Principles of Microeconomics or Inside Toyland

Principles of Microeconomics

Author: John Taylor

In Principles of Microeconomics, noted economist and teacher John Taylor unravels sophisticated material by combining clear, straightforward writing with annotated graphs and real-life examples that drive students' interest in modern economic theory. Taylor's intuitive explanations of microeconomic principles have been enthusiastically received by instructors across the country. The author's trademark "Conversation Boxes" throughout the margins and graphs offer students a step-by-step illustration of the economic models and theories under review.

Taylor's experience in international policymaking has always informed the narrative; his most recent service as Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs brings even more real-world relevance to the Fifth Edition. New "Point-Counterpoint" essays prompt students to consider opposing viewpoints on issues in economic policy, while updated examples and data reflect current trends in the world economy.

• New! The Eduspace online learning tool pairs the widely recognized resources of Blackboard with quality, text-specific content from Houghton Mifflin. Eduspace makes it easy for instructors to create all or part of a course online. Tutorials, Math Review, auto-graded online homework (based on end-of-chapter problems), and supplemental study materials such as chapter summaries (in MP3 format) all come ready-to-use.
• New! Updated content and data reflect changes in the world economy. Many new and concise, real-world examples of economic theory have been incorporated to more effectively help students understand and apply what they read.
• New!Developed to promote critical thinking, new "Point-Counterpoint" features allow students to examine the pros and cons of current controversies and initiatives in economic policy. Appearing at the end of each Part, these essays present two or more perspectives on issues such as trade policy, health care coverage, and globalization.
• New and Updated! In-text case studies—streamlined for length and clarity—continue to bring economic ideas and models to life through real-world application. New examples include "Exploring the Gas Crisis in the Summer of 2004" and "Finding Average Cost at an Individual Firm."
• New and Updated! Reading the News About boxes, which help students decipher news stories about economic policy, have been updated to reflect recent events. New topics include "The Network Effects of Money" (regarding the new Iraqi currency), differentiation in the sneaker market, and the economic effects of the terrorist attacks of September 11.
• Chapters 5, 6, and 7 discuss the efficiency of competitive markets, setting the stage for examination of market failure and government policy. Through an experimental double-oral auction, Chapter 7 provides a unique look at the economic interactions of people in markets and the coordinating functions of those markets.
• New! Economics in Action boxes illustrate the myriad ways in which economic principles are enacted in everyday life. New topics include "Green Pricing and Incentives," "Digital Cameras and the Future of Film," and "How Policymakers Use Price Elasticity of Demand to Discourage Underage Drinking."

New interesting textbook:

Inside Toyland: Working, Shopping and Social Inequality

Author: Christine L Williams

"I got my first job working in a toy store when I was 41 years old." So begins sociologist Christine Williams's description of her stint as a low-wage worker at two national toy store chains: one upscale shop and one big box outlet. In this provocative, perceptive, and lively book, studded with rich observations from the shop floor, Williams chronicles her experiences as a cashier, salesperson, and stocker and provides broad-ranging, often startling, insights into the social impact of shopping for toys. Taking a new look at what selling and buying for kids are all about, she illuminates the politics of how we shop, exposes the realities of low-wage retail work, and discovers how class, race, and gender manifest and reproduce themselves in our shopping-mall culture.
Despite their differences, Williams finds that both toy stores perpetuate social inequality in a variety of ways. She observes that workers are often assigned to different tasks and functions on the basis of gender and race; that racial dynamics between black staff and white customers can play out in complex and intense ways; that unions can't protect workers from harassment from supervisors or demeaning customers even in the upscale toy store. And she discovers how lessons that adults teach to children about shopping can legitimize economic and social hierarchies. In the end, however, Inside Toyland is not an anticonsumer diatribe. Williams discusses specific changes in labor law and in the organization of the retail industry that can better promote social justice.

Table of Contents:

1	A sociologist inside toy stores	1
2	History of toy shopping in America	23
3	The social organization of toy stores	48
4	Inequality on the shopping floor	92
5	Kids in toyland	137
6	Toys and citizenship	185