The Soulful Science
What Economists Really Do and Why It Matters - Revised Edition
Published on 27. December 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-0-691-14316-3 (ISBN)
Description
For many, Thomas Carlyle's put-down of economics as "the dismal science" rings true--especially in the aftermath of the crash of 2008. But Diane Coyle argues that economics today is more soulful than dismal, a more practical and human science than ever before. The Soulful Science describes the remarkable creative renaissance in economics, how economic thinking is being applied to the paradoxes of everyday life. This revised edition incorporates the latest developments in the field, including the rise of behavioral finance, the failure of carbon trading, and the growing trend of government bailouts. She also discusses such major debates as the relationship between economic statistics and presidential elections, the boundary between private choice and public action, and who is to blame for today's banking crisis.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "Coyle's style is very accessible, and this book is an excellent survey of the frontiers of economics for the general reader... The Soulful Science can be recommended highly."--Paul Ormerod, Times Higher Education Supplement Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "The simple aim of The Soulful Science is to describe what economists do, how the field has changed in the past 10 years or so, and why you should care. It succeeds admirably."--Financial Times Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "This is an astonishing book: beautifully written."--Andrew Hilton, Financial World Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "Fluently written with the balance of a good novel, the result is a tour de force."--Donald Anderson, Business Economist Praise for Princeton's previous editions: "The Soulful Science is ... a grand whirlwind tour of modern economics, with fascinating vignettes of individual economists. It's a trip worth taking."--David Colander, American Scientist "Coyle is a talented writer and her book shows that good communication skills, to and with readers, assure wide appeal to almost the entire spectrum of economic thinkers."--Liviu Drugus, European LegacyMore details
Edition
Revised Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
Revised edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
524 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-14316-3 (9780691143163)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
12/2009
1st Edition
Princeton University Press
€20.99
Available for download
Previous edition
Book
01/2008
Princeton University Press
€22.27
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Diane Coyle is a writer and Harvard economics PhD. A member of the BBC Trust and the UK Competition Commission, and a visiting professor at the University of Manchester, she also runs an economic consulting firm, Enlightenment Economics.
Content
Acknowledgements vii Introduction 1 Prologue to Part1 9 Part 1. The Mysteries of Wealth and Poverty 11 Chapter One: The History Detectives 13 Chapter Two: What Makes Economies Grow? 39 Chapter Three: How to Make Poverty History 68 Prologue to Part 2 103 Part 2. Are Individuals Free to Choose? 105 Chapter Four: What's It All About? 107 Chapter Five: Economics for Humans 128 Chapter Six: Information and Markets 156 Prologue to Part 3 185 Part 3. Nature, Markets, and Society 187 Chapter Seven: Murderous Apes and Entrepreneurs 189 Chapter Eight: Economy versus Society 213 Chapter Nine: Why Economics Has Soul 242 References 273 Index 289