economic-Thought-William-Barber/dp/0819569380/

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  3. UnlearningeconJune 4, 2013 at 11:03 AM

    'Adam's Fallacy' by Duncan Foley? I don't really see the need for a replacement, though.

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  4. Grant McDermottJune 4, 2013 at 11:12 AM

    C'mon Daniel, you know I've been punting this book for a while!

    (Perhaps not as vivid as TWP, but I really gained a lot of enjoyment and perspective reading it.)

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  5. Jonathan FinegoldJune 4, 2013 at 11:42 AM

    Rothbard's "An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought" LOL. More seriously, what about Snowden's "Modern Macro?"

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    Replies
    1. Blue AuroraJune 5, 2013 at 12:38 AM

      Have you read through Modern Macroeconomics by Brian Snowden and Howard Vane, Jonathan? I met a Professor of Economics once who assigned it to his 300-level Macroeconomic Theory class at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. (And just for the record, the person was Professor Mark A. Setterfield.)

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  6. Roman P.June 4, 2013 at 2:00 PM

    "The Worldly Philosophers" still is a timeless masterpiece.
    I like Roncaglia's "The Wealth of Ideas" too, but it's too heavy in comparison with Heilbroner.

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  7. The Libertarian Standard BearerJune 4, 2013 at 8:58 PM

    The main problem with Heilbronner's book is that it highly colored by the 1930s and WWII (though that wanes over time as the various editions illustrate the evolution of his thought - which of the what, eight editions (?), you choose can thus be an important consideration).

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