• The Big Three in Economics

  • Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes
  • Di: Mark Skousen
  • Letto da: Jeff Riggenbach
  • Durata: 9 ore e 6 min
  • 5,0 out of 5 stars (2 recensioni)

Ascolta ora gratuitamente con il tuo abbonamento Audible

Dopo 30 giorni, 9,99 €/mese. Cancella quando vuoi.
Ascolta senza limiti migliaia di audiolibri, podcast e serie originali
Disponibile su ogni dispositivo, anche senza connessione
9,99 € al mese, cancelli quando vuoi
The Big Three in Economics copertina

The Big Three in Economics

Di: Mark Skousen
Letto da: Jeff Riggenbach
Iscriviti - Gratis i primi 30 giorni

Dopo 30 giorni, 9,99 €/mese. Cancella quando vuoi.

Acquista ora a 19,95 €

Acquista ora a 19,95 €

Paga usando carta che finisce per
Confermando il tuo acquisto, accetti le Condizioni d'Uso di Audible e l'Informativa sulla Privacy di Amazon. Tasse dove applicabili.

Sintesi dell'editore

The Big Three in Economics reveals the battle of ideas among the three most influential economists in world history: Adam Smith, representing laissez faire; Karl Marx, reflecting the radical socialist model; and John Maynard Keynes, symbolizing big government and the welfare state. History comes alive in this fascinating story of opposing views that continue to play a fundamental role in today's politics and economics.

In the 21st century, Adam Smith's "invisible hand" model has gained the upper hand, and capitalism has ultimately won the ideological battle over socialism and interventionism. But even in the era of globalization and privatization, Keynesian and Marxist ideas continue to play a significant role in economic policy in the public and private sectors.

©2007 Mark Skousen (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

"Thoughtful, acutely observed and profoundly moving....Barker mixes brilliantly observed contemporary realism and mystical overtones with dazzling skill. The book has the grip of a superior thriller while introducing, with no sense of strain, a sense of sorrowful mortality that lingers long after the last page." (Publishers Weekly)

Cosa pensano gli ascoltatori di The Big Three in Economics

Valutazione media degli utenti. Nota: solo i clienti che hanno ascoltato il titolo possono lasciare una recensione
Generale
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 stelle
    2
  • 4 stelle
    0
  • 3 stelle
    0
  • 2 stelle
    0
  • 1 stella
    0
Lettura
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 stelle
    2
  • 4 stelle
    0
  • 3 stelle
    0
  • 2 stelle
    0
  • 1 stella
    0
Storia
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 stelle
    2
  • 4 stelle
    0
  • 3 stelle
    0
  • 2 stelle
    0
  • 1 stella
    0

Recensioni - seleziona qui sotto per cambiare la provenienza delle recensioni.

Non ci sono recensioni disponibili
Ordina per:
Filtra per:
  • Generale
    3 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Jan
  • Jan
  • 25/05/2007

Cut and paste

This book is ok. Unfortunately it is pretty much a "cut and paste" book assembeled from his earlier works. Instead of this one, buy "The history of modern economics" by the same author.

45 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    2 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Elton
  • Elton
  • 10/05/2007

Two for One

If you listened to Skousen's Making of Modern Economics then there really is no reason to pick up this volume. There are whole passages lifted from the prior text and this volume offeres really no new insight. This is more of an abridged version of his earlier volume. There is a lot of really good theory in this book and perhaps a little more focused that the purposely broader volume published earlier. I recommend it for someone who just wants the major thinkers instead of the progression of economic though.

31 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    4 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di William
  • William
  • 03/11/2011

Quality economic intro, but not without bias

This was my first book about pure economics (vs. economic history) and I learned a tremendous amount. Skousen takes a circumspect approach to each school of thought, briefly addressing the biography of each character and then describing his ideas and their ramifications.

It's worth pointing out that book is really about the big 3 schools of thought, rather than just the central personalities of the "Big Three". Skousen addresses the primary evangelists of each school who followed the three greats as well. Overall, his coverage of the topic felt thorough as he deftly switches between history, the nuts of bolts of each theory, and the effects of each.

One word of caution, however. I expected this book to be more "Just the facts, Ma'am" as it discussed each school of thought, leaving true evaluation of the theories up to the reader. However Skousen's neo-classical bent comes through almost immediately. His opinion is well-reasoned and I found myself agreeing with it almost unanimously, but the title left me expecting something slightly different than what the book delivered, which made it a 4-star overall.

