The Alphabet of Economic Science

Dear Reader

I venture to discard the more stately forms of preface which alone are considered suitable for a serious work, and to address a few words of direct appeal to you.
An enthusiastic but candid friend, to whom showed these pages in proof, dwelt in glowing terms on the pleasure and pro t that my reader would derive from them, \if only he survived the first cold plunge into `functions.' " Another equally candid friend to whom I reported the remark exclaimed, \Survive it indeed! Why, wha...