The Visionary Realism of German Economics: From the Thirty Years’ War to the Cold War

The Visionary Realism of German Economics forms a collection of Erik S. Reinert’s essays bringing the more realistic German economic tradition into focus as an alternative to Anglo-Saxon neoclassical mainstream economics.

‘Almost but not quite alone, Erik Reinert has for decades tended the flame of an economics based on history and the urban, industrial, developmental state. These essays assemble his prodigious scholarship on the German tradition, a labor of love and dedication with enduring relevance, especially in today’s Europe, dominated by a Germany alienated from centuries of her own ideas.’ - James K. Galbraith, Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. Chair in Government/Business Relations, LBJ School of Public Affairs, and Professor of Government, University of Texas at Austin, USA, and Author of The End of Normal: The Great Crisis and the Future of Growth

‘Erik Reinert’s 20 essays on three centuries of German economics are a remarkable work of scholarship by an outside observer. They highlight the focus on the role of the state and on development as well as the less abstract methodology and the interdisciplinary tradition as distinguishing characteristics. The book is strongly recommended to every reader longing for an economics which is not only rigorous but also relevant for solving the problems of the real world.’ - Harald Hagemann, Professor of Economic Theory, University of Hohenheim, Germany