The soulful science : what economists really do and why it matters

The book is well written, copiously referenced and generous in its acknowledgement of the relationships between economics and other social sciences... [T]he general reader ... will find much to think about. -- David Throsby Times Literary Supplement Coyle's style is very accessible, and this book is an excellent survey of the frontiers of economics for the general reader. Students of economics at all levels will benefit, as the work's academic credentials are strong, with more than 300 references to leading books and articles. Overall, The Soulful Science can be recommended highly. -- Paul Ormerod Times Higher Education Supplement The best thing about [this book] is a deft mapping of the developments in economic thought. Coyle describes brilliantly the intellectual geography of her subject. -- Frances Cairncross Nature Most of The Soulful Science is devoted to a grand whirlwind tour of modern economics, with fascinating vignettes of individual economists. It's a trip worth taking, because what economists do has changed considerably in the past two decades, and the textbooks haven't kept up. Coyle, who is both a journalist and a Harvard-trained economist, is ideally suited to the role of tour guide: She understands economists as only a fellow economist can, and she can write, as most economists cannot. -- David Colander American Scientist This is an astonishing book: beautifully written... [I]t is also beautifully edited; it is the first book I have read in a long time that is equally at home on either side of the Atlantic--which is not an easy trick to pull off. -- Andrew Hilton Financial World Fluently written with the balance of a good novel, the result is a tour de force. -- Donald Anderson Business Economist Coyle shows how contemporary economists are bringing theory out of the classroom as they adopt a more pragmatic, humanistic approach to such problems as poverty and pollution. -- Edward Nawotka Bloomberg News The simple aim of The Soulful Science is to describe what economists do, how the field has changed in the past 10 years or so, and why you should care. It succeeds admirably. Financial Times Coyle cares about these issues not only as an economist (once the economics editor at this newspaper), nor because she sits on the Competition Commission, applying theory to curb monopolistic tendencies, but also because she feels economists, and their work, are often misunderstood. -- Salil Tripathi The Independent Author of Sex, Drugs, and Economics and other popular volumes, economist Coyle offers compelling arguments for why economics--and economists--matter. She skillfully and objectively treats the theories, current controversies, and frontiers of the discipline...For thoughtful, insightful, interesting narrative, Coyle is hard to top. -- A.R. Sanderson Choice Policy-oriented economic developers and researchers have much to gain from Coyle's summaries of a wide variety of contemporary economic research, which she presents with exceptional grace and more humor than is usually expected from a practitioner of the 'dismal science.' -- James Held Applied Research in Economic Development Regardless of how one views current developments in the mainstream, this is a most worthwhile read. Diane Coyle makes her case in a clear, accessible fashion, and lays out the particulars in a well-organized format. Readers, both supportive and critical of these developments, will find themselves better armed to make their respective case. -- John F. Henry Journal of Economic Issues The audience for this book includes anyone ... who is interested in the implications of economics on policy making. The book is useful as an update to what is happening in modern economics. Teachers in the field can borrow ideas to tune their courses to the state-of-the-art research conducted in the discipline. Researchers in humanities and social sciences would find the book intriguing as more and more overlap between economics and sociology, psychology, and anthropology is witnessed. People with general interest in economics will find The Soulful Science a pleasant read as well. -- George M. Zinkhan and Plamen P. Peev PsycCRITIQUES Read more...