The reading didn't detract from the text. Hey, we're talking economic theory, right? How much do you expect with regards to dramatic reading?

18 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    2 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Kathryn
  • Kathryn
  • 03/03/2009

dated and ideologically driven

Okay so it's bound to be dated, right? My problem is with its ideological stance. I was really excited to get 9 hours of info about these economists. I was not prepared for attacks on Marx's character, using such words as "demonic" and "depraved" to describe him. In addition the author goes to pains to find evidence that Smith believed in God, of which there is little to none. These character notes are absolutely silly in a book of this nature, and made me suspect the quality of all of the information. Is he so determined in his opinions that he is unable to give a full account of which practices work and what don't? I am not at all confident.
And of course aside from that, his triumphalist last chapter, in which he maintains (spoiler alert!) that Adam Smith has been proven undeniably right, is entirely thrown in to question these days.

15 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    1 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di tecullinan
  • tecullinan
  • 07/09/2009

Not a hint of the problems described by Dickens!

As the book tried to cover the three economists, we were taken from Adam Smith's Wealth of Nation (published in 1776) to the work of John Maynard Keynes in the early part of the twentieth century. Yet, the book seems to pretend that the world as described by Charles Dickens did not exist.

None of the problems of Dickens, the issues of company towns, of the struggles of group like the Appalachian coal miners, or even the current labor issues with Walmart were even hinted at in the book. It is as if these very real world problems were not worth addressing, because they do not fit in the ideological box of the laissez faire capitalist.

13 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    4 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Roman
  • Roman
  • 21/12/2011

A great introduction into the history of economics

I fairly don't understand people who complain this book is biased. So what? The bias is easily distinguishable and it doesn't compromise the facts presented in the book. You don't need to convert yourself in to a free market economist to learn a bit of the history. At worst, you would know one biased point and it'd give you an even better perspective while reading a different point of view on the same economists or events.

As the author noted, it is important to try to avoid discrediting all of the person's work just because his or her major theory was proven or considered false (he was talking about Marx, btw). Thus if you disagree with the author on some major grounds, I think it's always a good exercise to try to find things that you agree with and can make use of.

Good book, great narration. Giving four stars because the story may have been a bit monotonous at times.

11 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    1 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di P K
  • P K
  • 24/11/2011

Another Ayn Rand disciple?

This would have been much better if it had been a more balanced book. It is definitely in the free market + religion + tea party ballpark. If that's your inclination then you'll like it. But if you want an objective and balanced view of economics ... definitely pick another book than this.

11 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    1 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Nelson Alexander
  • Nelson Alexander
  • 07/01/2009

Market Uber Alles

This is a good introduction to the basic catechisms of market fundamentalism. It takes its small, dull place in the long line of literature devoted to telling us why it is actually good for everyone that the rich get richer. Adam Smith shows that markets grow wealth, almost by magic, a bigger pie for everyone, if only governments will get out of the way. Malthus, Ricardo, and Marx go badly wrong, we are assured, by asserting that value is somehow related to labor and that there might be conflicts in distribution. It is a little hard in the current economic climate to read the old free market lullabies that put Greenspan and Bush's SEC to sleep while bankers looted the treasury and set up their own private tax farming system, possibly wrecking the nation. In typical fashion, the book shows "scientific" demonstrations of market-created prosperity by carefully selected examples and vast historical exclusions. With scientists like these, who needs surrealists? One shibboleth that I get especially tired of hearing is the fact that reproduction rates decline in richer nations, thereby disproving Malthus. But a "nation" is not an "economy," where labor supplies and markets must continue to expand over the borders if the nation is to get "richer." Why exactly markets won't work if limited by national boundaries, but will somehow work within planetary boundaries is something never explained. It just might have something to do with currency manipulations and labor markets divided up into different legal systems. It is now 2009. It is time we had some alternatives to the utopian ideologies of the Austrian and Chicago School cheerleaders who have just driven us off the cliff. Wish Audible would widen the economics selections.

