Mccloskey should log into the repec author service. John maynard keynes, 1st baron keynes of tilton 5 june 1883 21 april 1946 was a british economist whose ideas, known as keynesian economics, had a major impact on modern economic and political theory and on many governments fiscal policies. The main cause of bad writing in economics is that economists dont read. The philosopy of economics, readings, 1 st and 2 nd eds. Mccloskey has written a provocative book that has led me to rethink my own approach to writing. Youll be submitting your answers to our editorial staff. Mccloskey, donald, economical writing, economic inquiry, apr. Buy a cheap copy of economical writing book by deirdre n. The following slideshow was created by nicholas shunda when he was a doctoral student in economics and a graduate assistant with the university writing center. Her conversational and witty yet always clear style is a hallmark of her classic works of economic history, enlivening the dismal science and engaging readers well beyond the discipline. Economical writing deirdre mccloskey 9781577660637. To mccloskey, a criticism of the ways in which economics is currently practiced is not to deny the importance of formalization and abstraction but rather to know its place and to never stray from the serious business of understanding the world. In class, mccloskey stressed the value of writing well, passing out class notes on writing. Claudia goldin mccloskey tells economists to say what they have to say clearly and economically, and then shows them how.
Only a few economists have written about economic writing. Economists do not mind criticism of their facts or their formalisms, because they have been trained in. Undergraduate economics textbook and blog by arjo klamer, deirdre n. Selection of the best articles and chapters by mccloskey down to 2001 on historical economics and the rhetoric of.
Mccloskey, donald, economical writing, economic inquiry, 23. For more help see her wellknown booklet, economical writing. When economic writers have finally reached the possibility curve between clarity and sub. Understanding rhetoric in economics accounting as a master metaphor for economics. Mccloskey is the strunk and white of economics, and economic writing should be required reading for all economists. Deirdre nansen mccloskey is distinguished professor emerita of economics and of history, and professor emerita of english and of communication, adjunct in classics and philosophy, at the university of illinois at chicago. I am in the process of writing a book based on a careerlife of research and needed a guide to help me get back into the style of writing that is acceptable in the field of economics. Economical writing thirtyfive rules for clear and persuasive prose book. To update listings or check citations waiting for approval, deirdre n. Writing in economics types of writing in economics essentially there are two kinds of economics papers. Deirdre mccloskey is an adequate writer, which is to say, a better writer than almost all economists.
Thirtyfive rules for clear and persuasive prose, deirdre n. Your choices for the two writing priorities columns may differ from each other since you may already do a good job of meeting some of what you consider to be dr. Economical writing mccloskey 1985 economic inquiry. If more economists were to spend the short time necessary to read this book, both the writing and the reading of economics might become a more pleasurable experience. Except, that is, when it comes to deirdre nansen mccloskey. The narrative of economic expertise, both published by the university of chicago press. Rewrite and edit your first draftand your second one, too. This is an incomplete alphabetical list by surname of notable economists, experts in the social science of economics, past and present. Thirtyfive rules for clear and persuasive prose chicago guides to writing, editing, and publishing deirdre n. A guide to writing in economics prepared by paul dudenhefer, writing tutor, ecoteach center and department of economics, duke university introduction 5 part i.
Six principles of clear, cohesive, and coherent writing 12. In knowledge and persuasion in economics he converses with his critics, suggesting that they too can gain from knowing their rhetoric. The john simon guggenheim foundation, the national endowment for the humanities, the institute for advanced study, and the university of iowa provided the financial security to write them. Economical writing donald mccloskey most people who write a lot, as do economists, have an amateurish atti tude towards writing. In essence, the subject may be confusing but the writing doesnt have to be. Adam smith, when writing about the invisible hand, explicitly noted that the character of the trader in a market was critically important to the operation of the invisible hand. Plagiarism and citation styles in economics research methods in e. Read rules of this house, a handout to students in prof. Most writing handbooks are exactly what they most admonish.
If economists would read jane austen or george orwell, or even adam smith or themas schelling, in bulk, daily, habitually, they would improve. Knowledge and persuasion in economics by deirdre n. I cohost lingthusiasm, a podcast thats enthusiastic about linguistics. Hayek program for advanced study in philosophy, politics, and economics. Claudia goldin, harvard university mccloskey tells economists to say what they have to say clearly and economically, and then shows them how. She had a phd in economics from harvard, having trained under the legendary economic historian alexander gerschenkron and was a tenured professor at the university of chicagoat that time, perhaps the most important university worldwide in terms of its generational impact. This book has refreshed my memory of the economicwriting style and has provides a couple of tips that are extremely helpful. Economical writing by deirdre mccloskey stephen kinsella. Chicago distribution centereconomics is not a field that is known for good writing. As usual, marguerite knoedel has been patient with my excessive number of drafts. One of the best books for writers in the social sciences is deirdre mccloskeys economical writing, a very short, very small book that offers a number of important principles for writing. View the improvement of students writing as your responsibility. Although good writing remains suspect among economists, deirdre mccloskey taught me long ago that good writing makes for good economics. Absolutely no one is impressed by a sentence they cannot understand.
