Macroeconomics

I gotta buy this book for my class. I have some troubles with the topics inside. I agree that this is a good book but I gotta read from other sources to get more details. The author didn't make clear in many points. However, he covered all of the important topics. If you have some economic background, it would be your wonderful book, but for me it's not.

It is a good book. The author ,however, put "Figures and Graph" on the next page so that you have to turn pages back and forth most of the time to make senses. That will slow down your reading. Other than that you will enjoy reading the book.

Macroeconomics makes it easier to understand the very complex fundamentals of macroeconomics. It not only describes the different economic principles but also explaines them and examples are used frequently. Most chapters have at least a case study that shows how the ideas of the chapter can be applied to real-world episodes. The book consist of seven parts which cover different areas. The book provides information about unified development of core business cycle theory; new perspective on inflation, unemployment, growth and productivity and much more. What makes this book unique is that not only it deliver theories and concepts but also possible explanations to the central macroeconomic puzzles. I realy recomend this book.

As an introductory economics text, this one is absolutely terrible. The much touted "conversational" writing style is actually a poor imitation of teenage slang and substantially devalues the subject matter. Somewhat paradoxically, the depth and breadth of subject matter is most appropriate for very advanced students -- the students most likely find the writing style ridiculous. The author attempts to augment the usual AD-AS analysis to account for some endogeniety, but economists tell so many lies with AD-AS analysis that it is absurd to introduce additional confusing notation to address an issue that doesn't materially affect issues such as the efficacy of monetary and fiscal policy. Finally, readers should be appalled that publishers/authors submit thinly veiled sales pitches as reviews (see, for example, the first review for this text). Get your students something useful, written and reviewed by distinguised economists, such as Baumol and Blinder.

In response the previous negative review of Colander's book, I must say the text is one of my favorite texts of a long academic journey. I have an MBA (where I first used the Colander text as a refresher) and am completing an MA in Econ this semester and have often referred to the earlier edition that I own.

As one advances in economics, it may prove beneficial from time to time to go back to the basics, which is what this text is - an introduction to eocnomic reasoning utilizing an unbiased treatment of differing and competing economic theories. There is simply no way any professional economist would call this text advanced! While Colander may address a broad scope of subjects within the field of economics, he does so in a manner consistent with an introductory treatment. One does not even have to use math if preferred.

His conversational style may not be for everyone, but it worked well for me. It's not often that I have laughed out loud reading an Econ text, but I did with this book. I found it to be a refreshing and entertaining treatment of an otherwise dry subject. By the way, I have no affiliation to the publisher or author, which was a concern of the previous negative reviewer. For anyone considering the purchase, or even classroom use of this text, I'd be happy to provide more detail as to why I appreciate Colander's text - just e-mail me at timbuktu66@yahoo.com. In the end, the highest praise I can give any textbook author is to say that it fostered a desire to learn more about that subject. I am a graduate student in Econ today thanks to Colander's text and the professor who steered my toward reading it.

This book was great for my introductory economics course. It would be helpful for anyone interesting in learning more about this important topic.

A very interesting look at the economic thought of
one of the most important players in the Bush White House.

Oddly, much of Bush's economic policy, including his emphasize
on tax cuts for the wealthy, is sharply at odds with Mankiw's
basic philosophy...

Mankiw's intermediate text is less rigorous than his introductory text. While I really enjoy mankiw's writing style and use of practical examples to explain abstract ideas, the book is simply too easy and will not suffice for students looking to prepare themselves for graduate level economics courses.

A clear and altogether pleasant presentation; excellent layout and typography. A quick check indicated it was perhaps a bit less thorough than Olivier Blanchard (Mankiw doesn't mention the problems with non-performing loans in the Japanese banking system; Blanchard does), but one has to draw the line somewhere, and there is something to be said for allowing the instructor a bit more flexibility to introduce examples. Quite interesting--I hesitate to label a textbook exciting, but it would be an undersatement to say that Mankiw's text is neither soporific nor unduly convoluted; it inspires further inquiry. If you are required to use another text in a course, so be it; if reading for your own education, Mankiw is excellent. One might be sorely tempted to purchase it as a supplement to other less clear texts.

