'Keynes' profile accessible even for casual observer

KEYNES: The Rise, Fall, and Return of the 20th Century's Most Influential Economist. By Peter Clarke. Bloomsbury. 211 pages. $20.00

John Maynard Keynes. Invoking mention of the man's work conjures myriad thoughts for anyone who has studied economics, and perhaps even for those who are utterly unfamiliar with the Briton's role in shaping the world as we know it today.

It is, after all, the handiwork of this flamboyant, champagne-sipping "dismal scientist" that many historians point to as the "fix" that saved the American economy from the Great Depression vis-a-vis the New Deal. And it was those same principles that helped rebuild economies the world over in the wake of World War II.

Those principles are most noticeably brought to light today by the corrective measures implemented by presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama in their efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of the financial meltdown of 2008 through bailouts of too-big-to-fail financial institutions, followed by the passage into law of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The question that remains to be answered for many economic observers is, will what some economists say worked well before, actually work at all today? Or will implementation of those very Keynesian policies further exacerbate matters for our now global economy.

In "Keynes," Peter Clarke employs a far less persuasive tone than Hunter Lewis' recent "Where Keynes Went Wrong" in terms of examining the prudence of applying Keynesian-modeled economic policies to the financial crises of the 21st century. But Clarke puts into context Keynes the man, offering a far more insightful biographical sketch of Keynes than most any academic textbook.

Through his thorough illustration of Keynes' ambitious professional pursuits, not to mention the political underpinnings of his complementary careers in government and academia -- and, of course, his sometimes scandalous personal life -- Clarke humanizes the giant who stood among the most influential figures of the last and perhaps even present centuries.

Both authors have made otherwise complex subjects altogether accessible and even enjoyable for any readers who are themselves neither academics nor economists. And both works are highly recommended for anyone who possesses so much as casual interests in economics, history or even contemporary politics.