Overview

0070889740 / Softcover / 512 pages / Copyright © 2003

This brand-new principles of economics text is the most exciting new entry in years. Written by well-known and well-respected economists, Bob Frank, Ben Bernanke, Lars Osberg (Dalhousie University), Melvin Cross (Dalhousie University) and Brian MacLean (Laurentian University) the text seeks to teach introductory students the core economic concepts — the essence of economics — without overwhelming them with details.
     A well-articulated short list of core principles is introduced and reinforced by illustrating and applying each principle in several contexts, and then asking students to work exercises to see what they have learned.
     The text seeks to create "Economic Naturalists"; that is, after reading the text, students will ask (and answer) questions about their economic environment. For example, it is commonly assumed that economic activities conducted "underground" in order to evade tax officials or law enforcement officers are not captured in GDP. It is true that GDP does not capture all underground activity. But a careful Statistics Canada study concluded that measured underground activity could make up as much as 1.5 percent of official Canadian GDP.