Book Reviews on Production of Commodities by means of Commodities

Sraffa’s Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities takes its place among those contributions that has radically changed part of economic studies since the date of its publication (1960), because it constitutes a reappraisal in a modern form of Classical political economy, in contrast with mainstream economics, based on the Neoclassical approach. In this work we will survey the most relevant book reviews on Production of Commodities, in order to record the initial impact that this work had on economists at the time of its publication. We will identify at least five themes on which attention has been focused: i) the possibility of analysing a price framework independently of the demand-supply apparatus; ii) the role and meaning of the Standard commodity; iii) the reactions of Marxists; iv) the critique of marginal theory and v) the method of exposition followed by Sraffa. The variety of opinions expressed on all these topics confirms the disruptive effect within economic thought caused by Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities. A complete list of reviews on Sraffa's book is presented at the end of the present essay.