Teaching Intermediate Microeconomics

[ounlopez]

Hi all,

I am teaching intermediate microeconomics for the first time, and trying to choose a book. This will be a non-calculus class. I am considering

Pindyck and Rubenfield 6E
Bensanko and Braeutigam 3E

Please give me some feedback on these. Also, would you use the online materials for these upper level classes? Or, is that a waste of money for students?

Thanks for your input!

Regards,
Oun

[Canuckonomist]

The non-calc part of it makes me a bit sad, but B & B is a good text. I found it was perfect for my second year class.

[ounlopez]

Did you use the online tools with B&B?

I agree, calc is a good thing. We have another section in the department that uses more calc. There is a feeling here that a lot of our students apply economics to business and management, so therefore a need to accommodate those with less of a math background.


Thanks for the reply,
Steve

[IntEcon80]

I would choose Principles of Economics by Mankiw and teach the relevant chapters from it. It is non-calculus based.

[polkaparty]

I would choose Principles of Economics by Mankiw and teach the relevant chapters from it. It is non-calculus based.

For an applied intermediate class??

You could check out MIT's applied intermediate micro course 14.03. Walter Nicholson's book is always hailed as a great intermediate book but I think it might have a calculus focus. I haven't used it.

[ward]

For an applied intermediate class??

You could check out MIT's applied intermediate micro course 14.03. Walter Nicholson's book is always hailed as a great intermediate book but I think it might have a calculus focus. I haven't used it.

I used Nicholson's book for my intermediate class at Oklahoma State. Our class was a non-calc based class but the teacher told us optional sections to read if we knew calculus and wanted to apply it to economics. He also made the homework and test questions where we could solve them either using calculus or with out it. I would highly recommend using this book for an intermediate class, but I'll admit that I am unfamiliar with the other books mentioned.

[ounlopez]

Isn't the Mankiw book for principles?

[ounlopez]

The MIT course seems to be calc based, but looks good. I think the Nicholson is good, but not applied enough for what I need. Thanks for the feedback though.

[glubgawd]

We used the Pindyk and Rubinfeld book for our non-calc based class. Most students really liked the book. It was really easy to read for those who hadn't been exposed to calculus, but offered an appendix at the end of certain chapters that offered derivations and more advanced math based topics for those who were interested. Also, for what its worth, the graphs in this book are very well done.

[buckykatt]

Sadly, David Friedman's Price Theory: An Intermediate Text hasn't been updated since 1990, but I'd at least consider pointing your students toward the online version where appropriate.