If You're So Smart: The Narrative of Economic Expertise - Hardcover

McCloskey, Deirdre Nansen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226556700 ISBN 13: 9780226556703

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 1990

Synopsis

In 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

About this title

About the Author

Deirdre Nansen McCloskey is distinguished professor emerita of economics and of history, and professor emerita of English and of communication, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Reviews

Writing with delicious wit and great seriousness, University of Iowa economist McCloskey here elaborates a thesis ascribing more art than science to society's economic evolution. "Stories," "metaphor," "myth," "analogy" and "model" become bywords as he maintains, among other tenets, that scientists are per se rhetorical since discovery requires an audience. He pummels colleagues for cherishing cliches now defunct and in chapters on "counter-factuals" (what-ifs) and the role of magic in human calculations sets the stage for posing to economists "the American Question" (". . . then why aren't you rich?"), along with the flat conclusion that economists cannot predict economic results, though some accept cash for trying.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0226556700
• ISBN 13: 9780226556703
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 190