Paul Krugman. David Kennedy had a silly review of his book in the NYT. Krugman's pithy response,
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/continuing-the-tradition/
was perfect.
I am sometimes told I am a good writer...for an economist. That is kind of like saying I am a good basketball player...for a slow guy who can't jump with a lousy outside shot. Krugman is a terrific economist AND a terrific writer.
I remember reading in my second year of grad school his wonderfully innovative paper (with Helpman) on increasing returns and patterns of trade. It was elegant, easy to follow for anyone with a small grasp of calculus, and profound: it showed that country size by itself could explain part of why countries traded goods with others. It was a major step beyond the classic Ricardian model. That someone can do scholarship that well and write the best column in the New York times inspires admiration...and envy.
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