Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950
Bruce Caldwell
(Author)
Hansjoerg Klausinger
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
A 2022 Economist Best Book of the Year. The definitive account of the distinguished economist's formative years. Few twentieth-century figures have been lionized and vilified in such equal measure as Friedrich Hayek--economist, social theorist, leader of the Austrian school of economics, and champion of classical liberalism. Hayek's erudite arguments in support of individualism and the market economy have attracted a devout following, including many at the levers of power in business and government. Critics, meanwhile, cast Hayek as the intellectual forefather of "neoliberalism" and of all the evils they associate with that pernicious doctrine. In Hayek: A Life, historians of economics Bruce Caldwell and Hansjörg Klausinger draw on never-before-seen archival and family material to produce an authoritative account of the influential economist's first five decades. This includes portrayals of his early career in Vienna; his relationships in London and Cambridge; his family disputes; and definitive accounts of the creation of The Road to Serfdom and of the founding meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society. A landmark work of history and biography, Hayek: A Life is a major contribution both to our cultural accounting of a towering figure and to intellectual history itself.
Product Details
Price
$57.50
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Publish Date
November 25, 2022
Pages
824
Dimensions
6.3 X 8.7 X 3.1 inches | 2.9 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9780226816821
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Become an affiliateAbout the Author
Bruce Caldwell is research professor of economics and the director of the Center for the History of Political Economy at Duke University. He is the general editor of the Collected Works of F. A. Hayek series, also published by the University of Chicago Press. Hansjoerg Klausinger is associate professor emeritus in the Department of Economics at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
Reviews
"Admirers and opponents of Hayek alike will find much to savor in this deeply researched, sweeping biography. Even readers who well know Hayek and his times will be enlightened and enriched."--Jennifer Burns, author of 'Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right'
"A magnificent achievement. Caldwell and Klausinger bring Hayek alive; they also bring his world alive. This is riveting reading, taken as biography, and it's much more than that. It casts a bright new light on Hayek's era, and on our own."--Cass R. Sunstein, coauthor of 'Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness'
"Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is a triumph of both scholarship and biography. Caldwell and Klausinger have given us an instant classic, sure to stimulate and enrich debates about this most controversial, and still misunderstood, economist and social philosopher."--Joel Isaac, author of 'Working Knowledge: Making the Human Sciences from Parsons to Kuhn'
"Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is brilliant, comprehensive, and engaging. For any historian, social scientist, or philosopher interested in how ideas shaped the twentieth century and how the events of the twentieth century framed intellectual discourse, this is a must-read."--Peter Boettke, author of 'Living Economics: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow'
"By far the most careful and comprehensive treatment of his early life and works, Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is an invaluable resource, full of remarkable discoveries."--Angus Burgin, author of 'The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets since the Depression'
"An engrossing story . . . [and] as detailed an account of the first half of Hayek's life as anyone could ask for."-- "Literary Review"
"A propulsive read. The authors are expert guides to Hayek's intellectual evolution. . . . [but] they are also perceptive guides to Hayek's private life. . . . Caldwell and Klausinger have triumphantly succeeded."-- "Prospect"
"The story, presented here with more detail than anyone has previously unfolded, is a simple and tragic one. . . . [Hayek's] was a spectacular achievement, but one, in the end, that could not have been made by a gregarious man of deep friendships and profound personal commitments."-- "Times Literary Supplement"
"A fascinating, readable biography of Friedrich Hayek. . . The book punctures some long-standing myths about Hayek . . . [and] deserves a wide audience."-- "The Economist"
A 2022 Notable Book-- "Seminary Co-Op"
"In mind-stunning detail . . . Caldwell and Klausinger tell everything about Hayek's youth you wanted to know but were afraid to ask."--Deirdre Nansen McCloskey "Reason Magazine"
"Excellently researched . . . this biography offers exciting insights."-- "Der Standard (Austria)"
"One of the best biographies of any economist, covers anything you might wish to know, and with conceptual understanding. This is a fantastic book."-- "Marginal Revolution"
"No one is likely to repeat this feat. . . . This is the definitive Hayek for our times."--Robert Skidelsky "Spectator"
"As the authors state, they intended this to be the definitive biography and they have achieved this ambition."-- "The Enlightened Economist"
"The Hayek who emerges from this text is somewhat of a charming loner who maintained distance between himself and all but a small number of individuals . . . The fullness of Caldwell and Klausinger's picture of Hayek's life and ideas owes much to their comprehensive study of primary sources." -- "Law & Liberty"
"A magnificent achievement. Caldwell and Klausinger bring Hayek alive; they also bring his world alive. This is riveting reading, taken as biography, and it's much more than that. It casts a bright new light on Hayek's era, and on our own."--Cass R. Sunstein, coauthor of 'Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness'
"Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is a triumph of both scholarship and biography. Caldwell and Klausinger have given us an instant classic, sure to stimulate and enrich debates about this most controversial, and still misunderstood, economist and social philosopher."--Joel Isaac, author of 'Working Knowledge: Making the Human Sciences from Parsons to Kuhn'
"Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is brilliant, comprehensive, and engaging. For any historian, social scientist, or philosopher interested in how ideas shaped the twentieth century and how the events of the twentieth century framed intellectual discourse, this is a must-read."--Peter Boettke, author of 'Living Economics: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow'
"By far the most careful and comprehensive treatment of his early life and works, Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is an invaluable resource, full of remarkable discoveries."--Angus Burgin, author of 'The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets since the Depression'
"An engrossing story . . . [and] as detailed an account of the first half of Hayek's life as anyone could ask for."-- "Literary Review"
"A propulsive read. The authors are expert guides to Hayek's intellectual evolution. . . . [but] they are also perceptive guides to Hayek's private life. . . . Caldwell and Klausinger have triumphantly succeeded."-- "Prospect"
"The story, presented here with more detail than anyone has previously unfolded, is a simple and tragic one. . . . [Hayek's] was a spectacular achievement, but one, in the end, that could not have been made by a gregarious man of deep friendships and profound personal commitments."-- "Times Literary Supplement"
"A fascinating, readable biography of Friedrich Hayek. . . The book punctures some long-standing myths about Hayek . . . [and] deserves a wide audience."-- "The Economist"
A 2022 Notable Book-- "Seminary Co-Op"
"In mind-stunning detail . . . Caldwell and Klausinger tell everything about Hayek's youth you wanted to know but were afraid to ask."--Deirdre Nansen McCloskey "Reason Magazine"
"Excellently researched . . . this biography offers exciting insights."-- "Der Standard (Austria)"
"One of the best biographies of any economist, covers anything you might wish to know, and with conceptual understanding. This is a fantastic book."-- "Marginal Revolution"
"No one is likely to repeat this feat. . . . This is the definitive Hayek for our times."--Robert Skidelsky "Spectator"
"As the authors state, they intended this to be the definitive biography and they have achieved this ambition."-- "The Enlightened Economist"
"The Hayek who emerges from this text is somewhat of a charming loner who maintained distance between himself and all but a small number of individuals . . . The fullness of Caldwell and Klausinger's picture of Hayek's life and ideas owes much to their comprehensive study of primary sources." -- "Law & Liberty"