This is not a traditional encyclopedic text filled with technical details. Rather it is a modern, "back-to-basics" book written expressly to promote economic literacy and engage students in learning about how economics affects them as citizens in our society. Coupled with pedagogical innovations that are well-grounded in learning theory research, the text's visually effective design and captivating content inspires students to actually read the chapters. It succeeds like no other text in taking the intimidation out of economics and in meeting its goal of explaining the material in a manner that will "bring students the same feeling of excitement and relevance" the author felt when taking his first economics class.

This is not a traditional encyclopedic text filled with technical details. Rather it is a modern, "back-to-basics" book written expressly to promote economic literacy and engage students in learning about how economics affects them as citizens in our society. Coupled with pedagogical innovations that are well-grounded in learning theory research, the text's visually effective design and captivating content inspire students to actually read the chapters. It succeeds like no other text in taking the intimidation out of economics and in meeting its goal of explaining the material in a manner that will "bring students the same feeling of excitement and relevance" the author felt when taking his first economics class.

A graduate textbook on microeconomics, covering decision theory, game theory, and the foundations of contract theory, with a unique focus on the empirical. This graduate-level text on microeconomics, covering such topics as decision theory, game theory, bargaining theory, contract theory, trade under asymmetric information, and relational contract theory, is unique in its emphasis on the interplay between theory and evidence. It reviews the microeconomic theory of exchange “from the ground up,” aiming to produce a set of models and hypotheses amenable to empirical exploration, with particular focus on models that are useful for the study of contracts, institutions, and organizations. It explores research that extends price theory to the exchange of commodities when markets are incomplete, discussing recent developments in the field. Topics covered include the relationship between theory and evidence; decision theory as it is used in contract theory and institutional design; game theory; axiomatic and strategic bargaining theory; agency theory and the class of models that are considered to constitute contract theory, with discussions of moral hazard and trade with asymmetric information; and the theory of relational contracts. The final chapter offers a nontechnical review that provides a guide to which model is the most appropriate for a particular application. End-of-chapter exercises help students expand their understanding of the material, and an appendix provides brief introduction to optimization theory and the welfare theorem of general equilibrium theory. Students are assumed to be familiar with general equilibrium theory and basic constrained optimization theory.

Bowles and Halliday capture the intellectual excitement, analytical precision, and policy relevance of the new microeconomics that has emerged over the past decades. Drawing on themes of the classical economists from Smith through Marx and 20th century writers - including Hayek, Coase, and Arrow - the authors use twenty-first century analytical methods to address enduring challenges in economics. The subtitle of the work - Competition, conflict, and coordination - signals their focus on how the institutions of a modern capitalist economy work, introducing students to recent developments in the microeconomics of credit and labor markets with asymmetric information, a dynamic analysis of how firms compete going beyond price taking, as well as bargaining over the gains from exchange, social norms, and the exercise of power. The new benchmark model proposed by Bowles and Halliday is based on an empirical approach to economic actors and problems. They start from the premise that contracts are incomplete, and that as a result market failures, rather than being a special case illustrated by environmental spillovers, are to be expected in markets for labor, credit, knowledge and throughout the economy. They explain how experiments show that human motivations include ethical as well as other-regarding preferences (rather than entirely self-interested) and explain why the technologies of knowledge-based economies are a source of winner-take-all rather than stable competition. The authors also consider the intrinsic limits of mechanism design and governmental interventions in the economy. Teaching recent developments in microeconomic theory allows the authors to provide students with the tools to analyze and engage in informed debate on the issues that concern them most: climate change, inequality, innovation, and epidemic spread. Tradeoffs are highlighted by providing models in which capitalism can be seen as an "innovation machine" that raises material living standards on average, while at the same time sustaining levels of inequality that many find to be unfair. Digital formats and resources This title is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats and is supported by online resources. The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access to a variety of features that offer extra learning support. It allows students to engage in self-assessment activities, watch video material that further explains figures and mathematics, and offers the opportunity to work with interactive graphs to understand how the models work. Drawing on the authors' decades of teaching the new microeconomics, this title is supported by a range of online resources for students and lecturers including multiple-choice-questions with instant feedback, further mathematical and discussion-based questions, a fully customizable test bank for lecturer use, PowerPoint slides to accompany each chapter, worksheets that can be assigned to the class, and answers to the problems set in the book.

4LTR Press solutions give students the option to choose the format that best suits their learning preferences. This option is perfect for those students who focus on the textbook as their main course resource. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

Essential Microeconomics is designed to help students deepen their understanding of the core theory of microeconomics. Unlike other texts, this book focuses on the most important ideas and does not attempt to be encyclopedic. Two-thirds of the textbook focuses on price theory. As well as taking a new look at standard equilibrium theory, there is extensive examination of equilibrium under uncertainty, the capital asset pricing model, and arbitrage pricing theory. Choice over time is given extensive coverage and includes a basic introduction to control theory. The final third of the book, on game theory, provides a comprehensive introduction to models with asymmetric information. Topics such as auctions, signaling, and mechanism design are made accessible to students who have a basic rather than a deep understanding of mathematics. There is ample use of examples and diagrams to illustrate issues as well as formal derivations. Essential Microeconomics is designed to help students deepen their understanding of the core theory of microeconomics.

The excitement of learning economics for the first time. The experience of a lifetime of teaching it. The Eighth Edition of Exploring Microeconomics captures the excitement of learning microeconomics for the first time through a lively and encouraging narrative that connects microeconomics to the world in a way that is familiar to readers. Author Robert L. Sexton draws on over 25 years of teaching experience to capture readers’ attention, focusing on core concepts and expertly weaving in examples from current events and popular culture to make even classic economic principles modern and relatable. The text sticks to the basics and applies a thoughtful learning design, segmenting its presentation into brief, visually appealing, self-contained sections that are easier for readers to digest and retain compared to sprawling text. Thoughtfully placed section quizzes, interactive summaries, and problem sets help readers check their comprehension at regular intervals and develop the critical thinking skills that will allow them to “think like economists.” Exploring Microeconomics will ignite readers’ passion for the field and reveal its practical application in the world around them.