When I was a green undergraduate sociology student, John Kenneth Galbraith's book "The New Industrial State" was required reading for the "Economics & Society" course. I don't know why it has always stayed with me, but it did spark an enduring interest in the broader issues involved in economic theory and economic history. I also think because Galbraith never used mathematics in his books to make points, it made it easier for me to understand and digest, at least it was for my non-math inclined mind. I also remember marvelling at the beautifully crafted language he used, and a touch of humour not often found in set text books.I would love to see the BBC series made on "The Age of Uncertainty", which screened in 1977, way before cable or satellite TV reached my shores from Britain. But I did buy the book and translated the main chunks for a radio series.
There is a marvellous obituary documentary piece by Paul Salmon of the PBS News Hour here. Galbraith's Wikipedia entry is here.
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