Worldly Philosopher
chronicles the times and writings of Albert O. Hirschman, one of the twentieth century’s most original and provocative thinkers. In this gripping biography, Jeremy Adelman tells the story of a man shaped by modern horrors and hopes, a worldly intellectual who fought for and wrote in defense of the values of tolerance and change. This is the first major account of Hirschman’s remarkable life, and a tale of the twentieth century as seen through the story of an astute and passionate observer. Adelman’s riveting narrative traces how Hirschman’s personal experiences shaped his unique intellectual perspective, and how his enduring legacy is one of hope, open-mindedness, and practical idealism.
Awards and Recognition
Winner of the 2014 Joseph J. Spengler Best Book Prize, History of Economics Society
One of Bloomberg/Businessweek Best Books of 2013, selected by Ollie Rehn
One of Financial Times (Alphachat)'s Econ Books of the Year for 2013
One of The Guardian Best Books of 2013, chosen by Malcolm Gladwell
Honorable Mention for the 2013 PROSE Award in Biography & Autobiography, Association of American Publishers
Jeremy Adelman
is the Walter Samuel Carpenter III Professor of Spanish Civilization and Culture and director of the Council for International Teaching and Research at Princeton University. His books include
Worlds Together, Worlds Apart: A History of the World
and
Sovereignty and Revolution in the Iberian Atlantic
(Princeton).
"This is an exceptional book. Hirschman's intellectual and political journey is described with sharpness and perspicacity. Family life, cultural encounters, and the imprints of a lifetime highlight the importance and significance of one of the most creative intellectuals of the twentieth century, who had a profound influence on so many people around the world, including myself."—Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil
"From the dying days of the Weimar Republic to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Albert Hirschman was a witness to the political turbulence of the twentieth century, shaping its intellectual trajectory while resisting overarching theories and academic convention at every turn. Meticulously researched, gracefully written, and deeply moving, this biography shines a light on not only one of the most fertile minds of the century, but the entire political and intellectual history of the period."—Dani Rodrik, Harvard University
"
Worldly Philosopher
is a brilliant book. It is at once a thrilling story, an inspiring and melancholy intellectual biography, and a history of the shifting involvements of social science in twentieth-century public life."—Emma Rothschild, author of
The Inner Life of Empires: An Eighteenth-Century History
"Albert Hirschman is one of the most distinguished social scientists of the past half century. He has led an exciting and exemplary life, and Jeremy Adelman has researched and written an exhaustive biography. We are all in Adelman's debt for having followed Hirschman's journey, thoroughly and with sympathy."—Charles S. Maier, author of
Among Empires: American Ascendancy and Its Predecessors
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