Play Audiobook Sample
Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.04) - 438 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
An instant New York Times bestseller, in a sweeping narrative the author of the esteemed A Beautiful Mind takes us on a journey through modern history with the men and women who changed the lives of every single person on the planet. Grand Pursuit is the epic story of the making of modern economics, of how economics rescued mankind from squalor and deprivation by placing its material fate in its own hands.
A New York Times bestseller, this sweeping narrative from the author of A Beautiful Mind takes us on a journey through modern history with the men and women who changed the lives of every single person on the planet. Grand Pursuit is the epic story of the making of modern economics, of how economics rescued mankind from squalor and deprivation by placing its material fate in its own hands.
Download and start listening now!
"Fantastic and interesting read. It takes a different approach by focusing more on the people than on their ideas and also by covering only the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century. It has no mention of Ricardo or Adam smith or any modern economists. Still a gripping read"
— Robert (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Nasar is a superb writer...The book is a kind of portrait gallery of economic thinkers, each artfully set down in his or her time and place...You can’t help becoming engrossed in their lives.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“Nasar brilliantly brings to life game-changing economists from Marx to Hayek and from Sidney Webb to Milton Friedman, tracing the evolution of modern economic thinking through the richly detailed stories of the men and woman who reshaped how we think of life’s possibilities...This is an utterly fascinating book on many levels...No lesser mind could have written a book so rich, so compelling, so important, and so much fun.”
— Boston Globe -
“A fascinating excursion into the economic ideas and personalities that have deposited most of us at a standard of living unparalleled in human history.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer -
“One of the many wonderful things about Nasar’s book is that in it, economic genius isn’t limited to the usual suspects…Even when exploring famous economic minds, Nasar brings out the humanity in the dismal science.”
— Time -
“Grand Pursuit is a history of economics which is full of flesh, bloom, and warmth. The author demonstrates that there is far more to economics than Thomas Carlyle’s ‘dismal science’...A wonderful book. Grand Pursuit deserves a place not only in every economist’s study but also on every serious reader’s bedside table.”
— Economist -
“A timely reminder of the importance of the so-called dismal science...Written almost as a novel and aimed at those without a background in economics, the book charts capitalism’s evolution through the eyes of the people who invented it...It is compellingly written, full of detail and vivid anecdotes, and with a refreshing focus on people rather than prices.”
— Nation -
“Anne Twomey has a reassuring, somewhat husky voice that is well suited to the material, [and]...John Bedford Lloyd has a full, deep voice that...makes the narrative fresh and vital.”
— AudioFile
Awards
-
A New York Times bestseller
-
Winner of the 2011 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Science & Technology
Grand Pursuit Listener Reviews
-
" An interesting insight into the lives of most prominent economists over the last 150 years. Still a bit chaotic, poorly structured and intellectual ideas are sacrificed in favour of private affairs. "
— Olegs, 2/18/2014 -
" Very good. Many historical analogies as well as literary (Dickens). Heady book, I recommend to any former MBA. Extremely interesting. "
— Rachel, 2/17/2014 -
" Great history of economics, Reads like an historical novel. I really learned a lot. Written by author of "A Beautiful Mind". "
— Louise, 1/25/2014 -
" A book on economics which begins with Jane Austen and Charles Dickens has this reader's attention. Page 64 and I'm already engrossed in familiar characters' perspectives as each views economic and political issues from withing the historical time and environment each lived. At page 64, the reader is introduced to the influences and circumstances of Dickens and Carlyle, Engel and Marx,Malthus, Kant, Mayhew, John Stewart Mill, Sidgwick, Keynes and Marshall. "
— Annita, 1/25/2014 -
" I loved his book. A caveat, however. This is not really a book about economics per se. It is a history of economic thought told in the form of a series of mini-biographies. "
— Gary, 1/11/2014 -
" Great work by Sylvia Nasar. I strongly recommend this book. It is a must read. "
— Ramakant, 1/10/2014 -
" A readable overview of some of the key developments in modern political economics and the players involved. No major insights, but still worthwhile. "
— Michael, 1/4/2014 -
" Fantastic insights into aspects of the lives of the great economists, but it really doesn't hang together as a coherent story. A lot of awkward shifting from one 'scene' to another. Still really enjoyed it though. "
— Peter, 12/8/2013 -
" Recommended by Miguel Palacios "
— Walker*Management*Library, 12/4/2013 -
" Loved this. It is a combination of biographical information as well as economic theories, and I learned a great deal (though I've unfortunately forgotten most of it). My favorite unexpected section was on Beatrix Potter. "
— Rosanna, 12/3/2013 -
" A little dry, or at least not as engaging as I had hoped. And only a few pages on Friedman. "
— David, 10/24/2013 -
" Glad it ended with Amartya Sen. "
— Alison, 8/4/2012 -
" In the end a very uneven book. I liked the first two acts much better than the third. The book became oddly incoherent. A worthwhile survey of economic thinkers. "
— Smh624, 6/22/2012 -
" A complete history of economics through the lives of its most important frontiersmen. Much of the last 200 years of modern history - and perhaps most of human history - gains a certain logical progression when viewed through an economic lens. "
— Jonathan, 5/29/2012 -
" Good history of the progress of economic thought during the past few centuries. "
— Jeff, 9/28/2011 -
" A nice perspective on the history of economic theory--good to know just how young it is (like most social sciences it comes from the late 18th century). Also good to see how much twentieth century social welfare was grounded in solid economics, and how little we appreciate that now. "
— Brian, 9/20/2011 -
" Who knew that economists save lives? "
— Yogi, 9/10/2011
About Sylvia Nasar
Sylvia Nasar, a former economics correspondent for the New York Times, is the Knight Professor of Journalism at Columbia University. She lives in Tarrytown, New York.
About John Bedford Lloyd
John Bedford Lloyd, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, has appeared in many major motion pictures, including The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Delancey, The Abyss, The Manchurian Candidate, and Philadelphia. His television credits include Suits, Pan Am, Law & Order, Spin City, and The West Wing.