Deirdre mccloskeys economical writing, originally aimed to help economists write better, is in this second edition clearly a book that should be read by. These two kinds of papers reflect what the discipline considers to be legitimate economics. Deirdre mccloskey has beautifully told this story in the bourgeois virtues. Mccloskey is an economist by training, but she has written across a wide variety of fields. Economists do not mind criticism of their facts or their formalisms, because they have been trained in these to take criticism, and to dish it out. Your own top 6 choices should be tips that you think would be most helpful in further improving your own writing. An executive summary deirdre mccloskey university of iowa the main cause of bad writing in economics is that economists dont read good writing.
Distinguished professor of economics, history, english, and communication university of illinois at chicago. The man in the street favors his mistaken opinions about free trade, and will not listen to professional argument. Trained at harvard as an economist, she has written fourteen books and edited seven more, and has published some three hundred and sixty articles on economic theory, economic history, philosophy, rhetoric, feminism, ethics, and law. Very seldom would clearer writing in economics cost anything in art. University of wisconsin press, 1998 figures of speech and thought the real nature of the relation of figures to thought is very generally misunderstood. First, the discourse is often mathematical, with lots of formulas, lemmas, and proofs. Understanding that irony well, mccloskey has imbued economical writing with just enough wit and excursus to make it pleasurable.
Deirdre nansen mccloskey has been distinguished professor of economics and history and professor of english and communications at the university of illinois at chicago. Essentially there are two kinds of economics papers. The state, the market, and development, to be published in mapping development economics. Few writers achieve clarity without continual editing. Im the author of because internet, a book about internet. Later at the university of iowa, mccloskey, the john murray professor of economics and of history 19801999, published the rhetoric of economics 1985 and cofounded with john s. Anyone who cares about direct, clear expression should read this lucid, delightful gem by an author who practices what she advises. Mccloskey delivers a thoughtful, fun, and very slim volume, focused on economics writing but also applicable to most nonfiction writing. Efficient ways to improve student writing strategies, ideas, and recommendations from the faculty development literature. Economics is not a field that is known for good writing. Teaching writing is not only the job of the english department alone.
Mccloskeys books, the rhetoric of economics1985 and if youre so smart1990, have been widely discussed. A dose of mccloskey banishes the dismal from the dismal science. For a history of economics, see the article history of economic thought. The rhetorical studies of biology, economics, and mathematics over the past twenty years have used this tactic, reading even scientific texts rhetorically. A daily blog about all things linguistic by gretchen mcculloch. A guide to writing in economics prepared by paul dudenhefer, department of economics, duke university introduction 4 part i. A guide for harvard economics concentrators robert neugeboren with mireille jacobson.
Mccloskey is a distinguished affiliated fellow with the f. If economists would read jane austen or george orwell, or even adam smith or thomas schelling. This classic text on writing about economics as a discipline is. Still, mccloskey is certainly guilty of excessive generosity toward the authors she admires. Mccloskey is distinguished professor of economics, history, english, and communication at the university of illinois at chicago. Donald mccloskey was a great economic historian and teacher of chicago style price theory, while deirdre mccloskey is an outstanding critic of economic methodology.
Ziliak, with an introduction by him and a short preface by mccloskey measurement and meaning in economics. She is the author of numerous books, including bourgeois equality. Department of economics and of history, university of iowa. I kept the notes for many years and hopefully studied them as i attempted to become a passable writer. Apr 14, 2020 economic historian deirdre mccloskey, writing in the cambridge university press in 2004, argued that industrialization was certainly the most important event in the history of humanity since the. The chapters in this book address everything from the fundamental write in complete sentences to the nuanced make your writing cohere, with clear tips.
Shes also the distinguished professor of economics, history, english and communication at the university of illinois, chicago. The quality of your economic logic is what counts, not big words or complicated sentences. Her conversational and witty yet always clear style is a hallmark of her classic works of economic history. Nelson, allan megill, and others an institution and graduate program, the project on rhetoric of inquiry. Caldwell the university of north carolina at greensboro and a. Deirdre mccloskeys economical writing, originally aimed to help economists write better, is in this second edition clearly a book that should be read by scholars in every field. Donald mccloskey department of economics and of history, university of iowa. How ideas, not capital or institutions, enriched the world. In 1985, mccloskey published economical writing, a paper encouraging fellow economists to be more clear in their academic writing. The rhetoric of economics rhetoric of the human sciences. Eleanor birch, thomas borcherding, ross eckert, anthony english, clifford geertz, albert hirschman, linda kerber, charles kindleberger, meir kohn, david landes, much of the mccloskey family laura, helen, and joanne, joel mokyr, erin newton, much. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work.
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