Bo Södersten from Left to Right

This book explores the economic work and legacy of Bo Södersten. While best known internationally for his textbook International Economics, Södersten’s influence stretches well beyond this. Through his academic work and newspaper articles, he covered a wide spectrum of topics that often challenged conventional wisdom. By examining his work on housing, the labor-managed economy, development economics, nuclear power, childcare, and higher education, a full view of his diverse work is presented.

This book aims to provide insight into the motivations and impact of Bo Södersten during each phase of his life: his academic career, his political life, and his time as a debater-provocateur. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in Swedish economics, the history of economic thought, and international economics.

“Mats Lundahl has written a wonderful book about one of the most charismatic Swedish intellectuals of the 20th century. Professor Bo Södersten made an imprint in different arenas of society. His career as an academic, which included many fierce academic fights, peaked with his famous textbook in international economics. As a politician he became Member of Parliament for the Social Democrats but failed to become a minister despite trying hard. Lundahl’s book gives the reader an understanding of how the requirements for a political career differ from requirements in the academic world. Finally, Bo’s career as a public intellectual, arguably his main contribution, is laid out in full. He was a prolific writer of newspaper articles and essays. Lundahl’s book describes the many economic and political issues that Bo addressed with his sharp mind and pen. It is a treat to be reminded about the different policy issues that were both on the Swedish agenda over the years and on how well Bo managed to write about them. But the book is also about Sweden. It shows the social and economic development taking place in Sweden over a lifetime, through the work of a true intellectual who was very much part of the transition. I highly recommend this volume.”

—Fredrik Sjöholm, Professor of Economics and CEO at the Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm

"In the official history of the University of Gothenburg, the years from 1971 to 1977 at the economics department, when Bo Södersten was professor there, are described as follows: ‘The department of economics was characterized by strong ideological tensions. A group of students and teachers appeared who were strongly convinced that economics can be used for the achievement of a more fundamental and complete understanding of society. Several of them had a Marxist orientation.’

I was one of those who shared this ‘Marxist orientation’ and Bo Södersten was the protagonist of the opposite side in this conflict. Today, I have understood that his criticism was beneficial for us. We had to sharpen our arguments and make our criticism of mainstream economics more stringent.

Mats Lundahl has written a very thorough and lively story of my old favorite enemy Bo Södersten, a story which also brings to life the ideological march of the Swedish Social Democracy from Socialism to socially embedded capitalism."  

—Johan Lönnroth, Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg, Ex-Vice President of the Swedish Left Party

“Some people’s personalities are so strong that their effect on people around them lingers long after they are gone. Bo Södersten was such a person. He was born into a miner’s family in the early 1930s but climbed the social ladder by becoming professor of economics, Member of Parliament and a prolific policy debater and essayist. Along the way, he upset many people with his sometimes ferocious attacks. But he also created deep friendships through his warmth, wit and strong loyalty. Mats Lundahl has written a wonderful book about this extraordinary person. He writes: ‘Bo Södersten in a sense was larger than life. He was the kind of person that everybody loved to tell stories about, half of which cannot be printed.’ Well, if you want to know the half that can be printed, you should read this book.”

—Karolina Ekholm, Professor of Economics, Stockholm University and Director General, Swedish National Debt Office

Mats Lundahl is Professor emeritus of Development Economics at the Stockholm School of Economics, where he held his chair between 1987 and 2013.