A Critical History of Economics

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

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2. Introduction

   • John Mills

   Pages 1-12

3. Economic Theory

   • John Mills

   Pages 13-39

4. The Pre-Industrial World

   • John Mills

   Pages 40-58

5. Classical Economics

   • John Mills

   Pages 59-82

6. Dissent

   • John Mills

   Pages 83-108

7. Technical Development

   • John Mills

   Pages 109-131

8. The Keynesian Revolution

   • John Mills

   Pages 132-151

9. Hard Money

   • John Mills

   Pages 152-174

10. Economics and the Future

    • John Mills

    Pages 175-192

11. Back Matter

    Pages 193-226

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John Mills provides a critical survey of the way economics has developed. He argues that the main goal of economics ought to be to show how to achieve a combination of economic growth, full employment, low inflation, avoidance of extreme poverty and sustainability. That it has failed to do so is neither inevitable nor accidental. It has failed because of a combination of intellectual error and the effects of social and political pressure, which Mills claims could and should have been avoided.

• development
• economic growth
• economic theory
• economics
• employment
• growth
• Inflation
• money
• poverty
• sustainability

JOHN MILLS is an economist who has spent all his working life running companies involved in making and selling consumer products. He thus combines a theoretical background in economics with years of practical experience in international business. He is currently responsible for the budget of a major London borough. He has written on his own, or with others, six books and many pamphlets and articles on economics and related subjects.

Policies and ethics