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.

 The devastating US atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki not only brought World War II to an end, but effectively gave birth to the Cold War. The postwar world would thereafter be marked by the fragile relationship of two superpowers with opposing ideologies: the United States and the Soviet Union.

For 45 years, these two superpowers would vie for supremacy in world politics. The Cold War held the potential for an apocalyptic confrontation that could have spelled doom for the human race. Understanding the Cold War is absolutely essential to our understanding of the history of the second half of the twentieth century and beyond

 

Lukacs' fluid writing style is this book's greatest merit. He points out a great deal of classical and modern history of outstanding merit and durability. This booklet, however, is published by the ISI's publishing house. Reading it is like being flung back into the academic culture of East Coast Universities in the 1950s. The sensation is bizarre, and horribly exclusionary. Almost any other introduction to the discipline for undergraduates would be better by showing that non-European, non-Christian stories also have merit. History is not only the study of personal and national heritage, but the trials and value of all human cultures, even those not personally relevant. The book lacks such generosity, often termed imaginative sympathy. Too bad.

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

An introduction to a new way of looking at history, from a perspective that stretches from the beginning of time to the present day, Maps of Time is world history on an unprecedented scale. Beginning with the Big Bang, David Christian views the interaction of the natural world with the more recent arrivals in flora and fauna, including human beings.
Cosmology, geology, archeology, and population and environmental studies, all figure in David Christian's account, which is an ambitious overview of the emerging field of "Big History."