A Guide for the Young Economist
"Good economic theory mixes rigorous mathematical reasoning with intuitive motivations and stories, which can make the task of presenting or evaluating cutting-edge research a treacherous balancing act. In this one-of-a-kind essay, Thomson offers an armful of good advice and tricks of the trade to economists young and old, lest any of them forget that a bad container can spoil its contents." Hervé Moulin, Department of Economics, Rice University"ThisGuideshould be read by every young economist under the age of 90...The book is truly beautifully written...BUY THIS BOOK!" Daniel S. Hamermesh, University of Texas at Austin and NBER Southern Economic Journal"Thomson provides a solid, in-depth introduction to some of the most important aspects of writing and presenting economic reports and papers, which will be particularly valuable to graduate students, new faculty, and professionals wishing to present their research in a clear, effective manner." D. O. Lee, Mississippi State University CHOICE"How many times have valuable contributions to scholarship—written and oral—been compromised because of inadequate communication? This is far less likely to happen if economists read and think about the issues discussed in William Thomson's book." John Pencavel, Department of Economics, Stanford University"The quintessence of the French mind—precision, concision, eleganceas it should be, Pascal rather than Derrida. Everyone who knows William Thomson knows that he is not only a great economist but also a master expositor, be it in his papers and books or in his talks. In this book, he shares his remarkable know-how with us young and not-so-young economists." Maurice Salles, Professor of Economics, Université de Caen, and Coordinating Editor, Social Choice and Welfare"William Thomson has always cared a lot for his and all our students. A Guide for the Young Economist is full of his caring wisdom which many young--and many not so young--economists will definitely benefit from."--Murat Sertel, Department of Economics, Turkish Academy of Sciences, Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Economic Design