Controversies in Monetary Economics

'John Smithin's erudite and eloquent Controversies in Monetary Economics (now in a revised second edition) reminds us that a cashless economy is by no means a moneyless economy. Drawing on Keynes's concept of monetary production and on the later work of Sir John Hicks, Smithin argues persuasively for the continuing central importance of money in understanding interest rate determination and economic fluctuations. This insightful book illuminates the role of monetary policy, notably within the European Monetary Union.' -- Robert W. Dimand, Brock University, Canada
'This book provides an excellent overview of the controversies that have driven debate about monetary theory and policy over the last two centuries. I highly recommend the book for use in advanced undergraduate or graduate courses. This new edition revises and updates some of the arguments, with some additional treatment of orthodoxy so that it can serve as a stand-alone text in monetary theory courses.' -- L. Randall Wray, University of Missouri, US
'John Smithin is one of the deepest thinkers writing today about monetary matters in modern economics. Not only has he a thorough and full knowledge of past contributions, he is also an original thinker in his own right. The processes he depicts at work in modern economies are immediately recognisable and make good sense. He allies his theoretical understanding with advocacy of wise and humane policies. In John Smithin's writings the spirits of Keynes and Hicks live on, with also, dare I say it, the insights of Marx about the relationship between the real and the monetary in capitalism. Any student brought up on Smithin's clear and lucid accounts of controversies in monetary economics will have a firm grounding on which to base their understanding of the world around them.' -- G.C. Harcourt, University of New South Wales, Australia