RANJIT S. DIGHE is Assistant Professor of Economics at the State University of New York at Oswego. His specialty is American macroeconomic history, and he has written extensively on American labor markets between the world wars.
[e]ven though the story does not really work all that well as an allegory, the allegory works well as a tool for teaching the history. - Science Fiction Studies [a] useful resource for Oz scholars and teachers, with its helpful historical background information, bibliographic references, selection of contemporary images, and excellent overview of academia's Populist-parable theory. - Utopian Studies [A] very useful and engaging book that introduces and explains the context under which Baum's book was written and provides some of the basis for the economic and political interpretations that have emerged over the years. The wonderful Wizard of OZ can be read for pure delight by a child or alternatively can become part of a scholarly debate over the events and significance of economic and public policy- a testimony to the power of words and the importance of metaphors to understanding complex relationships. For students and teachers, for novice and seasoned scholars alike, I heartily recommend Dighe's interesting and entertaining book. - EH.Net book Review Ranjit S. Dighe has written a fine book that will serve both the practical purpose of helping teachers use the Wizard of Oz in the classroom and the scholarly purpose of helping economic historians use the historical reading of the Wizard of Oz. - Journal of Economic History