The author's prose reads like poetry. The discussions about the particular economist, transition extremely well from who the person was to what the person thought. A particular implication is made that the personality of the economist deeply impacted the not only the thought process of the economist's theories, but also what those theories were and became.
Some chapters are mostly dedicated to a particular economist. Few chapters are divided up between many different economists and some background information about the general theories. The book has many important lessons such as the economic theories, but the most important is bringing to light some economist that have impacted economics but are not heard of as much as others.
Through out most of the book, the author expounds theories in what they are. Accepting them all. Only sometimes does the author show disagreement with the theories and doing a great job at explaining how the economists disagreed among themselves. It would have been better if the author had dedicated a section of each chapter to explaining what it wrong with the theories presented, or at least were the theories fail as those lessons help create an understanding of what is still needed to be learned and figured out.
The diversity of economists that the author presents is expansive, but it is also lacking. It is understandable that not all economists can fit into a short book, and the author did a great job selecting different types of economic theories to present, but all the economists are Western, more specifically European and North American. It would have added a lot of value to find a few or at least 1 economist from Asia. The West is not the only section of the planet that has a great history and economic thought, Asia's history and culture impacted the way their economists analyzed the world in different ways then the West's did. ( )

Одна из лучших книг, которых я читал за всю жизнь. Автор мастерски описал социо-экономические революции произошедшие за всю историю человечества, но самое главное автор указал, кто смог проанализировать и описать данные революции, а иногда даже предсказать их. Каждая глава имеет историю о великом экономисте, его жизненном пути, а также как он пришел к своей великой идее. Каждая глава начинается с вопроса и отвечает на него, но в процессе ответа, задает след. вопрос. Книга имеет 10 глав, и подводит читателя к пику книги - что будет дальше с Миром? Что будет дальше с экономикой? Я считаю, книга обязательна к прочтению любому человеку. Она поможет понять, почему мир такой как он есть.

( )

This is history of when what we call economics was still part of philosophy, with some more recent economists too. Each one is worth knowing about.

Later, in 2023, I learn that the seventh and last edition of Worldly Philosophers included a new chapter, chapter 11, titled "The End of Worldly Philosophy?". It discusses "end" in both of its possible meanings, as termination, and as purpose or goal.

Heilbroner mentions how economics has become very mathematical, with lots of numbers and theories. That's fine, he thinks. What disturbs him, though, is economists who believe their field is a science like physics. Humans, with our free will and emotions, and ethics, and values can't be described in the same way that, say, electrons can.

He hopes for an economics that more and more realizes that it is linked to politics more than to physics, and one that realizes it is not value-free, an economics with a sense of social responsibility. ( )

Buen repaso de los grandes economistas, con una buena descripción de época donde se desarrollan esas ideas y que en muchos supuestos las explican y le dan sustento ( )

Uncritical and sometimes innacurate or at least tendecious account of a mixed selection of economist and fringe charaltans. Don't really see much value in this as it's all very superficial and willl not give you any grasp of the presented economists ideas. ( )