How To Think Like an Economist: Great Economists Who Shaped the World and What They Can Teach Us

The National economics columnist Mochrie (economics, Heriot-Watt Univ.; coauthor, The Use and Effect of ICT on Scotland’s Rural Business Community) provides a historical overview of the development of economic theory. He profiles 24 scholars and thinkers and demonstrates how economic theory has evolved, from the time of Aristotle, when musings about economics arose from philosophy and focused primarily on individual behavior and household management, to the Enlightenment period, with the publication of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, and beyond. He brings the narrative to the present day, sketching the careers and notable achievements of prominent economists, mostly men, but he mentions several women too; many were the recipients of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. This book notes their impact on governmental actions and covers the Great Depression, unemployment rates, inflation, poverty, policy, and more.