Hugely popular at their time of publication, Harriet Martineau’s Illustrations of Political Economy sought to turn the abstract principles of political economy into engaging, entertaining, and fundamentally humane works of social fiction. Through these dramatizations of dense economic theories, Martineau tried to educate and empower her readers, making even the most arcane concepts digestible and comprehendible to the widest possible audience . Each volume contains a different series of short, didactic novellas that "illustrate" a different set of economic principles, offering audiences tales that are equal parts riveting and edifying. Their publication caused a minor sensation in Victorian England.
This is the first of nine volumes and contains the following short novellas: Life in the Wilds , The Hill and the Valley , and Brooke and Brooke Farm .