Inside the Economist's Mind
Conversations with Eminent Economists
Published on 9. February 2009
456 pages
978-1-4051-7871-6 (ISBN)
Description
By focusing on the human side as well as the intellectualdimensions of how economists work and think, this collection ofinterviews with top economists of the 20th century becomes astartling and lively introduction to the modern world ofmacroeconomics. A fun read!
For more information, frequent updates, and to comment on theforthcoming book, visit William A. Barnett's weblog athttp://economistmind.blogspot.com/.
Acclaim for Inside the Economist's Mind
"In candid interviews, these great economists prove to befabulous story tellers of their lives and times. Unendinglygripping for insiders, this book should also help non-specialistsunderstand how economists think."
Professor Julio Rotemberg, Harvard University Business School,and Editor, Review of Economics and Statistics.
"Economics used to be called the 'dismal science'. It will beimpossible for anybody to hold that view anymore ... This isscience with flesh and blood, and a lot of fascinating stories thatyou will find nowhere else."
Dr. Jean-Pascal Bénassy, Paris-Jourdan SciencesÉconomiques, Paris, France
"This book provides a rare and intriguing view of the personaland professional lives of leading economists ... It is like ABeautiful Mind, scaled by a factor of 16 [the number ofinterviews in the book]."
Professor Lee Ohanian, University of California at LosAngeles
" ... if you want an insider view of how economics has beendeveloping in the last decades, this is the (only) book foryou."
Professor Giancarlo Gandolfo, University of Rome 'LaSapienza,' Rome
"Here we see the HUMAN side of path-breaking research, thepersonalities and pitfalls, the DRAMA behind the science."
Professor Francis X. Diebold, University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia
Reviews / Votes
Inside the Economist's Mind is a very rare thing--aneconomic page-turner. The personalities behind the frontiers ofeconomic research make for compelling reading. I cannot recommendit highly enough. Stephen Kinsella, University of Limerick "A wonderful collection of personal and professional insights byEconomics' leading intellectuals. Each one is worth reading." Professor Mark Watson, Princeton University "In candid interviews, these great economists prove to befabulous storytellers of their lives and times. Unendingly grippingfor insiders, this book should also help non-specialists understandhow economists think." Julio Rotemberg, Harvard University Business School "The interviews in this volume are unique intellectual documentsin the history of economic thought, economic policy, and biography.Scholars will value them as primary sources. Readers with only apassing interest in economics will be delighted by theirentertaining insights into the minds and lives of these greatthinkers. This is one of the most valuable projects in academiceconomic publishing for a long time, and we should all be gratefulto the journal, Macroeconomic Dynamics, for collecting thesearchival treasures over a number of years." Professor Douglas Gale, New York University "Economics has made swift progress in the past fewdecades and its role in policy-making has radically increased. Theinterviews of many of the most prominent researchers andpolicy-makers offer a unique insider view of these developments.This book is fascinating reading to anyone interested incontemporary economics and its role in modern societies." Seppo Honkapohja, University of Cambridge "Economics used to be called the 'dismal science'. It will beimpossible for anybody to hold that view anymore after readingthese interviews. This is science with flesh and blood, and a lotof fascinating stories that you will find nowhere else." Dr. Jean-Pascal Bénassy, Paris-Jourdan SciencesÉconomiques (PSE) and Centre pour la Recherche Economique etses Applications "This book provides a rare and intriguing view of the personaland professional lives of leading economists, and the circumstancesthat facilitated their creative breathroughs. It is like ABeautiful Mind, scaled by a factor of 16 [the number of interviewsin the book]." Professor Lee Ohanian, UCLA "Histories of economic analysis abound, but if you want aninsider view of how economics has been developing in the lastdecades, this is the (only) book for you." Giancarlo Gandolfo, University of Rome "Here we see the human side of path-breaking research, thepersonalities and pitfalls, the drama behind the science." Professor Francis X. Diebold, University ofPennsylvania "These 25-page conversations quickly hone in on what makes theseleading economists from the academic world and public policycorridors tick, and how they--and the profession itself--evolved inresearch and thinking." CHOICEMore details
Other editions
Additional editions
Paul A. Samuelson | William A. Barnett
Inside the Economist's Mind
Conversations with Eminent Economists
Book
11/2006
Wiley
€43.00
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Paul A. Samuelson | William A. Barnett
Inside the Economist's Mind
Conversations with Eminent Economists
Book
11/2006
1st Edition
Wiley
€115.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Persons
Paul A. Samuelson is Professor Emeritus of Economics andInstitute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology. In 1970 he became the first American to win the NobelPrize in Economics. His landmark 1947 book, Foundations ofEconomic Analysis, based upon his Ph.D. dissertation at HarvardUniversity, established him as "the economists'economist" by raising the standards of the entire profession.Paul Samuelson's classic textbook, Economics, firstpublished in 1948, is among the most successful textbooks everpublished in the field.
William A. Barnett is Oswald Distinguished Professor ofMacroeconomics at the University of Kansas. He is Editor of themonograph series International Symposia in Economic Theory andEconometrics, and Editor of the journal, MacroeconomicDynamics. He has published 17 books and over 130 articles inprofessional journals.
Content
Coeditor's Foreword: Reflections on How Biographies of IndividualScholars Can Relate to a Science's Biography (Paul A. Samuelson).
Coeditor's Preface: An Overview of the Objectives and Contentsof the Volume (William A. Barnett).
History of Thought Introduction: Economists Talking withEconomists, An Historian's Perspective (E. Roy Weintraub).
Interviews:
1. An Interview with Wassily Leontief (Interviewed by Duncan K.Foley).
2. An Interview with David Cass (Interviewed jointly by StephenE. Spear and Randall Wright).
3. An Interview with Robert E. Lucas, Jr. (Interviewed byBennett T. McCallum).
4. An Interview with János Kornai (Interviewed by OlivierBlanchard).
5. An Interview with Franco Modigliani (Interviewed by WilliamA. Barnett and Robert Solow).
6. An Interview with Milton Friedman (Interviewed by John B.Taylor).
7. An Interview with Paul A. Samuelson (Interviewed by WilliamA. Barnett).
8. An Interview with Paul A. Volcker (Interviewed by PerryMehrling).
9. An Interview with Martin Feldstein (Interviewed by James M.Poterba).
10. An Interview with Christopher A. Sims (Interviewed by LarsPeter Hansen).
11. An Interview with Robert J. Shiller (Interviewed by John Y.Campbell).
12. An Interview with Stanley Fischer (Interviewed by OlivierBlanchard).
13. An Interview with Jacques Drèze (Interviewed by PierreDehez and Omar Licandro).
14. An Interview with Thomas J. Sargent (Interviewed by GeorgeW. Evans and Seppo Honkapohja).
15. An Interview with Robert Auman (Interviewed by SergiuHart).
16. Conversations with James Tobin and Robert Shiller on the"Yale Tradition" in Macroeconomics (Conducted by DavidColander).
