The following pedagogical features are designed to help
the student learn economics.
Full colour has been used to distinguish between
curves and to show how the curves shift dynamically over time.
Complete captions and small shaded conversation boxes in graphs
make many of the figures completely self-contained. In some graphs,
sequential numbering of these conversation boxes stresses the dynamic
nature of the curves.
Margin boxes appear where an additional explanation or reminder
will help students more easily grasp a new concept.
Photographs and cartoons are used to illustrate abstract ideas.
Special care has gone into the search for and selection of photographs
to illustrate difficult economic ideas, such as inelastic supply curves
and opportunity costs. Most text photographs (many consisting of two
or three parts) have a short title and caption to explain their relevance
to the text discussion.
Key term definitions appear in the margins and the key terms
are listed at the end of every chapter. There is also a glossary at
the end of the book.
Brief reviews at the end of each major section summarise the
key points in abbreviated form as the chapter evolves. These reviews
are useful for preliminary skim reading as well as for review.
Questions for review at the end of every chapter are tests of
recall and require only short answers. They can be used for oral review
or as a quick self-check.
Problems, an essential tool in learning economics, have been
carefully selected, revised and tested. An ample supply of problems
appear in every chapter. Some problems ask the reader to work out examples
that are slightly different from the ones in the text; others require
a more critical thinking approach. A second set of problems that parallel
those at the end of each chapter is included in the accompanying test
bank.