This is a survey of the treatment of selected themes in the famous textbook from the first edition in 1948 to the last in 1995.
The sales figures:
Edition, Year, Author(s,) Sales
1, 1948, Samuelson, 121,453
2, 1951, Samuelson, 137,256
3, 1955, Samuelson, 191,706
4, 1958, Samuelson, 273,036
5, 1961, Samuelson, 331,163
6, 1964, Samuelson, 441,941
7, 1967, Samuelson, 389,678
8, 1970, Samuelson, 328,123
9, 1973, Samuelson, 303,705
10, 1976, Samuelson, 317,188
11, 1980, Samuelson, 196,185
12, 1985, Samuelson & Nordhaus, N/A
13, 1989, Samuelson & Nordhaus, N/A
14, 1992, Samuelson & Nordhaus, N/A
15, 1995, Samuelson & Nordhaus, N/A
The themes:
The Keynesian motif
Anti-saving views
Evolving views on monetary policy
Defender of activist government
The Family Tree of Economics: The Mainstream and Marxism
Central Planning and economic growth
Where are the economic success stories?
The impact of the textbook