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Now in paperback, a revealing collection from the intellectual titan whose work shaped the modern world. As an economist and public intellectual, Gary S. Becker was a giant. The recipient of a Nobel Prize, a John Bates Clark Medal, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, Becker is widely regarded as the greatest microeconomist in history.
After forty years at the University of Chicago, Becker left a slew of unpublished writings that used an economic approach to human behavior, analyzing such topics as preference formation, rational indoctrination, income inequality, drugs and addiction, and the economics of family.
These papers unveil the process and personality--direct, critical, curious--that made him a beloved figure in his field and beyond.
The Economic Approach examines these extant works as a capstone to the Becker oeuvre--not because the works are perfect, but because they offer an illuminating, instructive glimpse into the machinations of an economist who wasn't motivated by publications. Here, and throughout his works, an inquisitive spirit remains remarkable and forever resonant.
About the author
Gary S. Becker (1930-2014) was University Professor at the University of Chicago with a joint appointment in both the economics and sociology departments. He was the author of many books, including
Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis and
The Economics of Discrimination. He collaborated with Richard Posner on the Becker-Posner Blog, which formed the basis for their book
Uncommon Sense: Economic Insights, from Marriage to Terrorism. Becker was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1992 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.
