Presenting the principles of economics in a pithy, price-conscious way

“Introductory economic textbooks tend to be giant and are presented as ‘one size fits all,’ so you have to hunt for what you need,” observes Professor Dorene Isenberg. No more, thanks to the publication by Isenberg and colleagues Lorenzo Garbo and Nicholas Reksten. The trio collaborated on Principles of Economics in a Nutshell (Routledge, 2020), which provides students with a manageable curriculum that can be covered in one semester.

The book grew out of a series of lecture notes written by Garbo. “Our goal was to give instructors a basis for teaching students what they really need to know about economics while also allowing them the flexibility to enrich their course according to their preferences,” he explains. “Our text allows economic principles to be taught from a variety of perspectives.”

“The three of us view economics as a social science, so we included an examination of the effects of economic theory on such issues as ecology and gender,” says Isenberg. “We wanted to introduce economics as a living discipline that evolves over time and demonstrate how the field is shaped by historical context,” says Reksten. The book’s length and price are points of pride as well. “It’s concise and affordable,” says Garbo.

“We work hard to train students in critical thinking and exercising an open mind,” says Garbo. “We don’t want our students just memorizing models,” notes Reksten. “We try to get them to relate their learning to real-world experiences and develop skills that employers want to see.” “If you’re going to find your way in this world, you need to be thinking and engaging,” Isenberg asserts.