He studied at University of Geneva and got his PhD at University of Chicago in 1971. He taught at University of Rochester, Chicago and MIT.
His talent was to extract the heart of a problem and make it understandable in simple terms. For example, he explained fluctuations in prices and exchange rates with great clarity. His textbook on macroeconomics with Stanley Fischer was a key work for economics undergraduates.
He died, aged sixty, from a cancer.
Works