The Wealth of Ideas traces the history of economic thought, from its prehistory (the Bible, Classical antiquity) to the present day. In this eloquently written, scientifically rigorous and well documented book, chapters on William Petty, Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Karl Marx, William Stanley Jevons, Carl Menger, Léon Walras, Alfred Marshall, John Maynard Keynes, Joseph Schumpeter and Piero Sraffa alternate with chapters on other important figures and on debates of the period. Economic thought is seen as developing between two opposite poles: a subjective one, based on the ideas of scarcity and utility, and an objective one based on the notions of physical costs and surplus. Professor Roncaglia focuses on the different views of the economy and society and on their evolution over time and critically evaluates the foundations of the scarcity-utility approach in comparison with the Classical/Keynesian approach.
The History of Economic Thought by Jeff Biddle and John Bryan Davis
Assembling contributions from top thinkers in the field, this companion offers a comprehensive and sophisticated exploration of the history of economic thought. The volume has a threefold focus: the history of economic thought, the history of economics as a discipline, and the historiography of economic thought. The essays in the first section focus on the history of economic ideas, with topics ranging from ancient, medieval and Islamic thought, to Marxian, Utopian and post-war thought. The second section explores important historiographical topics, including the sociology of economics, methodology, exegesis, and textuality.Each chapter serves as a complex introduction to the chosen topic, and gathered together they provide an extensive synthesis of the field as a whole. The volume is an essential resource for anyone researching or studying the history of economic thought, and will also serve as an excellent text for courses in this area.
TTC - History of the U.S. Economy in the 20th Century
(10 lectures, 45 minutes/lecture)
Course No. 529
Taught by Timothy Taylor
Macalester College
M.Econ., Stanford University
When Professor Timothy Taylor, managing editor of the prestigious Journal of Economic Perspectives, tells you that the stock market crash of 1929 was not a substantial cause of the Great Depression and that F.D.R.'s New Deal may have actually slowed economic recovery, he speaks with authority and credibility.
Those are only two insights that run counter to common understanding of U.S. economic history. That history is far too interesting—and far too important to our future—to be dismissed with a few stock explanations.
Vital Economic Lessons of the Last Century
This fast-paced course introduces you to vital economic lessons learned in the last century to provide invaluable guidance for understanding the current economy.
Each of 10 lectures focuses exclusively on one decade to achieve a clear understanding of economic developments and outside influences on the U.S. economy.
In some cases, you examine well-defined events like the creation of the Federal Reserve or the war in Vietnam. In other lectures, you explore larger societal shifts, such as the evolving role of women in the economy and changing consumption patterns. "Of course, knowing what happened in economic history does not offer easy answers to today's problems," states Professor Taylor. "Times change; the past rarely offers a perfect template for the present. "But knowing the history does help discussions about the present to get off on the right foot, free of at least some of the myths and ignorance that can so easily lead us astray. As always in the study of history, knowing where you came from helps us to learn who you are and where you are."
Professor Taylor takes care to ensure that you can follow this course clearly regardless of your knowledge of economics.
He uses historical examples and quotes from economists and other notables, and his use of economic reasoning often brings surprising insight.
He is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Economic Perspectives. At Stanford University he won the award for excellent teaching in a large class given by the Associated Students of Stanford University.
At the University of Minnesota, he was named a Distinguished Lecturer by the Department of Economics.
Explore the U.S. Economy Decade by Decade
Fifty Economic Fallacies Exposed
Since 1988, Professor Geoffrey Wood of the Sir John Cass Business School,
City of London, has written a regular column in the IEA's journal
Economic Affairs, in which he exposes popular economic fallacies. This
book collects fifty of these columns and exposes numerous common
fallacies - for example, about the supposed dangers of free trade, the
abilities of governments to control the economy, the effects of
government regulation, and establishing the "correct" rate at which to
join The Euro.
These lucid and stimulating columns are invaluable to students
struggling to master some of the complexities of economic theory and
its applications, who often find the most effective way to learn
economic analysis is to see such fallacies exposed. It is a text
particularly suitable for first-year economics students, complementing
existing textbooks as it does, and clarifying basic concepts in
economics while demonstrating the practical uses of economic theory.
Economic Development
Economic Development is the most comprehensive text available on the
subject. It is written in a clear, lively and readable fashion which
makes it very accessible to students. It deals impressively with
theory, policy and institutional issues in the best traditions of
political economy and draws intelligently on concrete country studies.
It highlights the major contemporary debates in policy and their
theoretical underpinnings. For all these reasons it will quickly
eclipse other textbooks in the field.
The Wealth of Ideas: 
TTC - History of the U.S. Economy in the 20th Century 
