The Economists' Hour

This thoroughly researched, comprehensive, and critical account of the economic philosophies that have reigned for the past half century powerfully indicts them. * Publisher Weekly (starred) * A marvel of popular historical writing. * New York Times * A highly readable, exhilaratingly detailed biographical account. * Sunday Telegraph * That such sophisticated people presided over a dangerous build-up in financial risk suggests that something larger was at work than a naïve faith in markets. Appelbaum’s strength is that he generally acknowledges these complexities. * Atlantic * The New York Times financial writer maps the advance of economists - from the Kennedy administration onward - out of the academy and into government, elevating free markets in the sausage - making of public policy and sparking the inequity that plagues us today. * O Magazine * Lively and entertaining . . . The Economists' Hour is a reminder of the power of ideas to shape the course of history. -- Liaquat Ahamed * New Yorker * ""An entertaining and well-written look at how market-oriented ideas rose from the academy and transformed nations. -- Tyler Cowen Binyamin Appelbaum has written a powerful must-read for all those interested in reinvigorating the credibility of economics, especially in policymaking circles. -- Mohamed A. El-Erian Writing in accessible language of thorny fiscal matters, the author ventures into oddly fascinating corners of recent economic history . . . Anyone who wonders why government officials still take the Laffer curve seriously need go no further than this lucid book. * Kirkus * A well-reported and researched history of the ways in which plucky economists helped rewrite policy in America and Europe and across emerging markets. * Economist *