I am not answering Prof Colander's question, but you may find useful some
pdf files with links to seminal texts as a guide to the literature  that I
have uploaded for my doctoral class in HET at the University of Athens

 <http://www.uadphilecon.gr/UA/files/1533388200..pdf>
Guide on Pre-classical Economic
Texts<http://www.uadphilecon.gr/UA/files/1533388200..pdf>
Internet texts on Classical Economics, Karl Marx's Economics and
Neoclassical Economics <http://www.uadphilecon.gr/UA/files/1297567843..pdf>
<http://www.uadphilecon.gr/UA/files/1297567843..pdf>
<http://www.uadphilecon.gr/UA/files/1297567843..pdf>

Weblinks on Mercantilism<http://www.uadphilecon.gr/UA/files/1776403784..pdf>
Weblinks on the Physiocrats<http://www.uadphilecon.gr/UA/files/1807740286..pdf>
Weblinks on Adam Smith <http://www.uadphilecon.gr/UA/files/626782337..pdf>


On Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 7:35 PM, Bruce Caldwell <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> I liked much of Lynne Kiesling's excellent list. Some possible additions:
>
> TR Malthus "Essay on the Principle of Population, chapters 1 & 2.
> Marx and Engels, "Communist Manifesto"
> Engels, "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific"
> Marshall, Principles, Book I, chapters 1, 4
> Keynes, General Theory, chapter 12
> Milton Friedman, "The Methodology of Positive Economics"
> There should also be something by Veblen but I never know what to pick!
>
> And for secondary literature:
> Jacob Viner, "Adam Smith and Laissez-Faire" 1927
> George Stigler, "David Ricardo and the 93% Labor Theory of Value" AER 1958
> Phil Mirowski, "Physics and the 'Marginalist Revolution'" Cambridge
> Journal of Economics, 1984.
>
> Bruce C.
>
>
> On 12/17/2012 11:21 AM, Colander, David C. wrote:
>
>> A couple of years ago, I organized a creativity workshop for a group of
>> graduate students, and had some excellent discussions with them. I covered
>> history of thought; Ed Leamer covered creativity in econometrics, and Herb
>> Gintis covered creativity in theory.  Avinash Dixit and John Siegfried
>> covered general creativity issues.  It was a useful workshop, and the
>> students recognized that they were not getting any useful instruction in
>> the history of thought.  They asked me to suggest a  general reading list
>> that all economics students should have  read, which I didn't have right
>> off the bat, but I thought would be useful.    So now, with your help,  I
>> will try to develop one.
>>
>> So my question is:   If one had to list, say, 20   articles  or chapters
>> in books that all economists should definitely have read, what would be on
>> that list?     My plan is to post this list on my website and to possiblly
>>  take out an ad in the 2014 Program guide providing my suggestions for  the
>> top 10 to graduate students, and picking on the professioin for not doing
>> its job in training graduate students to have perspective on issues that a
>> study of past literature provides. So my question: What suggestions would
>> people have for me of "must reads"?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>>
>> Dave
>>
>
>
> --
> Bruce Caldwell
> Research Professor of Economics
> Director, Center for the History of Political Economy
>
> "To discover a reference has often taken hours of labour, to fail to
> discover one has often taken days." Edwin Cannan, on editing  Smith's
> Wealth of Nations
>
> Address:
> Department of Economics
> Duke University
> Box 90097
> Durham, N.C. 27708
>
> Office: Room 07G Social Sciences Building
> Phone: 919-660-6896
> Center website: http://hope.econ.duke.edu
> Personal Website: http://econ.duke.edu/~bjc18/
>