International Political Economy: An Intellectual History
Benjamin J. Cohen
Princeton University Press, 2008

This engaging and informative book is about the construction of International Political Economy (IPE) as a new field of scholarly endeavor—"a true interdiscipline" between political science and economics that came into prominence in the 1970s. Benjamin J. Cohen, himself a key early contributor to the development of this new field, traces in this intellectual history the often differing approaches that have been essential to its growth. He places special emphasis on the role played by seven "intellectual entrepreneurs" whose contributions he deems critical, and how their insights and the historical contexts in which they worked influenced the past and future directions of the discipline. He also discusses the differences between the American and British "schools" or approaches to IPE, and the bridges that need to be built between the various factions to ensure future progress of the direction of scholarly discourse.

Review
"I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The writing is superb—witty and engaging. The substantive discussions clarify and summarize without oversimplifying. Cohen is an ideal guide for this entertaining journey through the history of the field."

&mdash Jonathan M. Crystal, Fordham University