Book Description

This is a welcome biography of Edgeworth. Peter Groenewegen, Economic History Review Barbè s book is bound to become the bibliographical reference on Edgeworth. Alberto Baccini, Storia del Pensiero Economico This biography is especially welcome in providing a considerable amount of fresh information about Edgeworth s life and background. From the preface by John Creedy, University of Melbourne, Australia Lluís Barbé has recreated the background and life of Francis Ysidro Edgeworth through a fascinating reconstruction that succeeds in shaping the first detailed biography ever published of this major economist and statistician. Originating from previously unexplored letters and documents stored in archives and registers in Ireland, England and Catalonia, Edgeworth s relationships with his academic fellows including Sully, Jevons, Marshall, Galton, Pearson, Walras, Pantaleoni, Fisher, Pareto, Keynes are meticulously depicted. Stemming from undiscovered primary sources, this book also reveals a detailed insight into the academic world of the period 1875 1925 in the fields of economics and statistics. With a descriptive survey of Edgeworth s work, this book will prove a captivating read for academics and postgraduate students in economic analysis, the history of economic thought and the history of statistics. Anyone with an interest in Francis Ysidro Edgeworth s life should also read this book.