In the era of huge national deficits and concerns over a balanced budget, Ms. Nasar’s book couldn’t be more timely. Grand Pursuit, is the story of the science of economics – and how the human race has benefited (and suffered) as a result of the beliefs concerning government actions and its effects.

The book opens in the year 1842 in Charles Dickens’ London. Dickens himself set out to awaken men’s souls to the hardships of the working class in the hopes that something would be done to ease their plight. Nasar shows us how two schools of thought (socialism and capitalism) emerged and how, over time, they were tweaked and molded to serve various countries’ interests.

Nasar’s writing style is simply wonderful. She takes on the history of a science and makes a fascinating story out of it. Not only does she have a mastery of the subject, her research on the time periods she covers is so thorough, it enables her to connect people. places and events in a compelling and readable manner.

One thing that came across in Grand Pursuit was how reactionary the application of the science has been throughout history. In my opinion, the problem with this is that our system is so complex, those that seek to influence the direction of an economy must be aware of all the variables in place (a virtual impossibility) before taking action. At best, we can hope that our lawmakers and fiscal policy setters have a real understanding of economics before they fiddle with anything. Seeing our legislators appeal to the public for approval on budget cuts or tax increases, makes me doubtful that they have such an understanding (because the public, certainly does not). Perhaps Grand Pursuit will become required reading in high school. One can only hope…