Economics for Everyone by Jim Stanford...

[RadioRaheem84]

So far some of the excerpts have been really good. He does seem a bit of a Keynesian though as he quotes many left-Keynesians like Joan Robinson, who isn't bad.

Jim Stanford is an economist for the Canadian Auto Workers and received his PhD at the New School! That has to say something.

Has anyone read his book, Economics for Everyone? Worth the high price at the local Borders?

[bailey_187]

Yeah, it's quite good for covering basic macroeconomic stuff that we used to learn in my economics class at school, from a slightly anti-capitalist slant. It's quite basic though, so only really good for an intro.

He is similar to the other left-keynsian popular economist Robert Heilbroner, who has written similar books as Stanfords, and i think is recommended by Stanford on his website. If you havnt, check out The Worldy Philosophers by him, which is an easy to read overview of the most influential economists.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I wouldn't recommend the book, but if you're going to buy it why not get it used for less than 1/3 the price?

http://www.amazon.com/Economics-Everyone-Short-Guide-Capitalism/dp/1552662721/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279573710&sr=8-1

[RadioRaheem84]

Well it was bashed as a socialist book by a reviewer on amazon. I figured it had to be good.

[RadioRaheem84]

Marx tried(unsuccessfully) to explain how prices in capitalism (which include the
payment of profi t) could still be based on the underlying labour values of different commodities




Except from the book. True or not.


I may need to go find a into book to labour value first. Any suggestion? Should I just read a Spark Notes vesrion of Kapital?

Most of what I've read has been mostly anarchist.

[RadioRaheem84]

One more thing. The style of the book and the info provided reminds me a lot of the Monthly Review style. I've always suspected the Sweezy ML had a little left keynesian influence too.

[bailey_187]

I've always suspected the Sweezy ML had a little left keynesian influence too.

definetly. IIRC Sweezy draws a lot from Kalecki too (who was a kind of marxist keynsian).

[RadioRaheem84]

definetly. IIRC Sweezy draws a lot from Kalecki too (who was a kind of marxist keynsian).

Yeah, it's almost like they take the assumptions of the Keynesians seriously and incorporate a lot of their facts and figures to outline their arguments. I don't know if this to make themselves appear more legitimate to the academic world among mainstream economists or what?

I like ML, but I remember them devoting an entire essay to the financial elite that now rules the States as Obama packed his cabinet with Wall St. moguls. While this is good to know, I hardly see how outlining it in detail makes for a scathing Marxist critique?