Product Description

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. 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #96571 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 752 pages

From the Back Cover
This well-received book is a market leader in the field of Microeconomics, and demonstrates how microeconomics can be used as a tool for both managerial and public-policy decision making. Clear writing style and graphs compliment the integrated use of current, real world industry examples throughout the book. It emphasizes relevance and application to cover modern topics—such as Game Theory and economics of information—and examples—such as United States v. Microsoft, pricing cellular phone service, and Internet auctions. Coverage of other up-to-date issues includes supply and demand, cost, consumer behavior, individual and market demand, market failure, and the role of government. For individuals with an interest in economics, microeconomic theory, and price theory.

About the Author

ROBERT S. PINDYCK is the Mitsubishi Bank Professor in Economics and Finance in the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T. He is also a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Fellow of the Econometric Society, and has been a Visiting Professor of Economics at Tel-Aviv University. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from M.I.T. in 1971. Professor Pindyck's research and writing have covered a variety of topics in micro economics and industrial organization, including the effects of uncertainty on firm behavior and market structure, determinants of market power, the behavior of natural resource, commodity, and financial markets, and criteria for investment decisions. He has been a consultant to a number of public and private organizations, and is currently co-editor of The Review of Economics and Statistics. He is also the co-author with Daniel Rubinfield of Econometric Models and Economic Forecasts, a best-selling textbook that may or may not be turned into a feature film.

DANIEL L. RUBINFELD is Robert L. Bridges Professor of Law and Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. He taught previously at Suffolk University, Wellesley College, and the University of Michigan, and served from June 1997 through December 1998 as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust in the U.S. Department of Justice. He has been a Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. He received a BA in mathematics from Princeton University in 1967 and a Ph.D. in Economics from M.I.T. in 1972. Professor Rubinfeld is the author of a variety of articles relating to competition policy, law and economics, law and statistics, and public economics. He is currently co-editor of the International Review of Law and Economics, and has served as Associate Dean and Chair of the Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program at Berkeley from 1987-1990 and 1999-2000. He is the co-author (with Robert Pindyck) of Econometric Models and Economic Forecasts, and expects to play the lead in the film version of the book.

Customer Reviews

Microecon is not exactly the most exciting subject
I've used this book in an intermediate micro course at Berkeley, and I have to say that this is one of the best written economics books I've read. One of its greatest advantages is the clarity of explanation and abundance of visual aid such as graphs and tables throughout the book to support the material. The graphs get a bit complicated towards the last chapters, but that's only because the material that needs to be illustrated through those graphs gets complicated as well.

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.

Product Note about the Package Edition
Just for those who might be wondering, the package edition includes the hardcover textbook as well as the corresponding workbook. Since the description does not make this clear, I thought I would mention it, since this is quite a bargain if you're buying both anyway.

A good book for intermediate level students
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.