The Making of Modern Economics

The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers, Second Edition

By: Mark Skousen

Narrated by: William Hughes

Length: 19 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Here is a bold, new account of the lives and ideas of the great economists - Adam Smith, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Ludwig von Mises, Milton Friedman, and many others - all written by a top free-market economist and presented in an entertaining and persuasive style. Professor Mark Skousen tells a powerful story of economics with dozens of anecdotes of the great economic thinkers.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2009 Mark Skousen (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Both fascinating and infuriating...enaging, readable, colorful...credulous, disingenuous, and tendentious." ( Foreign Affairs)

Great historical summary..but

Would you consider the audio edition of The Making of Modern Economics to be better than the print version?

No, because the audio version is missing the last chapter of the book. The audiobook abruptly ends before getting to the recent developments in economics, including the behaviorists among others. Very disappointing.

Any additional comments?

Please contact me when the last chapter is available!

review

a comprehensive account that is inherently long and at points lacks "punch"

Demasiado tendencioso pero excelente

Demasiado tendencioso pero excelente forma de explicar 200 años de la evolución de la economía

It's a book about Economic History - I liked it.

First of all - If you favor socialism; Economic History isn't for you. It's NOTHING against this book; It's more the results of socialism in history that your not likely to enjoy. A lot of reviews say its Anti-Socialism, or Anti-Marx, but I think that's just world history and not the authors fault. It does have more on Marx then anyone else, but Marx is about the most documented person in the realm of economics. This Summer of 2022 was a good time for me to read this... So many mistakes that smarter people have already discovered are being made in the United States right now. It's a good book to understand the evolution of world economic theory and principal's.

thorough and entertaining

I am a rare few who is fascinated by economics. it was great as a layperson enjoying the field.

Makes Economics Fun

You see? It is possible to write about the topic of economics and make it engaging, informative, and fun. Wish I had this book when I was taking my economics classes decades ago. I enjoyed economics in spite of our textbooks. However, a book like this would have inspired far less dedicated students to see how enjoyable the topic can be. This is a wonderful read I highly recommend.

Interesting and informative

Skousen subscribes to the Austrian school of economics, as do I. (Austro-libertarian)

Adam Smith's "wealth of Nations"was written 100 years before the Austrian school was founded by Carl Menger. But, for whatever reason, at least in my studies, Smith is rarely mentioned in the Austrian resources.

Skousen gives a good account of Smith's influence on the future science of economics.

He also gives brief, but good accounts of other important economists and their influence(good and bad).

Don't Let the Author's Bias Scare You Away!

Mr Skousen brings us a solid, comprehensive and thoroughly entertaining history of modern economic thought from Adam Smith to the present day. Skousen succeeds wildly in making esoteric economic theories accesible, and draws in the reader/listener with quirky stories about each of the economists: Why did Adam Smith Burn all of his clothes? What was the story behind J.M Keynes's hand fetish? Who fathered Marx's housemaids child? These are just a few of the high points of this work.

Admitedly, Skousen is strongy biassed towards a Neo-Classical/Austrian viewpoint, and holds some quesitonable ideas, but don't let that turn you away! The author does a great job explaining each Economists viewpoint in a clear, concise, logical way; I was even able to get a good handle on some of Marx's important formulas from Kapital while driving on the freeway. This book is that good! Skousen is very careful to completely present each Economist's bio and arguments first and only then move on to a critique on their more questionable assumptions.

In regards to the narrator, I have no idea what the other reviewer is talking about. Hughes speaks clearly, pronounces German and French words well ans seems honestly excited in his narration. In fact, to me he seemed so excited that I initially thought it was the author narrating his own book.

Overall, having listened to some of Sowell's audiobooks and a few of the great courses on Economics, I have to say that this is the best choice on Audible to get readers excited about Economics. Well worth the credit!

Slightly over saturated with biographical details but filled with plenty of gems

I'm no economist but this gave me a very enjoyable exploration into the history of economics. I think that anyone who wants to enter the discussion of capitalism vs socialism should read this. The ecosystem of economics it's one of the greatest unsung human achievement, but once one studies it's dainty features one comes to appreciate it's flawed beauty.

Excellent author, narrator, and story.

This is an excellent book. The audio is outstanding. Anyone with an interest in economics or economic history will enjoy this.