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An omnibus of Galbraith

This is one of a series of books on Economics to be treasured, not only for the knowledge it disseminates so wisely and widely, but because of Galbraith's eloquence, wit and profundity. A review of  an omnibus of Galbraith's works Galbraith wrote most of his books in the 1970s and early 1980s.  The price of his books, then averaging R15, tells you a lot about the passing of time.  My many reviews of his published works at that time reveal that I enjoyed them too much to be properly critical. But enjoyment is only part of the treasure that Galbraith offers us.  His ideas on economics and geopolitics were the foremost of his day. . .  even if he, and his liberals views, were not popular either with contemporary economists or politicians. His economic philosophy is as relevant,  perhaps more relevant, today than it was in the last century.  [Other contemporaneous reviews of his memoirs and several other books can be found under 'Book R|eviews']    The Galbraith Reader Selected and arranged by the editors of Gambit published by Andre Deutsch, 1979    Here is a most felicitous marriage of author, editors, and indeed several publishers who have permitted this well-timed omnibus of John Kenneth Galbraith's works. The style, the wit and, no doubt, wisdom of J K G cried out for selection of his works. The style alone projects a personality which most of us would like to know - indeed, feel we do know. How apt, then, that his editors should demonstrate the same traits. They do so by inviting us to settle down with a heavy book whose heart is filled with political economic theory - then open wlth a paragraph which says:  "Perhaps the greatest strength of the editors of this collection is the degree of their ignorance of its subject matter. We knew we didn't know anything in this volume about economics, but we thought we knew what we liked and that that would be sufficient. . . ." The pupils have learned well from the master. Their opening statement may be relaxing, but it is also beguiling. The style, the wit, and perhaps the wisdom of the editors ultimately leaves one with a confident feeling that they know exactly what they are doing. Indeed, their own style is so good that one is almost lulled into unquestioning acceptance of their selections. Almost, but not quite.  Why the hell did they fail to quote from "The Age of Uncertainty"? Is it because this work was too "pop"? Too exposed on TV? Too much of a pot-boiler of more thoughtful writing? Surely these urbane editors are not snobs?  Perhaps there are other answers. Despite their lapse, sample dips support what I stated at the outset: the editors appear to know exactly what they are about. They describe their operation thus: "Unlike many academic economists Galbraith's career has included a considerable variety of professions: writer   and journalist, bureaucrat, diplomat, economist and teacher. (His) writings have provided our highly industrialised and capitalistic world with a new understanding of its ailments and inconsistencies and in so doing pointed to a cure;  but they are interspersed with reports and accounts derived from his varied experience, all of which has enlarged and supplemented his economic view."  So the editors see Galbraith's work in three sections. The first is made up of those books that set forth the broad sweep of a unified and coherent critique of 20th-century society in terms of politico-economics. This group includes "American Capitalism," "The Affluent Society," "The New Industrial State"and "Economics and the Public Purpose."  The second group consists of "The Great Crash (1929)" and "Money." The editors say: "To us it seems as if the author himself like Antaeus felt the need, after dealing so much in large principle's and the entirety of the socio-economic structure, to touch base - to fortify both himself and his readers with a much more detailed and intimate analysis of the workings of the more central organs of his body of thought" .  The third group is less theoretical and more personal. The selections in this area mirror more of Galbraith - the teacher, writer, rover and man. It is in this third group that this omnibus of Galbraith's writing is most promising. Selections include "holiday writing," satire, and some occasional introspection. The extracts are from "Triumph," "Ambassador\'s Journal," "China Passage?, "The Scotch," among others.   You will gather from this omnibus that Galbraith is a compulsive writer and often does best in his busiest moments,.   "China Passage," for instance, was the result of three weeks of steady, unremitting lecturing, discussing, interviewing, sightseeing, banqueting, travelling and observing without let-up, through thousand miles by traIn and by car from Peking (Beijing) to Hangchow.   "Only Queen Elizabeth could have expected to survive such an ordeal," comment the editors.    But she wouldn't have written a book about it immediately afterwards.  Only a reporter or compulsive writer does that.  And a compulsive reader of Galbraith would want listed his two most readable books - which fail to get a mention in the omnibus categories. These are: Age of Uncertainty  and Annals of an Abiding Liberal. [See Book Reviews Galbraith]

 

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