Selected Books

A Genealogy of Self-Interest in Economics (2021)
Edited by Susumu Egashira, Masanori Taishido, D. Wade Hands, and Uskali Mäki
This is the first book to describe the entire developmental history of the concept of self- interest in economics. The topic of “self-interest” is examined in detail throughout - from pre-Adam Smith to contemporary neuroeconomics - representing a unique contribution to the history and philosophy of economics. Though the notion of self-interest has been interpreted in many different ways by various economists and schools of economic thought since Smith first placed it at the heart of the field, this is the first book to focus on this important but overlooked topic in such historical depth and breath.
Edited by Susumu Egashira, Masanori Taishido, D. Wade Hands, and Uskali Mäki
This is the first book to describe the entire developmental history of the concept of self- interest in economics. The topic of “self-interest” is examined in detail throughout - from pre-Adam Smith to contemporary neuroeconomics - representing a unique contribution to the history and philosophy of economics. Though the notion of self-interest has been interpreted in many different ways by various economists and schools of economic thought since Smith first placed it at the heart of the field, this is the first book to focus on this important but overlooked topic in such historical depth and breath.

History, Methodology and Identity for a 21st Century Social Economics (2020)
Edited by Wilfred Dolfsma, D. Wade Hands, and Robert McMaster
This volume is a Festschrift for John B. Davis. It seeks to advance social economic analysis, economic methodology, and the history of economic thought in the context of twenty-first-century scholarship and socio-economic concerns. Bringing together carefully selected chapters by leading scholars it makes substantial contributions to the many areas of scholarship where Davis has made substantial contributions.
Edited by Wilfred Dolfsma, D. Wade Hands, and Robert McMaster
This volume is a Festschrift for John B. Davis. It seeks to advance social economic analysis, economic methodology, and the history of economic thought in the context of twenty-first-century scholarship and socio-economic concerns. Bringing together carefully selected chapters by leading scholars it makes substantial contributions to the many areas of scholarship where Davis has made substantial contributions.

The Elgar Companion to Recent Economic Methodology (2011)
Edited by John B. Davis and D. Wade Hands
Economic methodology has traditionally been associated with scholars such as Milton Friedman, Karl Popper, and Thomas Kuhn. However new research programs in economics have stimulated developments in economic methodology. The volume investigates these new methodological ideas by bringing together a collection of contributors to this new thinking in various areas of economics. The research programs explored include behavioral economics, new welfare theory, happiness and subjective well-being research, geographical economics, complexity and computational economics, agent-based modeling, recent macroeconomics, and a number of other topics.
Edited by John B. Davis and D. Wade Hands
Economic methodology has traditionally been associated with scholars such as Milton Friedman, Karl Popper, and Thomas Kuhn. However new research programs in economics have stimulated developments in economic methodology. The volume investigates these new methodological ideas by bringing together a collection of contributors to this new thinking in various areas of economics. The research programs explored include behavioral economics, new welfare theory, happiness and subjective well-being research, geographical economics, complexity and computational economics, agent-based modeling, recent macroeconomics, and a number of other topics.

Agreement on Demand: Consumer Theory in the 20th Century (2006)
Edited by Philip Mirowski and D. Wade Hands
While the theory of demand is decidedly uncontroversial in mainstream economics, the absence of controversy belies the theory’s contentious and complicated history. This volume provides a better understanding of the history of demand theory and its relationship to major theoretical developments in twentieth-century microeconomics. Contributors investigate demand theory as it stabilized in the first half of the 20th century by examining the work of Hicks and Allen, Jean Ville’s contribution to consumption theory, integrability, the Sonnenschein-Mantel-Debreu theorem, and other topics.
Edited by Philip Mirowski and D. Wade Hands
While the theory of demand is decidedly uncontroversial in mainstream economics, the absence of controversy belies the theory’s contentious and complicated history. This volume provides a better understanding of the history of demand theory and its relationship to major theoretical developments in twentieth-century microeconomics. Contributors investigate demand theory as it stabilized in the first half of the 20th century by examining the work of Hicks and Allen, Jean Ville’s contribution to consumption theory, integrability, the Sonnenschein-Mantel-Debreu theorem, and other topics.

