This collection of essays by Alexander Gerschenkron, who has been called “the doyen of economic history in the United States,” is a companion volume to the author’s highly acclaimed Economic Backwardness in Historical Perspective. The essays range over a wide variety of subjects, but the major theme, as in Gerschenkron’s previous book, is the conditions of industrial development, particularly in regard to nineteenth-century Europe. The book is divided into three parts. In Part I, Methodology, the essays are: “On the Concept of Continuity in History,” “Some Methodological Problems in Economic History,” and “Reflections on Ideology as a Methodological and Historical Problem.” Part II, Problems in Economic History, deals with “The Typology of Industrial Development as a Tool of Analysis,” “The Industrial Development of Italy: A Debate with Rosario Romeo,” “The Modernization of Entrepreneurship,” “Russia: Agrarian Policies and Industrialization, 1861–1914,” and “City Economies Then and Now.” In Part III, The Political Framework, the essays are: “Reflections on the Economic Aspects of Revolution,” “The Changeability of a Dictatorship,” and “The Stability of Dictatorships.” A series of appendices presents reviews and review articles by Gerschenkron.

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Michael Polanyi's The Contempt of Freedom quite plausibly helped to steel Friedrich Hayek to write The Road to Serfdom. In a 1941 review of Polanyi's book, Hayek wrote: The four essays [of the present book] were...written during the five years between 1935 and I940 when the ideas of liberty "were left almost uncultivated" and "the progressive minds were so fascinated by the prospects of the revolution in Russia that they had little interest left for the fate of the traditional liberties." [Polanyi's] analysis...in the essay on the "Rights and Duties of Science " is perhaps the most illuminating discussion yet attempted of the psychological propensities which so frequently turn the man of science into an ardent advocate of central planning, and of the inconsistencies which this attitude involves. While Professor Polanyi has no doubt that "the major force behind this attitude is the passionate desire to put science into the consciously organised service of human welfare", he is convinced that a consistent policy of "organising" all scientific research..."would actually stop the development of science altogether". Discover here an early work of the man who coined the term "spontaneous order" and wrote Science, Faith and Society (1946), The Logic of Liberty (1951), Personal Knowledge (1958), The Study of Man (1959), and The Tacit Dimension (1959).

The panic of 1819 was America's first great economic crisis. And this is Murray Rothbard's masterful account, the first full scholarly book on the topic and still the most definitive. It was his dissertation, published in 1962 but nearly impossible to get until this new edition.The American Economic Review was wild for this book when it appeared: "Rothbard's work represents the only published, book-length, academic treatise on the remedies that were proposed, debated, and enacted in attempts to cope with the crisis of 1819," the reviewer wrote. "As such, the book should certainly find a place on the shelf of the study of U.S. business cycles and of the economic historian who is interested in the early economic development of the United States."And specialists have treasured the book for years. It is incredible to realize that some American historians think of M.N. Rothbard as the author of this book and nothing else!The panic of 1819 grew largely out of the changes wrought by the War of 1812, and by the postwar boom that followed. The war also brought a rash of paper money, as the government borrowed heavily to finance the conflict. This would inevitably lead to suspension of specie payments in some parts of the country in 1814.Freed from the shackles of hard money, the suspension of specie led to a boom. When peace came, the so did the bust.But in the end, there was no widespread confusion on what caused the downturn. Instead, it was widely known that false prosperity is a very dangerous thing. It always turns to bust. But unlike today, the government didn't intervene. And precisely because there was no intervention, the panic ended quickly and peacefully.What we have here, then, is not only a dazzling historical account — the research here is deep and thorough, and the prose a model of exposition; it also points the way to how all economic downturns can and should be handled. For that reason, the Panic of 1819 offers important lessons for us today.To search for Mises Institute titles, enter a keyword and LvMI (short for Ludwig von Mises Institute); e.g., Depression LvMI

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops' 1983 report, "Ethical Reflections on the Economic Crisis," was an attempt to bring moral and theological structure to the difficulties faced by many Canadians during the economic downturn of the early 1980s. In this short critique, Walter Block makes a strong argument that the report, though composed with the best of intentions, advocates policies which will have effects opposite those intended. Writing always with humor and compassion, Block includes a list of further reading to help his readers to research and draw their own conclusions. About the Author Walter Block earned his PhD in Economics at Columbia University. He is an author, editor, and co-editor of many books which include Defending the Undefendable ; Lexicon of Economic Thought, Economic Freedom of the World 1975-1995 ; Rent Control: Myths and Realities ; Discrimination, Affirmative Action, and Equal Opportunity ; Theology, Third Word Development and Economic Justice ; Man, Economy, and Liberty: Essays in Honor of Murray N. Rothbard ; Religion, Economics, and Social Thought ; and Economic Freedom: Toward a Theory of Measurement .Dr. Block has written more than 500 articles for various non-refereed journals, magazines and newspapers, and is a contributor to such journals as The Review of Austrian Economics , Journal of Libertarian Studies , The Journal of Labor Economics , Cultural Dynamics , and the Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics . He is currently a professor and chair of economics at Loyola University.

The writings on the theory of economic growth share almost without exception two characteristics - they deal exclusively with steady growth or equilibrium dynamics, and they try to predict the actual course of long-term development on the basis of greatly oversimplified behaviour assumptions. This book, first published in 1976, studies the many variants of a disequilibrium path, which growth processes pursue under the impact of major growth stimuli - changes in labour supply, in natural resources, and in technology. The study gives direction to public policies, sharply distinguishing between the requirements of market economies and of planned systems.

Thirteen essays by acknowledged economic experts explore the rapid changes in the transition economies of Eastern Europe, with discussions on political and economic freedom, monetary control and privatization, labor markets and social safety nets, and taxation and crime.

This work is based upon a series of longitudinal case-studies of Russian enterprises that were tracked during the 1990s. It provides insight into the initial conditions that are being established in Russia, which will to a large extent determine the kind of market system that is emerging. This work also has a more general relevance and bears upon the broader theoretical debate on institutional and societal change that concerns not only Russia but elsewhere.

A Commercial Dictionary , by Joshua Montefiore, offers a detailed snapshot of early 19th-century mercantile law, practice, and custom. Originally intended for use in the cabinet, counting-house, and library, this dictionary provides insights into the commercial world of its time. It serves as a valuable resource for those interested in the historical context of business and trade, offering definitions and explanations of terms relevant to merchants, lawyers, and scholars. This book provides a glimpse into the legal and practical aspects of commerce during a pivotal period of economic development. It remains relevant for historians, legal scholars, and anyone seeking to understand the foundations of modern business practices. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.