Faculty & Research

Lester Thurow

Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Professor of Management and Economics Emeritus
Coordinator, Asia-Pacific Initiatives
Dean Emeritus

Biography | Publications

Lester Thurow has been a professor of management and economics at MIT for more than 40 years. He was dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management from 1987 until 1993. He taught at Harvard from 1966 to 1968 after a term as a staff economist on President Lyndon Johnson's Council of Economic Advisers. His formal academic work focuses on globalization, economic instability, and the distribution of income and wealth. He writes for the general public in a number of American and international newspapers, has been featured twice on 60 Minutes, and has been on the cover of The Atlantic magazine.

A prolific writer, Thurow is the author of several books, three of which have been New York Times best-sellers aimed at a general audience. Head to Head: The Coming Economic Battle Among Japan, Europe and America, 1992, looked at the nature of the global economic competition and was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than six months. His 1996 book, The Future of Capitalism: How Today's Economic Forces Shape Tomorrow's World, examined forces changing the structure of the world economy. His 1999 book, Building Wealth: The New Rules for Individuals, Companies, and Nations in a Knowledge-Based Economy, analyzes how the new knowledge-based economy works. His latest book, Fortune Favors the Bold: What We Must Do To Build a New and Lasting Global Prosperity, examines today's most pressing global issues. Published in October 2003, it became an international best-seller.

In the past, Thurow has served on the Editorial Board of the New York Times, as a contributing editor for Newsweek, and as a member of Time magazine's Board of Economists. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and served as vice president of the American Economics Association in 1993.

Web Site: http://www.lthurow.com/