10 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    3 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Yousuf
  • Yousuf
  • 12/06/2007

Defence for Free Market Economics

The author unabashedly strives to demonstrate the enduring superiority of laissez faire economics. This is his prerogative, but it leaves the listener feeling that something is missing (for instance, consider the increasing criticism of globalization policies - claiming to promote free-trade - from different corners of the world). However, good narration, and an engaging account of the big three in Economics.

10 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    5 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di steve
  • steve
  • 11/11/2008

What you really need to know

That is what is in this book and I loved it. You can't go wrong if you buy this book.

8 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Ordina per:
Filtra per:
  • Generale
    3 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di David
  • David
  • 30/04/2008

Acceptable but rather partisan coverage

This title includes short biographies of each of the three economists Smith, Marx and Keynes, together with a discussion of the main points of their work and critique of their ideas. It also goes into useful detail about their successors and their historical impact.

Serves as a reasonable introduction to the history of economics for the general reader. There is bias introduced by the author's particular perspective. For example, he devotes a surprising amount of space to a discussion of whether or not Adam Smith was a practicing Christian. The description of Karl Marx is splendidly bitchy: a man described more than once as 'demonic'. He is villified, for example, because his children died in poverty. However, much of the discussion of Marx' work is reasonably unbiased and can be useful. It is obviously a matter of great dismay to the author that John Maynard Keynes described himself as an 'immoralist' and was openly homosexual for part of his life.

A reasonably good read, less impartial than I would have liked, but presents the main economic ideas in an accessible manner.

26 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    2 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Amazon Customer
  • Amazon Customer
  • 28/02/2012

Poorly written - like student notes

Not impressed with this title at all - overly simplistic, historically inaccurate and written in small chunks - pretty much like a students' set of notes from lectures. Not for anyone interested in Economics or the economists in question. I would highly recommend Thomas Sowell's basic economics as it covers the essential points in a far more intelligent & lucid way

11 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    1 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 17/12/2019

At least pretend to hide your bias

The first third of this book could be replaced with the sounds of the author sucking on Adam smiths cock

8 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    1 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di D
  • D
  • 17/05/2012

An ode to Adam Smith

I was terribly disappointed by this book. I had in mind an objective and analytical account of each economists contribution to the field; this is not the case. The author favours Adam Smith above all and is sure to push his opinion at every opportunity.

6 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    1 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Jay Blake
  • Jay Blake
  • 13/12/2019

propoganda recorded with a tin can

Upon listening to this for 30 minutes anyone with any knowledge of these 3 economists will realise how ridiculous this account is. the book is made purely to promote some kind of specifically American form of Neoliberalism with strong religious undertones, this is especially obvious to anyone who is not an American.

don't buy

4 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    1 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Lina Brooks
  • Lina Brooks
  • 15/09/2016

Biased

What would have made The Big Three in Economics better?

Less of the biased opinions of the writer , and more objectivity

Has The Big Three in Economics put you off other books in this genre?

No, I am aware not eveyone is so pro capitalism and so biased towards anything else.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Jeff Riggenbach?

N/a

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Annoyance and urge to delete this audio book

Any additional comments?

Very pro capitalism and very biased towards it. Definitely very un-objective read, unlucky with my choice of book.

4 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    4 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Kindle Customer
  • Kindle Customer
  • 10/11/2017

interesting read

Narration was good. Great all round introduction to economics. Highly recommend. A great book if you want to understand economic basics and principles or a fantastic starter for further study.

2 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    4 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Roxana
  • Roxana
  • 18/10/2017

good for general knowledge

it is performed in the best manner possible. the book itself is good for acquiring general knowledge. it helps to have a somehow clearer understanding of economics in general but there are not too many details .

2 persone l'hanno trovata utile

  • Generale
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    4 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di zeeshan
  • zeeshan
  • 08/12/2015

Great Book

I enjoyed it and learnt a lot but I did feel it could be better if stayed neutral by avoiding cheap jibes at Marx.

1 persona l'ha trovata utile

  • Generale
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Lettura
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Storia
    3 out of 5 stars
Immagine del profilo di Rob Sedgwick
  • Rob Sedgwick
  • 14/10/2022

Went on a bit

I found the mini-biographies of the three economists pretty good, but the interim chapters went on a bit and were hard to follow in a spoken format. I found myself losing track of the narrative quite often. Following (even simple) equations in your mind is not easy either! It's also about 15 years old, and American to boot.