100.4 Engaging Students
in the Study of Economics

vii

We are committed to the belief that students learn best from a textbook built around narratives, steeped in real life and current events, with a strong emphasis on global matters, and accompanied by proven technology that supports student success.

Narrative Approach

This is a book built around narratives and stories, many pulled from real life. In every chapter, stories are used to teach core concepts and motivate learning. We believe that the best way to introduce concepts and reinforce them is through memorable, real-world stories; students simply relate more easily to them.

Global Focus

We have thoroughly integrated an international perspective into the text, in the many applications, cases, and stories, and, of course, in the data-based Global Comparison feature. This book is unrivaled in the attention paid to global matters.

Technology That Builds Success

Developed alongside chapters and designed for seamless integration with the book, image for Essentials of Economics, Fourth Edition, provides students access to an extensive collection of proven learning tools: adaptive quizzing, tutorials, videos, activities, and a comprehensive review of math and graphing. The goals for these resources are the same as the text’s: student engagement, mastery of the material, and success in the course.

To find image activities that correspond to the text, look for this icon: image | interactive activity

What’s New in the Fourth Edition?

An important and timely new chapter on poverty and inequality New Chapter 11 looks at the problem of poverty, the issue of income inequality, and the U.S. welfare state and its philosophical foundations. Health care economics is also covered, along with a detailed examination of the Affordable Care Act.

New coverage of price discrimination and game theory, and a newly separate Chapter 8 on monopoly In response to feedback from users, we’ve carved out a separate chapter on monopoly and added coverage of price discrimination to it. We also added a full section on game theory to Chapter 9, on oligopoly and monopolistic competition. Our hope is that these additions will resonate with students and make teaching these topics more meaningful and fun.

Many new and updated stories, applications, and cases keep the text fresh and engaging. The new stories cover a broad range of topics, many reflecting current events—for example, sustainability, the impact of technology, the economic situation in Europe, and today’s policy debates. A listing of new examples appears on p. xiii.

Expanded and updated offerings in image These include a new math and graphing review, an array of new activities designed to motivate learning and encourage success in the course, and enhanced integration between image and in-text content.