Ernst Friedrich Schumacher (1911–1977) was a German-born-Britisheconomist. He was a Rhodes Scholar and the head of planning at the British Coal Board. He founded the Intermediate Technology Development Group in 1966. He is best known for the collection of essays entitled Small is Beautiful, published in 1973. According to The London Times Literary Supplement of October 6, 1995, Small Is Beautiful ranks among the 100 most influential books published since World War II.