It is only during the twentieth century that it has become possible to pursue a career as an economist. The dramatic expansion of higher education and the growing numbers of economists in public service and in the private sector has created a demand for a thoroughly professional economics. In Economic Careers , fourteen senior economists describe their early introduction to the study of economics and their contribution to the development of academic economics in Britain. With experience covering a period stretching from the mid 1920s to the late 1960s, many of the contributors not only provide an insight into the role of university disciplines in the education system but describe their experience in wartime administration, or as government advisors. The interview format of the work makes for accessibility and readability in a sometimes arcane area of work. In addition to the fourteen economists, Richard Lipsey, the founding vice-chancellor of Essex University describes the inspiration and planning behind the creation of one of the most successful of the post-war universities. Throughout the interviews the themes of career paths, academic institutions and the development of economics interwine. The result is a fascinating picture of the changing shape and role of economics in the twentieth century.