A Brief History of Economics

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. The second edition is right up-to-date with a lively discussion of the economic crises of 2007–2010.

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.
Contents:IntroductionFeudalism and the Evolution of Economic SocietyAdam Smith's Great VisionBentham and Malthus: The Hedonist and the “Pastor”The Distribution of IncomeRicardo versus MalthusThe Cold Water of Poverty and the Heat of John Stuart Mill's PassionsKarl MarxAlfred Marshall: The Great VictorianThorstein Veblen Takes on the American Captains of IndustryThe Jazz Age: Aftermath of War and Prelude to DepressionJohn Maynard Keynes and the Great DepressionThe Many Modern KeynesiansThe Monetarists and the New Classicals Deepen the CounterrevolutionEconomic Growth and Technology: Schumpeter and Capitalism's MotionThe Many Faces of Capitalism: Galbraith, Heilbroner, and the InstitutionalistsThe Rise of the Casino EconomyThe Global EconomyClimbing the Economist's Mountain to High TheoryThe Housing and Credit Crises of 2008The Great Recession of 2007–2010The Future of Economics
Readership: Undergraduate and foundation level students, and laymen.