Re: Serious Joke,Seriously "Help!"

Stephen Thomas Watkins (STWatkins@AOL.COM)
Fri, 25 Oct 1996 11:46:43 -0400

differences in an academic context vs. a business setting, you might want to
check it out for its comparative perspective on the use of rhetorical devices
in [neoclassical] economic theory. The author brings methods of literary
criticism and textual[drawing strongly from Northrop Frye] to bear on the
entrepreneurial theories of Knight, Keynes and, of course, Schumpeter:

Cosgel, Metin M.
1996 "Metaphors, Stories, and the Entrepreneur in Economics." History of
Political Economy 28:1[a serial publ by Duke U Press].

Also, for more info on the rhetorical perspective and economics, see Arjo
Klamer's As If Economists and Their Subjects Were Rational. Seems like
Klamer, Cosgel and McCloskey are the leaders in this approach so I would
recommend looking at their other stuff as well; but perhaps you're already
aware of those sources...

As for the business setting, don't know offhand of any
ethnographic/performance studies of the corporate world, although the
journalistic (?) wall street narrative "expose" Liar's Poker comes to
mind...Good luck; your work sounds interesting.

later/STW