September 2026 Friday’s e-links: The One Forgotten Woman We Should Remember

Every once in a while, (and sometimes each day), I listen to a great podcast, enjoy an article, or see a good video that I want to share with you. These are my e-links.

Last updated 9/04/26

I read a great article this week about Maria Edgeworth. Unfamiliar? To me too.

Composed of men, a list of 19th century economists should have included Maria Edgeworth. According to the NY Times and a soon-to-be published book (that I have already ordered), Maria Edgeworth was known as an Irish novelist. But secretly, her real passion was economics. In her most popular book, “Castle Rackrent,” Adam Smith’s ideas helped to drive the plot. Even the title echoed Smith when she used the term “racked rent” to refer to high land charges. Similarly, her condemnation of male dominance was buttressed by Smith’s criticism of monopoly power.  And yet, because it was the 1800s, her gender precluded an explicit knowledge of economics (or for that matter, any weighty topic). She even conveyed the gains from trade and the division of labor in her children’s book.