A review of Defending the History of Economic Thought by someone who is not involved in the issues and therefore sees the common sense point of the book and its arguments.

The Economic Studies Shelf
Defending The History Of Economic Thought Steven Kates
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815 http://www.e-elgar.com
9781848448209, $99.95, http://www.amazon .com

The principle focus of “Defending the History of Economic Thought” is the crucial importance of the history of economic thought in the study of economics itself; without its history at the core of the curriculum, academician and economist Steven Kates (School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia) persuasively contends that economics is “a lesser subject, less penetrating, less interesting and of much less social value” . A 160 page treatise, “Defending The History Of Economic Thought” is organized and presented in five major chapters (Preliminary thoughts; Why study the history of economic thought; Debating the role of the history of economic thought; Teaching the history of economic thought; and Defending the history of economic thought. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, “Defending The History Of Economic Thought” is enhanced with an bibliography and a comprehensive index, making it an impressive contribution to professional and academic library Economic Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.