Books

First edition of the economist's masterpiece, with a rare autographed letter by Keynes laid in. Octavo, original cloth. The signed letter from Keynes, with his 46 Gordon Square Bloomsbury letterhead, was sent the month following the publication of the General Theory. Keynes wrote to the recipient, "Dear Captain Humberstone, I am sorry that I was not free when you called this morning, but I am happy to sign your manifesto, and return signed copy herewith. Yours truly, J. M. Keynes." The recipient, Thomas Lloyd Humberstone was an academic at the University of London, who campaigned on the subject of education and related Liberal political issues; he published University Reform in London in 1926, with a preface by H. G. Wells. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Rare and desirable in this condition and with the signed letter. The General Theory ranks with Smith's Wealth of Nations as an intellectual event and with Malthus' Essay on Population as a guide for public policy. The London Review of Books has grouped The General Theory among the glories of modern publishing, edited with exemplary authority and lack of fuss. Many innovations of The General Theory remain central to modern macroeconomics. It was placed on Time's 2001 top one-hundred non-fiction books written in English since 1923 and The Times Literary Supplement 100 greatest books of the twentieth century.

John Maynard Keynes' groundbreaking work established the framework for contemporary macroeconomic theory. It analyses the causes of fluctuating employment levels and proposes interventions to stabilize the economy.