I'm getting tired of contemporary young Americans (I'm 29)being bashed constantly and portrayed as these evil losers. Anyone who came after the "Baby Boomer" generation (modern teens, college students and young adults) are often the objects of irrational hate. Anything our generation does wrong is hyped in the media and in preachy books like this one; even though statistics show that crime has been rapidly *decreasing* ever since Generation X came of age. We drink more espresso than liquor for goodness sake; and most drugs are pretty much out of style as far as long term use is concerned. A pretty tame bunch compared to the old hippie crowd. And the idea of today's young Americans as rich and spoiled is truly absurd. I have to wonder what planet the author is living on! No generation has worked so hard for so little. This is a time period when getting a nice little apartment for yourself is more like a far out fantasy than a realistic goal. Work hard and live paycheck to paycheck--then come home to your dingy little hole in the wall to listen to the media elite talk about how spoiled and weak you are and blame you for the Columbine massacre just because you own a few black clothes!

Goff and Fleischer have put succinctly into words an answer to the question, "What's wrong with America?" In the midst of prosperity and plenty for virtually all Americans, why does it appear that contemporary society is falling apart? Why are there Columbine High Schools and other, equally horrific, events occurring with frightening regularity? On a daily level we see shattered families, young girls raising babies and other disturbing events. The authors argue, persuasively, that it is primarily because we are so prosperous that we are having these ills. One reviewer missed the point entirely-in America, unlike the rest of the world all he has to worry about is getting an apartment, doubtless wonderfully made, fully equipped with all the conveniences and a huge number of true luxuries-cable tv, dvd players, etc. He drives to work in an air conditioned car and works in a pleasant environment. Hello! In this book, they make the point that even the "poverty level" family in America has access to things that are only a dream to the rest of the world. We do not work and slave just to get a mouthful of food for our family, use an open air latrine and sleep in a hovel. This is not about Gen X bashing, it's about the fact that we are spoiled and don't even know it. The great question is-what will we do about it? Get this book.

Messrs Goff and Fleisher eschew the easy answers in analysing the distopia America has created with the unprecedented wealth which currently exists there. Instead, this work overturns the conventional 'wisdom' of politicians and media and asks and answers a series of questions which will become increasingly vital in C21 USA. If you've ever laughed at the idea that money doesn't buy happiness, here is the proof that it really doesn't. SimonF

Continuing the excellent dissection of Cairene family life undertaken by several American-based scholars, Hoodfar focuses on poor women and how they cope with the tribulations of daily life. An anthropologist of Iranian origins teaching at Concordia University, the author spent a decade in Cairo doing research. She has much to show for her efforts. At base, she shows how much of a contract marriage is, and how this explains such patterns as the preference for husbands to be older than wives, the advantages of marrying within the family, a woman's need for parental approval of her husband, and the ridicule men face when they do housework ("men in the kitchen look like women").

Most striking, Hoodfar shows the way in which patterns are changing: how the Western ideal of a love marriage has an unsteady impact ("I married for love, but want my three daughters . . . to marry in the traditional arranged way"); the effect of waiting until later in life to marry; and the huge consequences of women being gainfully employed.

Hoodfar's perceptive study points to family life in Cairo becoming with time less Western, not more. For example, she finds that the immensely detailed marriage contracts now prevailing (which regulate everything from the wife's use of contraception to the number of meals with meat per week a husband can expect) "emerged only in the last few decades." This in turn suggests that, superficial signs of convergence to the contrary, the Middle East in its essence is not Westernizing.

Middle East Quarterly, December 1997

I ordered this book expecting it to talk about marriage practices in Egypt. While it touched on this, in less (or different depth) than I had expected, I really did get a lot more than I bargained for.

