An Introduction to Economic Reasoning [Paperback]

David Gordon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000

This high-school text is aimed at teaching the intelligent young reader how to think about economic problems in a manner consistent with the Austrian School tradition. Its chapters on action, preference, demand and supply, value theory, money, and price controls emphasize deductive logic, the market process, and the failures of government intervention. As the only text of its kind, it is engaging, funny, filled with examples, and never talks down to the student. It is perfect for homeschoolers, but every student, young or old, will benefit from it. Indeed, a student familiar with its contents will be fully prepared to see through the fallacies of the Economics 101 texts used at the college level. Includes a glossary and recommended readings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: Ludwig von Mises Institute (June 2000)
• ISBN-10: 0945466285
• ISBN-13: 978-0945466284
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #847,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Did you always want to understand what economics was about.., October 12, 2000

By 

Reinhard Stiebler (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Introduction to Economic Reasoning (Paperback)

... but found nobody whom to ask?

This book is definitely the way out. It has everything a beginner's textbook is asking for. Witty writing, step-by-step explanations, practical examples. By the way you understand what is meant with concepts and theories economists use to explain to us why a certain policy should be pursued or abolished, like the labor theory of value, price controls, minimum wages, and different currency systems. And before you know you understand what is behind the arguments of current policy issues, what are the true and the false arguments, misleading paths, right or wrong theories behind them.

The author is not soft on the issues, but uses logical reasoning and explains in every step the possible fallacies. In the end - if one likes it or not - one has to follow his cogent conclusions about the way markets work in a free society and how government intervention affects those outcomes.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Basic Economics Made Easy, March 29, 2003

By 

Steve Jackson "stevejackson100atyahoocom" (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Introduction to Economic Reasoning (Paperback)

AN INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMIC REASONING is probably the first book you want to read if you are planning on studying economics. Although this work is called an introduction to "economic reasoning," it is perhaps more accurately considered an introduction to economics as such.

This book is quite basic, and could be profitably used by high school students or anyone without a knowledge of economics. It hits many of the basic topics in economics, such as marginal utility, supply and demand, and money. It is from the Austrian perspective, so it could save a high schooler from years of unlearning. The only drawback is that although it contains many useful study questions, it doesn't include the answers (nor is there, from what I can tell, a teacher's guide).

Dr. David Gordon is associated with the Ludwig von Mises Institute, the nation's premier free enterprise think tank. The Institute has published another work - ECONOMICS FOR REAL PEOPLE by Gene Callahan - that is more advanced and would make an excellent follow-up work.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good intro for a novice, May 27, 2003

By 

Michael Szyska (N Andover, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Introduction to Economic Reasoning (Paperback)

This is a very good book for a high school economics 101 course. This book should be read by every high school student. The ideas are put forth in a very straight foward manner that is almost too easy to understand. If you have any knowledge about ecomomics, do not get this. You will be board with the concepts Gordon goes over.