Overview
- Offers the first intellectual biography of the Anglo Australian economist, Colin Clark
- Argues that Clark was the first economist to derive the concept of GNP
- States that Clark wandered through the fields of applied economics in much the same way as he rambled through the English countryside and the Australian bush
Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of Economic Thought (PHET)
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About this book
This book offers the first intellectual biography of the Anglo Australian economist, Colin Clark. Despite taking the economics world by storm with a mercurial ability for statistical analysis, Clark’s work has been largely overlooked in the 30 years since his death. His career was punctuated by a number of firsts. He was the first economist to derive the concept of GNP, the first to broach development economics and to foresee the re-emergence of India and China within the global economy. In 1945, he predicted the rise and persistence of inflation when taxation levels exceeded 25 per cent of GNP. And he was also the first economist to debunk post-war predictions of mass hunger by arguing that rapid population growth engendered economic development. Clark wandered through the fields of applied economics in much the same way as he rambled through the English countryside and the Australian bush. His imaginative wanderings qualify him as the eminent gypsy economist for the 20thcentury.
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Keywords
Table of contents (19 chapters)
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Front Matter
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1905–1937 The Makings of an Applied Economist
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Front Matter
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1937–1952 Australian Idyll
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1953–1969 A Gypsy Scholar at Oxford
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Front Matter
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Reviews
“This biography is a most illuminating account of Clark and his work, the man and his times, and provides comprehensive assessment of his many economic contributions. The picture painted is of a most stimulating and heterodox thinker, a man who had no formal training in economics or economic methodology, and a man who revelled being annoying!” (Adrian Darnell, EH Net, eh.net, April, 2022)
“This book is a very interesting read and a significant resource for the historian interested in the history of economic thought, Australian economic history and Catholic politics. It offers insights into an academically gifted and productive contributor to Australian and global economics. It is well worth the read and would contribute … the quagmire of academic and bureaucratic politics in London and the Antipodes during the larger part of the twentieth century.” (David Gilchrist, Australian Historical Studies, April 4, 2022)
“The work draws upon a wide array of source material from public and private archives, extensive interviews and Clark’s personal papers. The quality of the writing is impressive and while Millmow is generally sympathetic to Clark, the book is not a hagiography. … The Gypsy Economist is an important contribution to the history of economic thought and to the history of ideas in the twentieth century. It is a pleasure to read and is highly recommended.” (Selwyn Cornish, History Australia, March 31, 2022)
“This book is a very interesting read and a significant resource for the historian interested in the history of economic thought, Australian economic history and Catholic politics. It offers insights into an academically gifted and productive contributor to Australian and global economics. It is well worth the read and would contribute … the quagmire of academic and bureaucratic politics in London and the Antipodes during the larger part of the twentieth century.” (David Gilchrist, Australian Historical Studies, April 4, 2022)
“The work draws upon a wide array of source material from public and private archives, extensive interviews and Clark’s personal papers. The quality of the writing is impressive and while Millmow is generally sympathetic to Clark, the book is not a hagiography. … The Gypsy Economist is an important contribution to the history of economic thought and to the history of ideas in the twentieth century. It is a pleasure to read and is highly recommended.” (Selwyn Cornish, History Australia, March 31, 2022)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Alex Millmow was formerly an associate professor in economics at Federation University Australia where he is now an honorary research fellow. He is also an honorary research fellow at the School of History, Australian National University. He is currently President of the History of Economic Thought Society of Australia. His last book was A History of Australasian Economic Thought IN 2017.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Gypsy Economist
Book Subtitle: The Life and Times of Colin Clark
Authors: Alex Millmow
Series Title: Palgrave Studies in the History of Economic Thought
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6946-7
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore
eBook Packages: Economics and Finance, Economics and Finance (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2021
Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-33-6945-0Published: 12 March 2021
Softcover ISBN: 978-981-33-6948-1Published: 13 March 2022
eBook ISBN: 978-981-33-6946-7Published: 11 March 2021
Series ISSN: 2662-6578
Series E-ISSN: 2662-6586
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XX, 396
Number of Illustrations: 6 b/w illustrations
Topics: History of Economic Thought/Methodology, Economic History, Development Economics