This book is exceptional, in that it is written by an Islamic (Iranian) woman sociologist, who had lived in, and gotten her degree in England. While she had to study Egyptian Arabic to converse with the people, she lived with them, and was able to understand many more facets of their culture in a different way than a westerner would have, and she was also more accepted and trusted by them because she was a Muslim (and her knowledge of Islam was extensively tested by her subjects in her early months of research). Yet, she is unlike most Arab sociologists in that she is able to write this book for a WESTERN audience, although the book is aimed more toward professional anthropologist/sociologists than the general public, as evidenced by her extensive citations and discussions of research methods. But in spite of that, I as a general reader, never found the book boring. It was difficult to put down. I was particularly interested in this subject, as I had spend several months living in Egypt during the time the author was doing her research, and compared my experiences to the author's. Her experiences and information are so much more extensive and rich.

The book basically covers every facet of how poor men and women are able to "make it" and "get by," especially when the majority of them are forced to work outside of the formal sector. I am an American who has lived and worked in Morocco for 12 years; I found that her book more fully explained much of the behavior I see here in Morocco among the poorer classes, even though the economic conditions (especially level of government subsidies) are not the same. The book shows the behavior of the poor to be very LOGICAL and WORKABLE solutions to their problems, within the frameworks they have to work in.

The book covered pre-marriage negotiations extensively, REALLY explaining the THINKING behind these negotiations. Again, even having lived in Morocco for 12 years, and even having married into the society, these things were never clear to me before, as they really are now.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is seriously trying to understand the THINKING of both men and women in Arabic cultures, and how that thinking, and the subsequent actions which follow from that thinking, is different from western cultures.

Lastly, this book presents a more POSITIVE view of Egyptians than I have EVER seen. Unfortunately, so many of the Egyptians that tourists, especially, come in contact with, tend to be such deceitful liars, leaving foreigners with a distasteful impression of all Egyptians. This book was really uplifting, positive, and refreshing, presenting so many honest, hard-working, caring people who constantly help each other out! I would have liked to meet many of these people myself. It really shows the Egyptians in a positive way.

This is a book about wealth and poverty. Gary Fields statistically shows the inequality of poverty, income mobility and economic well being (or the lack thereof) through 'distributional analysis'. He takes various aspects of macro economics and analyzes and draws a conclusion for each aspect.

The index and reference sections are excellent. Disappointing is the lack of an appendix. An appendix with information that would collaborate the footnotes alluded to in the text would have been helpful to have at hand (i.e. a footnote like "for profiles of whose these poor countries are see World Bank 1997").

Also, aggravating is Field's comparisons, using statistics of various countries throughout the book, but then moving on without concluding or inferring anything (I.e. Korea spends 10% of its educational budget on higher education while Venezuela spends 43% --- ok, so?).

If you are not a student or teacher with a concentration in international economics, or a graduate student in international development, or a practitioner with a international agency, then this book will probably not be valuable to you. However, if you have affinity for statistics, and a strong bent towards international issues like poverty, inequality and distribution of wealth, you will find this book a statistical storehouse. Conditionally recommended

The author focuses on three concepts: Poverty, economic inequality, and economic mobility. The book discusses different methods of measuring these concepts, and reviews an impressive of empirical evidence. The book is of interest for anyone who cares about these issues and wants a review of the latest work on the subject.

Apparently this book is sold with different ISBN numbers. I received an edition that is missing Chapter 29 - 31. I would recommend checking the book as soon as you receive it to make sure you have the correct edition. I now have a test coming up and my book is missing the chapters I need to read.

Rebecca

The text is east to read and understant. It has an Excellent CD that gives the reader more understanding from the mildly abstract to the analytical, with a demo and and action feature, as well as the quizzes that are so helpfull.

This is a masterly study. Solow speaks about the old neoclassical growth theory in the first half of the book and then goes on in the second half to review the developments of new growth theory that started in the mid eighties. He comments on the essence of Lucas' work (on human capital), Romer's work (on endogenous technical change), the work of Grossman and Helpman (on quality ladders) and that of Aghion and Howitt (on creative destruction). These references have now reached the status of classics in endogenous growth theory. Solow provides penetrating insights into the new developments. The book is a must for any student of the subject interested in traversing the bridge that connects the old to the new growth theory.

I am compelled to write a review after reading with utter disbelief the negative comments that some fool posted above.
He/she rambles how Solow's book does not account for human capital. Well, if that person had actually bothered reading the book (or even taking some basic growth theory classes, but after reading his/her syntax we can safely assume that it is too much to be wished for), he/she would realize that the book DOES INDEED cover various variations/enrichments of the standard Solow, including indeed the Lucas Human capital variation.

