Dealing with general economic theory, other than employment theory, the book discusses the theory of pure and monopolistic competition - with a special emphasis upon welfare aspects. Beginning with an analysis of the consumer and of the individual firm, the main stress is nevertheless placed on the analysis of the economic system as a whole.

The volume is divided into three parts: A: Economic Growth and Related Problems (covering international trade and economic integration, including a comparative study between Europe and America) B: Theoretical Welfare Economics (welfare propositions in economics, profit maximization and its implications and the Theory of Tariffs) C: Practical Welfare Economics (the price of economic progress, equity and international payments).

Economic Theory and Reality presents Tibor Scitovsky's latest thinking on the relationship between economic theory and economic reality. This volume features discussion of many of the important theoretical contributions made to economics over the last 40 years including the Keynesian revolution and the ideas of Lerner, Steindl, Hirsch, Frank and many others who extended and enhanced the economist's toolbox.Professor Scitovsky's attempt to make economic theory more realistic and thereby more useful is the subject of the first part of the volume which includes his work on the necessity of asymmetric markets, some market power and righteous behaviour as conditions of a progressive and properly functioning market economy. The second major theme is the shortcomings of the real-world economy and, in particular, its failure to maintain macroequilibrium, price stability and full employment. This part includes examinations of inflexible wages and prices, excessive claims, positional goods, and the impact of second-hand markets on the macroeconomy. Economic Theory and Reality improves access to Professor Scitovsky's most important recent work, much of which was originally published either in foreign languages or outside the mainstream literature. As well as improving our understanding of his approach to economics and the contributions which he has made to scholarship, this book addresses key questions about the relevance of economic theory and its future direction.

The union of Western Europe poses many complex and technical obstacles. Analysing the advantages as well as the difficulties, the book discusses competition and the nature and direction of the increased pressures it brings to bear upon entrepreneurial activity, through which the effects of economic union will mostly be felt.

This general introduction to the theory of money and of balance of payments adjustment was originally published in 1969. It was the first book to pay full attention to the theory of assets: the relation of the supply of assets to the demand for holding them and the significance of asset movements for balance of payments adjustment. Written in simple language and with brevity, the book is intended for the student with a general knowledge of economics and economic institutions, but with no specialised knowledge of these topics.

This general introduction to the theory of money and of balance of payments adjustment was originally published in 1969. It was the first book to pay full attention to the theory of assets: the relation of the supply of assets to the demand for holding them and the significance of asset movements for balance of payments adjustment. Written in simple language and with brevity, the book is intended for the student with a general knowledge of economics and economic institutions, but with no specialised knowledge of these topics.

Dealing with general economic theory, other than employment theory, the book discusses the theory of pure and monopolistic competition - with a special emphasis upon welfare aspects. Beginning with an analysis of the consumer and of the individual firm, the main stress is nevertheless placed on the analysis of the economic system as a whole.

The union of Western Europe poses many complex and technical obstacles. Analysing the advantages as well as the difficulties, the book discusses competition and the nature and direction of the increased pressures it brings to bear upon entrepreneurial activity, through which the effects of economic union will mostly be felt.

The volume is divided into three parts: A: Economic Growth and Related Problems (covering international trade and economic integration, including a comparative study between Europe and America) B: Theoretical Welfare Economics (welfare propositions in economics, profit maximization and its implications and the Theory of Tariffs) C: Practical Welfare Economics (the price of economic progress, equity and international payments).

Originally published in 1976, this classic work helped to establish the legitimacy of understanding economic behaviour in psychological terms. Its central theme was that, despite the economic abundance that Americans enjoyed in the mid-twentieth century, they were at heart dissatisfied with much of their lives. Mainstream economics could not account for this kind of reaction and Scitovsky sought to explain it in theories that combined economics with psychology. Scitovsky has revised the last chapter and added a new chapter dealing with some contemporary aspects. In addition, Robert Frank, author of Choosing the Right Pond (OUP, 1985) has written a foreword.

When this classic work was first published in 1976, its central tenet--more is not necessarily better--placed it in direct conflict with mainstream thought in economics. Within a few years, however, this apparently paradoxical claim was gaining wide acceptance. Scitovsky's ground-breaking book was the first to apply theories of behaviorist psychology to questions of consumer behavior and to do so in clear, non-technical language. Setting out to analyze the failures of our consumerist lifestyle, Scitovsky concluded that people's need for stimulation is so vital that it can lead to violence if not satisfied by novelty--whether in challenging work, art, fashion, gadgets, late-model cars, or scandal.
Though much of the book stands as a record of American post-war prosperity and its accompanying problems, the revised edition also takes into account recent social and economic changes. A new preface and a foreword by economist Robert Frank introduce some of the issues created by those changes and two revised chapters develop them, discussing among others the assimilation of counter-cultural ideas throughout American society, especially ideas concerning quality of life. Scitovsky draws fascinating connections between the new elite of college-educated consumers and the emergence of a growing underclass plagued by drugs and violence, perceptively tracing the reactions of these disparate groups to the problems of leisure and boredom.
In the wake of the so-called "decade of greed" and amidst calls for a "kindler, gentler" society, The Joyless Economy seems more timely than ever.