Introductory Mathematical Economics 2nd Ed. (2004)
by D. Wade Hands
This mathematical economics textbook introduces students to a variety of mathematical tools and explains how to apply those tools to a broad range of economic problems. The book begins with an overview of the necessary mathematical background, then presents a number of more advanced mathematical tools that allow students to expand their knowledge of economic theory. It offers the standard techniques such as optimization and comparative statics, as well as covering topics such as uncertainty, dynamics, nonlinear programming, and matrix theory. Thoroughly revised, this 2nd edition offers students a wide range of mathematical techniques and the associated economic theory.
by D. Wade Hands
This mathematical economics textbook introduces students to a variety of mathematical tools and explains how to apply those tools to a broad range of economic problems. The book begins with an overview of the necessary mathematical background, then presents a number of more advanced mathematical tools that allow students to expand their knowledge of economic theory. It offers the standard techniques such as optimization and comparative statics, as well as covering topics such as uncertainty, dynamics, nonlinear programming, and matrix theory. Thoroughly revised, this 2nd edition offers students a wide range of mathematical techniques and the associated economic theory.

Reflection Without Rules: Economic Methodology and Contemporary Science Theory (2001) by D. Wade Hands
This book won the 2004 Joseph J. Spengler Book Prize from the History of Economics Society. It is a comprehensive exploration of the methodological tradition in economics and the breakdown of the received view within the philosophy of science. The book examines the influence of positivism, pragmatism, and science studies on economic theory and practice before turning to a systematic exploration of more recent developments in economic methodology. The treatment emphasizes the changes taking place in science theory and its relationship to the movement away from a rules-based view of economic methodology.
This book won the 2004 Joseph J. Spengler Book Prize from the History of Economics Society. It is a comprehensive exploration of the methodological tradition in economics and the breakdown of the received view within the philosophy of science. The book examines the influence of positivism, pragmatism, and science studies on economic theory and practice before turning to a systematic exploration of more recent developments in economic methodology. The treatment emphasizes the changes taking place in science theory and its relationship to the movement away from a rules-based view of economic methodology.

The Handbook of Economic Methodology (1998)
Edited by John Bryan Davis, D. Wade Hands, and Uskali Maki
This handbook is a multidisciplinary reference work on economic methodology. It consists of more than a hundred specially commissioned essays by scholars from around the world and provides detailed and authoritative coverage of crucial contemporary topics as well as more traditional methodological concerns. Orthodox and heterodox approaches to economics, as well as epistemological, ontological, logical and normative dimensions of economic methodology are examined.
Edited by John Bryan Davis, D. Wade Hands, and Uskali Maki
This handbook is a multidisciplinary reference work on economic methodology. It consists of more than a hundred specially commissioned essays by scholars from around the world and provides detailed and authoritative coverage of crucial contemporary topics as well as more traditional methodological concerns. Orthodox and heterodox approaches to economics, as well as epistemological, ontological, logical and normative dimensions of economic methodology are examined.

Testing, Rationality, and Progress (1993)
by D. Wade Hands
This book brings together ten previously published essays on the philosophy of economics and economic methodology. The general theme is the application of Karl Popper's philosophy of science to economics - not only by Popper himself but also by other members of the "Popperian school." There are three major issues that surface repeatedly: the applicability of Popper's falsificationist philosophy of science; the applicability of I. Lakatos's "methodology of scientific research programs" to economics; and the question of Popper's "situational analysis" approach to social science.
by D. Wade Hands
This book brings together ten previously published essays on the philosophy of economics and economic methodology. The general theme is the application of Karl Popper's philosophy of science to economics - not only by Popper himself but also by other members of the "Popperian school." There are three major issues that surface repeatedly: the applicability of Popper's falsificationist philosophy of science; the applicability of I. Lakatos's "methodology of scientific research programs" to economics; and the question of Popper's "situational analysis" approach to social science.