Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach, Sixth Edition [Hardcover]

Hal R. Varian (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0393978303 | ISBN-13: 978-0393978308 | Publication Date: June 2002 | Edition: 6

Offering material on game theory and strategic behaviour, this microeconomics textbook has added chapters on game applications, systems competition, information technology and auctions. It is a companion to the revised "Workouts in Intermediate Microeconomics".

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hal R. Varian is Dean of the School of Information Management and Systems at the University of California, Berkeley. He also holds joint appointments in Berkeley's economics department and Haas School of Business. Professor Varian earned his S.B. from MIT, and his Ph.D. from Berkeley. He has taught at the University of Michigan, MIT, Stanford University, University of Siena (Italy), University of Stockholm, and Nuffield College at Oxford University. His graduate textbook, Microeconomic Analysis, is one of the most widely read graduate textbooks in economics. He is the co-author of a best-selling book on business strategy, Information Rules.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 728 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc (Np); 6 edition (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393978303
• ISBN-13: 978-0393978308
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's the economics, stupid, February 15, 2004

By 

Stephen Turnbull (Tsukuba, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach, Sixth Edition (Hardcover)

Sorry about the epithet, but in the election season, I couldn't resist! The book's detractors (relatively speaking) obviously aren't "stupid", but they do miss the point---which Varian tries to explain in the preface. So let's try a different tack. Today writing a computer program to do the math used in graduate economics is an undergraduate CS project. Let's let computers do the heavy lifting, and save people for the creative work.
That's what Varian is about. What the world needs is not more people who can manipulate derivatives of implicit functions, but more people who can connect data and stylized facts to appropriate (already known) theories. That's what this book tries to teach, and it is best of breed. Although it's not clear to me that "thinking like an economist" can be taught with great effectiveness (it's a "knack", not an algorithm), Varian over and over again demonstrates that he can clearly express the "inner working" of that mode of thought. As in Information Rules, he demonstrates that he can bring these ideas to those who are not going to be professional economists, but need to understand the analysis.
Of course, some in the audience for this book will make careers in which they seek, and find, data and facts that defy existing theory. For them, of course there are better ways to prepare for the technical prerequisites for graduate school. But years later, none of those books will be nearly as much help in avoiding a dissertation proposal that crumbles into dust, too dry to support itself.
Belongs with Samuelson's classic introductory text on your bookshelf.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent microeconomics book, but falls short on math., May 31, 2004

By 

Chris Bolts (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach, Sixth Edition (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent bridge from principles of microeconomics. However, while I am very good at applied economics, it falls short on explaining the mathematical concepts it introduces in the appendices. The most calculus I've had experience with is Brief calculus, but if you are to understand the equations in the appendices you'll need a little more calculus (unless you're born a math genius). The theories introduced in the book are clear and precise and make for easy reading and studying. If you want more concise understanding of the concepts, then I highly recommend purchasing the companion workbook.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very conceptual!, January 11, 2006

By 

Samia (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach, Sixth Edition (Hardcover)

I am a Public Policy student at the University of Chicago and used this book for an introductory Microeconomics course. Varian explains the concepts of Microeconomics well. Many of the previous reviews state that the book does not have many mathematical examples or questions. This is because there is a supplementary workbook that addresses only the math. (My professor assigned weekly problem sets based on the workbook problems.) By the end of the course, I felt that I understood the concepts and had a good foundation for future coursework. I believe this is very important for anyone who plans to take more Economics courses.

This book is considered the standard in the field of Economics. I recommend this book if you want to understand the concepts instead of just number crunching.