Historian Peter Clarke provides a timely and masterful account of the life and work of John Maynard Keynes, whose ideas inspired the New Deal and helped rebuild world economies after World War II . Called the "place to begin if you want to understand the economist's personality and charisma" by the New York Times, this insightful, compact text brings Keynes's genius and skepticism alive for an era fraught with economic difficulties that he surely would have relished solving.

Praise for Keynes:

"Clarke has made a contribution to the sociology of knowledge-to the way great ideas are created-that often eludes many of those who write about and sometimes worship Keynes."-Columbia Journalism Review

"There are lessons aplenty to be drawn from Clarke's recitation of the facts of Keynes's life and thought-not least the lunacy of cutting government spending in tough times. A useful, timely primer."-Kirkus Reviews