Leading economists analyze the new directions that subdisciplines of economics have taken in the face of modern economic challenges. These essays represent invention and discovery in the areas of information, macroeconomics and public policies, international trade and development, finance, business, contracts, law, gaming, and government, as these areas of study evolve through the different phases of the scientific process. They offer a wealth of factual information on the current state of the economy. Theoretical and empirical innovations conceptualize reality and values in different ways from their predecessors. Together the essays offer the reader a balanced look at the various fields, approaches, and dimensions that comprise future directions in economic theory, research, and practice. The extensive introduction by the editors not only summarizes and reviews the implications of the contributions presented in the volume, but also examines how scientific progress takes place, with special reference to economics and finance.

Michael Szenberg is Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Lubin School of Business, Pace University. He is the author or editor of many books, including Economics of the Israeli Diamond Industry (1973) which won the Irving Fisher Monograph Award and Eminent Economists, Their Life Philosophies (1992). Professor Szenberg has received the Kenan Award for excellence in teaching. He serves as the editor in chief of The American Economist and as a consultant to private and government agencies. Lall B. Ramrattan holds a Ph. D. from the New School University. He is an instructor at the University of California, Berkeley. He has published articles in several major journals and serves as an associate editor of The American Economist.