If You're So Smart: The Narrative of Economic ExpertiseIn this witty, accessible, and revealing book, Deirdre McCloskey demystifies economic theory and practice to show that behind the economists claim to certainty is the ancient art of storytelling. If You're So Smart will engage, enlighten, and empower anyone trying to evaluate the experts who stand ready to engineer our lives. "Writing with delicious wit and great seriousness."—Publishers Weekly. " "McCloskey is more interesting on an uninspired day than most of her peers can manage at their very best."—Peter Passell, New York Times |
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Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Telling Stories Economically | 10 |
Plot and Genre in Economics | 24 |
The Politics of Stories in Historical Economics | 40 |
Economic Rhetoric in Aid of the Story Line | 56 |
The Scholars Story | 70 |
Metaphor Against the Story Chaos and Counterfactuals | 83 |
The Poetics and Economics of Magic | 97 |
The American Question If Youre So Smart Why Aint You Rich? | 111 |
The Limits of Criticism | 123 |
Keeping the Company of Economists | 135 |
The Common Weal and and Economic Stories | 150 |
| 165 | |
| 177 | |
Other editions - View all
If You're So Smart: The Narrative of Economic Expertise Deirdre N. McCloskey No preview available - 1992 |
Common terms and phrases
American Question argue argument asks assertion audience believe better Booth Britain British calculation claim counterfactual critic David Landes economic history economists Elbaum and Lazonick ethical ethos example expert fact and logic failure fiction Fogel forecast future Gerschenkron growth historian historical economists homo economicus human income industrial revolution instant cameras italics added John Maynard Keynes Landes's literary literature look magic Martin Wiener mathematics McCloskey merely metaphor metaphors and stories modern modernist monopoly moral narrative neoclassical Nicholas Crafts nineteenth century nomic Northrop Frye Number Paul Samuelson percent philosophers poetry political poor predict problem production profitable reader reading rhetoric rhetorical tetrad rich Robert Fogel scholar scientific scientists sense smart snake oil social engineering speak statistical stories and metaphors storytelling talk tell stories Theorem theory thing Thurow tion trade Victorian Wiener words
Bibliographic information
| Title | If You're So Smart: The Narrative of Economic Expertise New practices of inquiry |
| Authors | Donald N. McCloskey, Distinguished Professor of Economics History English and Communication Deirdre N McCloskey, Deirdre N. McCloskey |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press, 1990 |
| ISBN | 0226556700, 9780226556703 |
| Length | 180 pages |
| Subjects | › › Business & Economics / Economics / General Business & Economics / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |