Person
Every book Steve Keen recommended on podcasts
Steve Keen appears as a guest on the Lex Fridman Podcast, where he discusses economic theory, capitalism, Marxism, and historical financial crises. As evident from his appearance, Keen is an economist who draws heavily upon both historical economic texts and speculative fiction to explain systemic vulnerabilities. When illustrating how natural ecosystems survive human collapse, Keen recommends George R. Stewart's science fiction novel Earth Abides. To analyze the historical recurrence of housing bubbles and economic debt, he recommends Richard Vague's A Brief History of Doom. Keen also engages in deep discussions regarding classical and political economics, critiquing David Ricardo's theories by comparing them unfavorably to Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations. Furthermore, he reflects on his academic background, recalling how he and university colleagues studied Karl Marx's Capital and discussed related philosophical texts such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's Phenomenology of Right, alongside specific details from Marx's Grundrisse regarding use value. Through these references, Keen connects macroeconomic history with foundational economic literature.
Books recommended by Steve Keen
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earth abides
Earth Abides by George R.
Recommended“and there's a wonderful science fiction book called the Earth abides about a world in which humans get wiped out there's only a tiny band left and then the Earth reasserts itself”
Where to get it
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A Brief History of Doom
A Brief History of Doom is a nonfiction economics book by Richard Vague that examines the history of major financial crises and debt accumulation, arguing that excessive private debt is the primary driver of economic collapses.
Recommended“so you had a housing bubble at the beginning of the 1920s which Richard vague covers beautifully in the uh brief history of Doom”
Where to get it
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Capital
Capital by Karl Marx is a foundational critique of political economy that analyzes the mechanics of capitalism, commodity production, and class exploitation.
Discussed“and we bunch of about 20 or 30 of us reading our way through marks Capal like what which volume one volume one capital”
Where to get it
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Grundrisse
Grundrisse by Karl Marx is a massive and influential collection of preliminary notebooks written in 1857 and 1858 that laid the theoretical groundwork for Das Kapital, focusing on the critique of political economy, capitalism, and production.
Discussed“and then on page 267 of the penguin edition of the grandr literally your memory one and a half pages long footnote”
Where to get it
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The phenomenology of spirit
Discussed“and Otto returned to Marx a copy of of hegel's phenomenal I think it's called phenomenology of right I haven't read it but that's the book”
Where to get it
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The Wealth of Nations
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith is a foundational economics text published in 1776 that explores the mechanics of free markets, division of labor, and the concept of the invisible hand.
Discussed“certainly rard I find totally like reading a cardboard cutout version of uh of the wealth of of The Wealth of Nations it's uh I find his worth trivial”
Where to get it
Books Steve Keen wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #303 – Steve Keen: Marxism, Capitalism, and Economics | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2022-07-17 | 12 |