John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908-2006

John Kenneth Galbraith, writer and influential Harvard economist, died Saturday at age 97. Author of one of the most important books (arguably) of the 20th century, The Affluent Society, JKG was a political liberal and a strategist and advisor to several Presidents and Democratic politicians. In the aforementioned Affluent Society, JKG argued that America may be growing richer in private economic resources, but our public resources were being steadily eroded by an increasing reliance on consumer production and growth of capital. His book paved the way for a new societal discussion about infrastructure, schools, social services, and the allocation of money for the public good.