The Theory of Political Economy
Originally published in 1871, The Theory of Political Economy was the first text to introduce the concept of utility theory into economics and the use of calculus as a way to simplify and present economic problems. In this classic work Jevons re-formulated the central problem of economics as one of how to maximise overall utility with a set amount of means of production. Utility expressed as a function became the basis of the a new theory of value which substantially differs from the classical political economists' labour theory of value. Drawing on his roots in the natural sciences Jevons revolutionised the tools and methods associated with political economy and kick-started the metamorphosis of the discipline. A century after its original publication The Theory of Political Economy continues to exert its influence in the teaching and study of modern economics. This re-issued classic contains a new introduction by Dr Harro Maas who explores the rich contextual history of Jevons and the Theory and the continued influence it has on modern day economics.
Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.
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What the reading experience may hold
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Nonfiction
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Balanced tone · Measured pace
A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.
A good fit if…
Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.
This book's DNA
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Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc
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A quick reading snapshot
Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.
- ISBN-13
- 978-0-3418-2885-3
- Language
- English
- Edition record
- OL32484110M
A more thoughtful way into this book
This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.
A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.
Begin with its place in Nonfiction, then notice where the book resists that label.
Read for connection, not completion.
Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.
Three questions to carry with you
- Whose perspective organizes the story, and whose perspective remains outside it?
- Which sources or lived experiences carry the author’s central argument?
- How does the book change the way you understand its larger subject?
Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.
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