An Economist's Miscellany

Philosophy has to be deductive, poetry romantic, plays and fi ction humorous and politics intriguing if they are to catch my attention , writes Kaushik Basu. All these interests are on display in An Economist s Miscellany, which brings together an eclectic collection of multidisciplinary writings on the world of academe, politics, and policy. Basu sweeps a vast canvas, from recession and the global fi nancial crises, foreign policy, scams, to art and commerce, religion, and sexuality. He offers unique glimpses of his inner world his excitement and trepidation on moving from academics to the world of bureaucracy and policy; his thoughts on his mother turning 90; and persons, ideas, and books that have infl uenced him. An Economist s Miscellany also puts on display his literary forays translations of two Bengali short stories and a four-act play. The stories are hilarious and yet have scathing social content, one illustrating the intricacies of moneylending and the debt trap and the other providing a critique of religious obscurantism and bigotry. The play, light-hearted and facetious, presents a slice of everyday life in an academic setting. Basu has written extensively on diverse fi elds of economics and, more generally, the social sciences. This collection displays the full range of his wisdom and humour, and above all his celebration of everyday human follies and foibles. Memoir, travel writing, fi ction, essays, and games, they are all here, and will give readers not just the pleasure of reading but also ideas and riddles to ponder over.