Our elusive quest for prosperity: A brief history of economic thought

David Castells-Quintana

2021. g. sept. · Servei de Publicacions de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Par šo e-grāmatu

We all want to have a prosperous life. We want to be happy. The pursuit of prosperity has indeed been a long quest for the human race. But what does it mean to be prosperous? Is it having material possessions such as clothes, furniture and electrical appliances? Or jewellery, cars and property? We want a vast range of things. We also crave new experiences, whether it’s playing sport, going to the cinema or traveling to new places. And we usually want it all; the more the better. And often, all is not enough.

In 'Our Elusive Quest for Prosperity', David Castells-Quintana brings together, in a brief and easy-to-read book, centuries of economic thought: from the ideas of past empires and civilizations, the economic thinking of medieval times, the lessons of classical economists, Marxism, neoclassical economics and Keynesianism, to the neoliberal revolution and the most important contributions of modern times. All to help us understand the meaning of true wealth, the way we collectively work to achieve it, and the challenges we face in our elusive quest for shared prosperity and individual welfare.

Par autoru

David Castells-Quintana (Bogotá, 1980) is a PhD in Economics from the University of Barcelona. He has more than ten years’ experience publishing for both the scientific community and the general public. He is an expert in economic development and international affairs, and is passionate about the history of economic thought. In recent years, he has researched, taught and written extensively on the global challenges facing humanity, including extreme poverty and inequality, political decline and ecological collapse. He is currently professor at the Department of Applied Economics of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. You can find out more about him on his website: https://sites.google.com/site/davidcastellsquintana/home