READING POLANYI'S READING: MICHAEL POLANYI'S BOOK REVIEWS

This essay provides an exhaustive list (tabulated in the Appendix) of Michael Polanyis' book reviews published from 1939 to 1971. This list was compiled by careful comparative examination of existing bibliographies checked against copies of the reviews recently procured from publications. Our analysis offers a deep dive into the philosophical and historiographical significance of several selected reviews. In examining these reviews, we shed light on Polanyis' distinctive approach. Typically, his reviews are concise pieces. Instead of extensively laying out the content of the books he is reviewing, Polanyi succinctly distills their primary theses and juxtaposes or aligns them with his own perspectives. Philosophically, these reviews are a gateway into understanding how Polanyi positioned his ideas vis-& agrave;-vis several seminal thinkers of his era. From a historiographical standpoint, they chart the evolving contours of Polanyis' intellectual journey.