Frederick S. Weaver

Reasonably clear, slightly opinionated and very wide-ranging intro to economics. I don't know if this would be a good choice for your very first encounter with the discipline, but if you're at my level (i.e., some grounding in history, pay attention to the news without necessarily grasping all the intricacies, but no formal training of any kind) it's very good. It gets murkier as the subject matter gets murkier: the micro section is very clear, the macro section gets a little more difficult, and the international economy section is often baffling. But then, I suspect the same goes for what he's writing about. A particularly nice feature is the way he closes chapters or sections with real world history-of-the-economy. I don't quite know how, but he moves very smoothly from raw theory to the disasters we've lived through over the last few years. Also bonus points for distinguishing between the economy and economics, and trying to make sure you, the reader, also keep that distinction in mind: what economists agree about isn't necessarily a true statement about the economy.… (mehr)