A History of Economic Thought (Penguin Economics) [Paperback]

William J. Barber (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0140136908 | ISBN-13: 978-0140136906 | Publication Date: April 28, 1977

The theories and methods of such men as Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus, David Ricardo, J.S.Mill, Marx, Alfred Marshall and Keynes are often relevant to us today. In his analysis, the author assesses the thought of a number of important economists both in terms of the issues of their day and in relation to modern economic thought. By concentrating on the greatest exponents he highlights the central properties of the four main schools of economic thought - classical, Marxian, neo-classical and Keynesian - and shows that, although each of these traditions is rooted in a different stage of economic development, they can all provide insights into the recurring problems of modern economics.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

WILLIAM J. BARBER is Andrews Professor of Economics, Emeritus at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he taught from 1957 to 1993. He has served as the president of the History of Economics Society (1989-1990) and in 2002 was named a Distinguished Fellow of that society. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (April 28, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140136908
• ISBN-13: 978-0140136906
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,239,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic., May 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Economic Thought (Penguin Economics) (Paperback)

The book is a general introduction to economic thought since Adam Smith, and is extremely enlightening. For instance, I learnt that the American Economic Association, in its founding statutes in 1920 was opposed to laissez-faire economics and Adam smith was a professor of moral philosophy who was committed to the social good (NOT to individual selfishness).

The only problems I had with the book is that some vital information was not referenced to secondary sources - for example, Barber insisted that Smiths focus was on long term issues for the wealth of nations, and 2 hours of thumbing through the 2 volume 'wealth of nations' did not glean a hint of the text that was supposedly central to Smiths argument.

The treatment of some (possibly all) economists was necessarily light, as one would expect when trying to cover all this material in a 260 page book,in particular Marx and Keynes seemed to suffer from an inadequate exploration of their ideas. However, for a general introduction, this book was great.Its great strength is the amount of information and historical background it covers in the contents of a small book. I recommend it - great for broadening ones education and understanding of the world and how it became the way it is.