Some British Empiricists in Social Sciences

This book describes the development of economic, demographic and social statistics in the Brtish Isles from the mid seventeenth century to the end of the nineteenth as represented by the work of twelve pioneers in these fields. Its most distinctive feature is its tables, which bring together in clear and succinct form an impressive body of data collected from a large number of disparate sources and are complemented by an exhaustive description of their historical context. An important aspect of the book is the short biographies that open each chapter and bring to life the personalities of its central characters. * Author won Nobel Prize for Economics in 1984 * This is the first attempt to draw together in one place an analysis of all the major influences on social statistics in Britain * It deals with some famous historical figures, such as Florence Nightingale and Edmond Halley, not previously known for their contributions to social statistics