This book is a nice addition for any growth economist/student library. To the "reviewer" above: get an education before you start even THINKING about criticizing economists of professor Solow's stature.

This book is a classical book, it's very important to read because is one of the most important theory, if you are agree or disagree no matter. If you want criticizing the neoclassical theory you need to understand all the Solow argument. I'm not very convinced of this theory, but it's fundamental to read this book.

I never took the AP microeconomics course offered at my school. I just used this book and the PR book. Overall, this book is great in that it teaches all the information needed to ace the test. However, the questions in the practice test are not reflective of those on the real test. Also, sometimes, this book delves too deeply into the subject. It provides far more information than is necessary to get a 5 on the test. It is also more boring than the Princeton Review book. Information is presented in paragraph forms rather than in bulleted form, making it more unorganized. However, knowing this book back to front will easily get the job of getting a 5 on the AP test accomplished.

I've scored a 5 on the ap microeconomics this year.
And I had the chance to glimpse through this book just before the test. Well, about this book.

The reviews are superb!!!
It's full of economics that you will need on the test day.
Also I liked the review questions in the end of every chapter.
But there was one thing I was not satisfied with...
The sample test... They are terrible.
They're nothing like the test you'll see on the AP.
Apart from that I found this book great.
and to anyone who's studying for the AP economics, I recommend this book.

I bought this book in order to review my long ago endevour into the world of economics. I found it to be enjoyable and comprehensive. I'm married to an economist and am now able to partake, and contribute, to the strange conversations she has with fellow economists (I am an engineer). Not an easy accomplishment for a single book to do that to an engineer. Excellent book!

If you want "zero government free-market" philosophy, read R.J. Barro's book. As a member of the conservative Hoover Institution he contaminates every single of his books (this is no exception) with his "religious beliefs".

If you want a good book on Macroeconomics, I'd suggest Krugman's instead (or perhaps in addition to this, to compare viewpoints).

Paul Krugman is much more balanced than Mr. Barro. Don't believe me? get both books and judge for yourself. Krugman's book is available at:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321033876/

If Prof. Barro have time, having a more advanced level book (i.e., with more rigorous math treatment) written would be highly appreciate.

Law Ka Chung

A few years ago I dashed off a review of Barro's text in a huff; it had failed me in preparing independently for the AP economics exams and therefore was to be condemned. But new evidence must lead one to change one's mind, and now I must recognize Barro's book for the great effort it is. Truly the work of one of the world's best neoclassical macroeconomists, it cannot be evaluated fairly with the meterstick of the Advanced Placement examinations (perhaps if they didn't drill Keynesianism into all of us at such an impressionable age we would emerge a great deal less confused later).

Barro begins with a survey of the United States economy, the history of all the standard macroeconomic variables, and the micro foundations of macro analysis, including such staples as the permanent income hypothesis, labor as a choice between remunerated work and leisure, and utility maximization. From this springboard more complicated phenomena like business cycles, capital markets, money and banking, inflation, and government intervention can be understood. The book culminates with a dressing-down of the Keynesian model's explanation of responses to external shocks and a demonstration of the advantages the neoclassical model has in explaining such shocks.

All the while, Barro takes the time to show how empirical evidence stacks up against theory, with much drawn from his own seminal work. He does not belabor the reader with excessive mathematical formulations; usually some shorthand equations are sufficient to explain which variables are involved, and whether they are related positively or negatively to the result. He is also adept at translating mathematical into diagrammatical analysis--a real boon, since any good economist must be adept at both. Why wait until graduate school for that?

Unfortunately, the book occupies that awkward purgatory between an intro principles book and a rigorous upper-level text replete with explicit theory and mind-numbing equations galore. So it is an excellent "intermediate" macroeconomics text which will hopefully be supplemented in lecture by a responsible professor. Responsible enough, that is, to not be ashamed of neoclassicism (unlike a previous reviewer crying 'ideologue') and to give his students a thorough exposition of the (for better or for worse) leading paradigm in economic analysis.