Robert L. Heilbroner was an American economist and historian of economic thought, renowned for his ability to make complex economic theories accessible to a wide audience. Heilbroner considered himself more of a "worldly philosopher" than a conventional economist, and his works often integrated economics with history and philosophy. His most celebrated contribution offers a survey of the lives and ideas of influential economists, illuminating the evolution of key economic thought for the general reader. Heilbroner's writings encourage deeper reflection on the social dimensions of capitalism and the future trajectory of economic philosophy.
The book explores a significant crisis in modern economic theory, stemming from a lack of a unifying vision that encompasses shared political and social beliefs. It offers a critical analysis of the current state of economics and proposes a path forward for revitalizing economic thought, emphasizing the need for relevance and the capacity to address contemporary challenges.
The final revision of this classic bestseller, the 7th edition defines the common thread linking the world's greatest economic thinkers and explores the philosophies that motivate them. Hailed by Galbraith as a "brilliant achievement", The Worldly Philosophers with over 2 million copies sold worldwide, not only enables us to see more deeply into our history, but helps us to better understand our own times. Heilbroner provides the new theme that connects thinkers as different as Adam Smith andKarl Marx: the desire to understand how a capitalist society works. A new chapter conveys a concern that today's increasingly "scientific" economics may overlook fundamental social and political issues that are central to economics.
Economics Explained has an announced purpose to explain that mysterious thing called economics. But there is a new urgency to the book. It is announced in the first sentence of the introduction: "Just in case the reader-to-be hasn't noticed, disturbing things are going on in the American economy these days." This new edition is about these disturbing things: a trend toward inequality of incomes, the appearance of a new "globalized" capitalism, the "specter" of inflation. As before, Robert Heilbroner and Lester Thurow treat these problems in language that seeks to make clear their causes and treatments. In this straightforward, highly accessible reference, Heilbroner and Thurow--two of America's most respected and articulate economists--offer all the economics essential for becoming an effective investor, a savvy business decision maker, or simply an informed member of society.
Selections from great writings on economics, annotated and introduced by a distinguished economist and teacher.
As the British trade deficit continues to grow, this trenchant, original and timely book on the US deficit and national debt offers much to readers on this side of the Atlantic. The authors explain what national debts and deficits are, and what they are not. One thing they are not nearly as big as we think. Another thing they are not is a burden on the shoulders of our grandchildren. And one thing they are is a potential means of financing economic growth. Heilbroner and Bernstein do not shrug aside the debt and deficit. "The only remedy for our present frightened state of mind", they write, "is explanations that are simple but accurate, facts that will defuse unreasoning panic, and arguments that will stand up under the most skeptical examination."
"[These essays] are rich in argument, in clear and provocative presentation of complicated issues, and are often delightfully quotable. Behind the Veil of Economics makes instructive, disturbing, and lively reading." —Elizabeth Wolgast, New York Times Book Review What lies behind the veil of economics? Power and ideology, answers Robert Heilbroner—the power of our economic involvement in society to shape the ways we think about it; the visions and values that add unsuspected ideological color to our economic beliefs about it. Most important, Heilbroner shows why economics has become the reigning form of social inquiry and how we might penetrate its mystique.
A social analysis of capitalism. Nature and logic of social systems and capitalism.
Acknowledgments Preface The immediate future The middle distance "Postindustrial" capitalism Capitalism & the multinational corporation The long run Index
