The Complete Idiot's Guide to Economics [Mass Market Paperback]

Tom Gorman MBA (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003 | Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide

With daily reports of downturns, upturns, stock market rallies and the possibility of a "double-dip" recession, concerns over the economy are again at the top of the public agenda. Economics can be endlessly fascinating, but most of us find that it gets perplexing very quickly because so many of its concepts are purely theoretical. This text begins by showing in everyday terms how markets work - the dynamics of supply and demand and prices. It then introduces the key players in the economy - consumers, business and government - and uses the behaviour of these groups to illustrate the basic theories and ideas. True to the "Complete Idiot's Guides" series, the material is rooted in easy-to-follow terms of "who does what to whom and why".

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Gorman is author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to MBA Basics He holds an MBA from NYU and is former director of editorial services at DRI/McGraw-Hill, the world's largest and oldest economic forecasting and consulting firm.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Alpha (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028644921
• ISBN-13: 978-0028644929
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid review, January 18, 2004

By 

Jeremy M. Milstein (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Economics (Mass Market Paperback)

I have a degree in economics and I wanted to refresh myself on some of the things that I learned. This book is probably best for someone who is pretty smart but for anyone who has an interest in economics. In other words, this books assumes the reader has a brain. This also would be a really good book for a student before they take an economics class or who is pursuing a degree. Also, the book has (it has to have) some tables/graphs but the book is not overrun with them which can be intimidating. Also, I don't think there is a "For Dummies" book so this is probably the place to start for those who have an interest.

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, but Loaded With Grammatical Errors, August 28, 2004

By 

LJ (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Economics (Mass Market Paperback)

I would give this book 5 stars if it were not for the numerous and often confusing grammatical errors that are found everywhere. The person(s) who missed these errors should be bagging groceries. This is by far the best guide to general economics that I have ever come across. The author clearly and effectively explains complicated concepts in economics and uses illustrations and examples that will help anyone understand this often complex field. However, this book is loaded with grammatical errors and in some cases they can confuse the meaning of what's being discussed. I am no expert in English Grammar but I know enough to be able to see that an abundance of mistakes were missed in the editing process. A new corrected edition of this book would easily get 5 stars from me.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pales compared to its Dummies counterpart, July 15, 2008

By 

Steven Becker (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Economics (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a pretty decent introduction to economics but much less effective than Economics for Dummies, by Sean Masaki, or Basic Economics, by Thomas Sowell. Gorman just doesn't write as well, and as clearly, as Masaki and Sowell (who are both exceptional writers). He also seems to assume, unlike Masaki and Sowell, that the reader knows something the reader shouldn't be expected to know. That is, some of his explanations of economic concepts are frustratingly cursory and fail to connect all the dots for readers who are likely to be intimidated by this subject. Conversely, Masaki and Sowell constantly lead their readers, like patient guides who know how to give great directions, through every concept they address. Gorman also fails to give the kinds of real-life examples that really illuminate economic concepts. This book is not a waste of your time, but economically speaking, the cost opportunity of reading it is pretty high (after all, you could be reading Masaki or Sowell, instead).