Economics and Literature

I like happy endings -- so I was very pleased to learn about a literature student at a famous university who, being frustrated at not finding Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath in the literature section of the university library, could successfully locate it among books on agriculture. Boundaries between subjects can be overcome in different ways, including through confusion, but they can also be crossed deliberately in wise and enriching ways. This lovely book, with a fine collection of essays, has been led by an insightful and innovative plan of “bringing together” literature and economics. It is a splendid achievement. Rather than seeking a happy ending, we must wish for more works like this that bring together apparently distant disciplines.

- Amartya Sen, Lamont University Professor, Harvard University, and Nobel Laureate in Economics.

Economists aim to understand human behaviour and human interactions with the world. Novelists aim to illustrate how human interactions affect individuals’ emotions and behaviour. In so doing both fields teach us about the world. Economics and Literature: A Novel Approach is a compilation of brilliant essays from a globally-representative selection of economists who are also perceptive readers of fine literature. It entertains while illuminating the commonalities of economics and literature.

- Alison Booth, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University and author of novels including “Bellevue”, “A Perfect Marriage” and “A Distant Land”.