Ronald Coase

Ronald Coase (1910–2013) was a towering figure of twentieth-century economic thought. From Willesden to Chicago, his output over a lengthy and prolific career advanced the academic discipline of economics. He also significantly contributed to the development of related branches of learning, such as jurisprudence, politics, organization studies, and history. In particular, his research has given rise to a massive literature on transaction costs, the theory of the firm, and what has become known as the Coase theorem. But Coase’s influence is also apparent elsewhere, including the economics of public utilities and of broadcasting; the theory of monopoly; the economics of public goods; law and economics; and the economics of property rights. Furthermore, he also published major works on the economic analysis of free speech, the history of economic thought, and in various areas of applied economics, including transformation policies and economic reform in China.

Now, to help advanced students and researchers make sense of Coase’s legacy, Routledge announces a new title in its Critical Assessments of Contemporary Economists series. Edited by Matthias Klaes, Ronald Coase brings together in four volumes the foundational and the very best cutting-edge assessments of Coase’s scholarship, and related concepts and themes. It is an essential collection and is certain to be recognized as a vital one-stop resource.