The Age of the Economist by Fusfeld, Daniel R.

Written especially for students with a limited background in economics, this book explains how a market economy functions through an historical overview of economics. It discusses the major schools of economic thought and ideas of the leading economists of each period. Updated throughout, the book emphasizes the relationship between economic theory and policy, and how both are influenced by events, ideologies and changing economic institutions. The author places particular emphasis on Adam Smith, classical and neoclassical economics, Marx, Keynes and the heterodox writers and the political economy of recent decades. It takes a balanced approach to economic theories, and covers contemporary issues such as unemployment, inflation and growth.