A collection of recent writings by political economist Albert O. Hirschman, of interdisciplinary range. It includes essays on commensality and the "invention" of democracy in classical Greece, and on the workings and making of the Marshall plan.

A collection of recent writings by political economist Albert O. Hirschman of interdisciplinary range. This book includes two essays on commensality and the "invention" of democracy in classical Greece, and on the workings and making of the Marshall plan. Hirschman shows how his personal and political experiences allow him to forge connections between the past and the present, between intellectual life and lived experience. The third piece "Trespassing", is an interview Hirschman gave in 1993. He recounts some of the compelling and formative moments of his life divided between the "European" and "American" years. He discusses how his personal experiences have shaped and influenced his thinking about economic and social development, democracy and capitalism. He also reveals the "key terms" of his scholarship - concepts he is constantly rethinking.