Grand Pursuit

The Story of Economic Genius

By: Sylvia Nasar

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd, Anne Twomey

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.

great history book

Would you listen to Grand Pursuit again? Why?

Yes, this book does an excellent job telling capsule life stories of the post 1850 economists (& some other social scientist), the key elements of their thought and, most importantly, the context in which they lived, and which helped to powerfully shape their thought and build the foundation of modern economics. You do not need to be an economics major or economist to appreciate this work.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The putting of economic thought into context, so that we can understand its roots when the idea of these individuals is cited (& more frequently, misappropriated) today.

What about John Bedford Lloyd, and Anne Twomey’s performance did you like?

Both narrators do a good job with the text.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Adventures in Economic Thought

Interesting sketches of famous economists’ lives

The Grand Pursuit links intriguing portraits of the character and lives of famous and lesser known economists who shaped the history of economic thought and shows the context from which their ideas emerged. Nasser has an eye for telling detail and tells the story fluidly. The book seldom drags and is easily accessible. The downside is that it contains relatively little economics.

Ideas matter

I learned a great deal about the economists of old. I'm a computer science graduate, with a minor in international relations. I've never paid a great deal of attention to economists, and thier history.

That was before this book. Now I'm a fan of at least 3 entities. This is a whole new world for me to dig into, and learn about. Glad I read this.

why switch narrators- Act 2??? so disruptive!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I am interested in this sort of mix of personal and cultural history...provides many insights into how the word economy developed as it did, and the personalities who contributed to our understanding of economics

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of John Bedford Lloyd and Anne Twomey ?

The female narrator was excellent...switching part-way through was just bizarre.

Was Grand Pursuit worth the listening time?

so-so

Truly extraordinary but a little dull

OK, so I won't lie: it's a little dull, and I've studied economics. For those who haven't, I really do wonder if you'll find it compelling. Perhaps another reader who falls into this category could address this? But if you do have an economics background, this book is incredibly rewarding. All the figures you've kind of sort of heard of but don't know precisely what they did--Marshall, Schumpeter, Fischer, etc.--are covered quite well along with Beatrice Webb, one of the most important figures in the history of economic thought who I at least had never heard of.

A recurring theme, since the book covers lives as well as work, is various famous economists struggling to find love. We don't usually think of them this way, and I wonder whether economists were more or less romantically tormented than their contemporaries.

The other enjoyable part is learning who really weren't that significant of thinkers, despite their oversized reputations; in particular: Marx and Hayek. I've never bothered to read either, and Nasar makes clear that that's not a problem. There really are no theres there.

I found the switching back and forth of narrators irritating, and I strongly preferred the female reader to the male one. I'm not sure what led to this odd choice, but I hope this doesn't start a trend.