Study Guide for Macroeconomics

by David W. Findlay and Olivier J. Blanchard

Book Overview

David Findlay, of Colby College, has once again done an outstanding job of writing a student--friendly study guide. Each chapter begins with a presentation of objectives and review. It is organized in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0132078333
• ISBN13: 9780132078337
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Length: 460 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 8.4" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Best Macroeconomics Text In The Market

This is simply the best Macroeconomics text out there. The book is easy enough to read for the layman, yet contains concepts hard enough for those who want to be challeneged. It also includes real world examples for those who want to understand the application of macroeconomics rather than just the theory. The study guide should come with the book. (At least that is how I got it when I brought it new...). The study guide is very helpful as it contains excellent summaries of each chapter and questions following those reviews with answers in the back. Neither the study guide or the book, however, contain answers to the text, so be prepared to work a little bit harder on those end-of-the-chapter questions ;)

simply a great introduction into macroeconomics

(Note: I own the first edition.) Blanchard has done a great job on his introductory macro book. It is accessible to anyone with basic high school math and no economic prerequisites, yet it manages to develop a consistent macro theory from IS/LM to AS/AD, and much more (basic dynamics, basic expectations, basic international macroeconomics). Indeed there's enough content in it to cover three one-term courses with it, if you do it thoroughly. Of course there are also some weak points: The chapters on growth theory are a bit half-hearted in my opinion (supposedly extended in the second edition!), and I also believe that he should have spent more time on 'the pathologies' (i.e. unemployment and inflation). The historical notes should have better been incorporated into the respective chapters rather than be put in an own chapter on the end. Finally, you should keep in mind that this book only covers the Neoclassical-Keynesian Synthesis (short-run demand-determined, long-run supply-determined, without any microfoundations), but as this is usual macro belief, this really isn't a mistake. If you want to go on, you should refer to David Romer's 'Advanced Macroeconomics' or 'Lectures on Macroeconomics' by Olivier Blanchard and Stanley Fischer. As a first book on macroeconomics, this one is simply great, despite its minor shortcomings. This book has introduced me into the fascinating science of economics.

A great text

The biggest problem with most economics textbooks is that the authors just don't shut up. Blanchard is the exception. He writes informally, but doesn't say more than is necessary. As a result, the textbook doesn't feel like a textbook (which makes studying orders of magnitude easier), and it's much shorter. Each chapter is, on average, about 15 pages long, which can be read in less than an hour. And the amazing thing is that you learn just as much macroeconomics as you would anywhere else! Also nice is the history of economics section added at the end, and the role of such economic giants as Samuelson, Solow, Friedman (and lots of other people at MIT, UChicago, and one or two from Stanford and ... psh... Harvard.)

Is the best Economics course book I have ever used.

I have been using this book for 1 month as my coursebook for Economic Theory course , and read very carefully to the place where my instructor has come.I have found the book very easy-understood and very motivating.When studying on the book it is generally a fun for me as opposed to gray-looking solemn economics books!

Enjoyable!

I'm a layman who thoroughly enjoyed this book. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the field. The author organizes what most would consider complex topics into discrete and understandable models. The chapters are replete with relevant sidebars of actual events. The text refers to the history along the way, crediting the ideas to their Nobel prize-winning developers. He eventually devotes entire chapters to interesting topics like exchange rate crises, hyperinflation, and structurally high unemployment. But that isn't to suggest a limited scope! It's a general introduction and simply a great book.