title: The Entrepreneur: Classic Texts by Joseph A. Schumpeter
author: Markus C. Becker
description: "This compilation has many works translated into English for the first time, granting a more complete understanding of [Schumpeter's] theories of economics. The editors add their own notes on the work, granting a comprehensive analysis to tie the work together as a whole. <i>The Entrepreneur</i> is a must for any student of economics, be they scholarly or non-specialist general reader, and is a core addition to community and college business library collections." (<i>Midwest Book Review</i>)<br /><br />"I am delighted to see, at long last, these original essays by Schumpeter available in English. Although these won't definitively settle the question of 'what Schumpeter really meant,' they do show the subtlety of his thinking with regard to the role of entrepreneurs in capitalist society. Many scholars will be surprised!" (Howard Aldrich, Kenan Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina <i>Chapel Hill</i>)<br /><br />"Schumpeter's view of what modern capitalism is all about and how it works is compelling. Long ignored by much of the economics profession it now is beginning to get the attention it deserves. This book will help further this much needed development." (Richard R. Nelson <i>Columbia University</i>)<br /><br />"Knudsen, Becker, and Swedberg have done a magnificent job of translation and interpretation." (Richard N. Langlois)<br /><br />"Anyone who wishes to know what Schumpeter, that undisputed father of extensive entrepreneurship theory, really thought and really understood must turn to this illuminating volume." (William J. Baumol)
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  **_Acknowledgments_**
  
  
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  THE IDEA FOR THIS BOOK arose in a conversation between Bob Strom and Will
  Baumol when the former accepted an invitation to teach a course in
  entrepreneurship. As we discussed material for the course and approaches that
  would place the topic in historical context, the idea for this book emerged.
  
  
  As neither of us is a historian, the need for help was clear. We were
  determined to seek editors who were second to none, and our thoughts turned
  first to David Landes and Joel Mokyr. It seemed miraculous that both scholars
  accepted our invitation immediately. They thoughtfully assembled an outline
  for the volume, and Joel compiled a list of promising contributors. Once
  again, we were delighted to find that most of the authors quickly accepted the
  invitations and were enthusiastic about this project.
  
  
  In order to ensure that the volume was not a mere collection of miscellaneous
  papers with little relation to each other, we, the editors, set out a list 