Microeconomics (7th Edition) (MyEconLab Series)

KEY BENEFIT: This book is well known for its coverage of modern topics (Game theory, Economics of Information, and Behavioral Economics), clarity of its writing style and graphs, and integrated use of real world examples.

KEY TOPICS: The emphasis on relevance and application to both managerial and public-policy decision-making are focused goals of the book. This emphasis is accomplished by including MANY extended examples that cover such topics as the analysis of demand, cost, and market efficiency; the design of pricing strategies; investment and production decisions; and public policy analysis.

Economists and strategists looking to stay current with economic information.

Second, even though I've had extensive economics background, the book could be suitable for beginners. The first two chapters give a concise overview of a basic Econ 1 course, explaining the basics of supply and demand, market structure, etc. - everything a person with little economics background needs to know to be able to understand this book. However, if you find this book to simple for you, keep in mind that Prentice Hall publishes it as "Intermediate Economics" - for use in 2nd or 3rd year in an undergraduate economics program.

Unlike many other econ textbooks I've encountered, this book is neither math-heavy nor theory-heavy - it has a good balance of theoretical information coupled with enough mathematical examples to get the message across. However, many students (and some reviewers on this website) find that there aren't enough examples and exercises (with answers) in the book - for that I'd HIGHLY recommend getting the Student Study Guide. It quickly summarizes each chapter (good for emergency test/quiz studying) and provides plenty of sample problems as it summarizes the concepts. It also includes a quick chapter quiz and gives the solutions to all problems found in the Study Guide.

Also unlike most outdated econ textbooks today, this one includes excellent chapters on Game Theory and pricing strategies. I've heard from a few business majors here at Berkeley that they're encouraged to read those two chapters as good examples of how these concepts apply to business and economics. The book features many "Sample Boxes" - small paragraphs on how the current topic of discussion has been applied in the real world. This helps understand that economics is a real science (in a sense that it can produce theories that are testable in the real world) and has some useful applications.

Overall, this is a very good economics textbook for intermediate microeconomics. The book alone deserves 4 stars, but coupled with the study guide, it's definitely a 5.


A good book for intermediate level students   February 1, 2004
SamBK (United States)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

Organization of the books is good. Topics are discussed with enough clarity and each topic comes with lots of graphs and illustrations (which I think are a great help at that level). The level of algebra and math is at an intermediate undergraduate level (economics major). I think it is a complete book for anybody who wants to have an understanding of microeconomics. I am a Ph.D. student of economics now and if I am going to teach an undergrad micro course, I will certainly choose this textbook.


Excellent!!   November 3, 2003
Ganesh V Jois (New York, NY USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Unlike most texts in economics, this one is neither full of abstract equations nor is it completely devoid of them. This book balances both intuition and the math underlying economic phenomena. However, that is not all. As a student, I always wondered whether it is really possible to implement the concepts in practice. This book shows you how to do that by giving many examples from the real world. Whether you want to understand why tariffs are the lesser evil vis-a-vis quotas or how P&G will set prices in a competitive oligopoly, this book will show how. This, "economics in practice" approach makes this a truly delightful read. Buy it, read it and you will never regret it.


Awesome Pricing!   October 4, 2008
Brian P. Kuo
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Brand new book, awesome pricing, and excellent delivery time. Perfect alternative to buying over-priced books at your College Student Store. This was about $50 less even including tax and s&h.


Good but expecting an update!   September 29, 2003
0 out of 2 found this review helpful

Economics is a fasting growing and fast going subject! This book is wonderful and great! As has mentioned by previous reviewers. But an update version would be necessary and more wonderful.