January 11, 2005

Heilbronner, R.I.P.

Robert Heilbronner, economic historian, died last week. I'm guessing his The Worldly Philosphers was the second-most read economics book of the 20th Century, behind Paul Samuelson's textbook. Many college students read that in an introductary econ class. The power of that book resided in Heilbronner's clear exposition of the ideas of Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Keynes. He also brought the study of the subject back to its initial roots as moral philosphy.

Godspeed, Robert.

"A Realistic Socialist Dies"

"Professor and Economic Historian Robert Heilbroner Dies at 85"