John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman [Abridged] [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert Skidelsky (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0143036157 | ISBN-13: 978-0143036159 | Publication Date: August 30, 2005

Robert Skidelsky’s three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes has been acclaimed as the authoritative account of the great economist-statesman’s life. Here, Skidelsky has revised and abridged his magnum opus into one definitive book, which examines in its entirety the intellectual and ideological journey that led an extraordinarily gifted young man to concern himself with the practical problems of an age overshadowed by war. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, John Maynard Keynes offers a sympathetic account of the life and influences of a passionate visionary and an invaluable insight into the economic philosophy that still remains at the center of political and economic thought.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Skidelsky] places [Keynes] where he belongs, at the heart of twentieth- century British history. (The Times Literary Supplement) The definitive study of the most important economist of his time. (Foreign Affairs)

About the Author

Robert Skidelsky is professor of political economy at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. In addition to his works on Keynes, he is the author of The World After Communism, Politicians and the Slump, and Oswald Mosley.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 1056 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (August 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143036157
• ISBN-13: 978-0143036159
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fitting tribute to one of the greatest thinkers of all time, May 31, 2006

By 

Ganesh V Jois (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman (Mass Market Paperback)

Anyone who has taken a course in macroeconomics knows who Keynes is. Economics is full of camps, conflicting doctrines, feuds, rivalries, etc. Keynes was unique in that, unlike other economists who are indoctrinated or are in love with a theory, he was never scared of giving up an idea that did not work. If one was to read his "Tract on Monetary Reform" one might be fooled into thinking that it was Milton Friedman that was writing and not the J.M Keynes who revolutionized economic thought with his General Theory. This pragmatism is what sets Keynes apart from every other economist. But why Keynes was so different from others is something students never learn. This biography does an admirable job of tracing Keynes' upbringing, his education, career, and contributions in the light of circumstances that Keynes lived through and shaped his ideas. It is also full of nuggets about Keynes' idiosyncracies which humanizes the biography and shows the real person behind the aura. The book is long, but 63 years of action-packed life requires such detail. The Chinese say, May we live in interesting times. Keynes certainly lived in interesting times with the result that this book is just as interesting.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive biography of Keynes, May 16, 2008

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman (Mass Market Paperback)

This tome (including more than 100 pages of notes and indices) is an abridgment of author Robert Skidelsky's original three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes. It is in all respects an extraordinary work. The author offers a portrait of Keynes not only as an economist but also as a philosopher and a statesman. He does not segregate these three dimensions, but rather shows how they interpenetrate and inform each other. He sets Keynes in the context of his time and circumstances. Skidelsky is unsparing in his treatment of the inconsistencies and contradictions in Keynes' life and character, but he is fair and balanced; he avoids sensationalism even in the treatment of the sensational. getAbstract finds that this book merits multiple readings and should intrigue not only economists but also anyone interested in the ideas and events of the 20th century.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you wanted to know about keynes but were afraid to ask, July 3, 2011

By 

Joe M. (Parkland, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Maynard Keynes: 1883-1946: Economist, Philosopher, Statesman (Mass Market Paperback)

I was an eco major in college so many years ago and wished to reacquaint myself with Keynes in light of the recent upheavals in the market. I found the Skidelski abridged book very informative in describing the development of Keynes thinking and very balanced about reporting his personal foibles without being judgemental. Skidelski's 3 volumes on Keynes are the deffinitive work on perhaps the most influential economist of the 20th century. The abridged version is complete , very well written and an easy read if you have had at least an undergrad college level eco 101 background. If you are interested in the economic history of the WWI, depression and WWII periods then this very complete bio of Keynes is also very good.