Principles of Economics Loose Leaf Author: Visit Amazon's N. Gregory Mankiw Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0495970948 | Format: EPUB
Principles of Economics Loose Leaf Description
- Loose Leaf: 856 pages
- Publisher: Cengage Learning; 6th edition (2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0495970948
- ISBN-13: 978-0495970941
I have taught intro-level econ courses for 17 years, both at a large state university and a small liberal arts college. I have used 6 or 7 different books, and read many others (in search of the best examples and the best ways of explaining concepts to students). Mankiw's book is the one I like best, and the one my students like best: Every time I try a different book, I have my students fill out a survey about the book at the end of the semester, and I urge them to be brutally honest. They consistently give Mankiw the highest marks.
The writing in Mankiw is very clear. Economics can be an intimidating subject, both to 18-year-olds just out of high school who haven't learned good study habits yet, and to adult learners coming back to college for the first time in many years. Mankiw is gifted at explaining complex concepts in ways that are easy to understand, though he never talks down to his reader.
He uses lots of examples that are easy to relate to. For example, take comparative advantage, one of the most fundamental, important, and non-controversial lessons of economics. Mankiw introduces this concept by asking the question "Should Tom Brady mow his own lawn?" One of the best football players in the history of the game probably could mow his lawn more quickly than just about anyone, but it's obvious that he has far more lucrative ways of spending his time, so it is mutually beneficial for him to hire someone to cut his lawn - even if the person he hires isn't absolutely as efficient at lawn-cutting. This is exactly the idea of comparative advantage, and students "get it" so much better when they read Mankiw's explanation of it. Mankiw explains many other complicated concepts using simple, easy to understand parables and examples.
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