John Maynard Keynes's Essays in Persuasion gathers his popular writings from the 1920s and 1930s on economics, politics, and the future. Keynes, the most influential economist of the twentieth century, wrote for general audiences as well as specialists, and these essays display his brilliance as a prose stylist. The collection includes his prescient critique of the Versailles Treaty's harsh terms for Germany, his analysis of the gold standard's deflationary effects, and his vision of a future of leisure made possible by productivity gains. Keynes writes with wit, moral passion, and intellectual confidence; he was not modest about his ability to see what others missed. The essays provide context for understanding his later General Theory and the Keynesian revolution in economic policy. They also stand as models of public intellectualism, demonstrating how technical expertise can be communicated accessibly without sacrificing rigor. Reading Keynes in his own voice reveals a mind more subtle and wide-ranging than the caricatures of either his admirers or critics suggest. Essays in Persuasion is essential reading for anyone interested in economics, twentieth-century history, or the art of the public essay.