Best Economics Textbook (1 Viewer)

[ScottyG]

Leading Edge's "The Global Economy" is a perfectly good book. As with any textbook, it skirts around some things, which I augment with the Excel economics textbook. Together they're pretty solid. Don't make the mistake of using Excel economics only though. I've seen a lot of people base their notes entirely from it, and it ends up hurting them. Excel doesn't cover enough. It is brief, it is a summary, and it won't suffice for 4-5 mark short answer responses and it certainly doesn't impart enough information for essays. Some Economics note sets here on BOS are taken right from the Excel book, and you can spot the holes easily enough. Excel used with The Global Economy however is excellent for augmentation and clarification, and the worked-solution HSC paper at the back is nifty too.

 

[_dhj_]

The Dixon & O'Mahoney is superb. I would also recommend the Bulmar textbooks for more in depth information.

For up to date statistics and economic developments the Leading Edge monthly updates can be quite helpful. If you have time, select some economist quotes from newspapers to incorporate in your essays.

 

[insert-username]

We use the Dixon (Leading Edge), but our Economics teacher has swapped to Riley for this year's Prelim class because he feels there aren't enough numbers and calculations in the Dixon book. Apart from that, I wish Dixon had some more comprehensive content, but I'm pretty happy with it. Our teacher also gives us the Leading Edge economic updates and ocassional Gittens articles from the SMH to augment the textbook.


I_F

 

[passion89]

I mostly use Leading edge in conjunction with updated economics (2006 edition) and they're both great textbooks.

 

[lil_huyenie]

heyyy

at school we use the leading edge textbook and i really like it..
and i also have the 2005 updated economics..wondering whether the stats on that book would still be ok to use since its not really the 06 one..

 

[Rafy]

and i also have the 2005 updated economics..wondering whether the stats on that book would still be ok to use since its not really the 06 one..

I wouldnt use them. In fact dont use any of the (short-term) stats you find in ANY textbook. By the time the HSC exams come around they will be over a year old.

You should be constantly keeping yourself up to date on the latest stats and economic developments. i.e by reading the papers etc. Always try to use the most up to date figures. (See the Current Economic Data & Issues Thread)

 

[onebytwo]

i think leading edge, as well as being extremely dry, can't offer "band 6" level thought. the updated economics, is ok in inspiring some further understanding, but i still dont think any of them compare to the riley in terms of depth of information

 

[sanshi]

wow ;; my eco teacher just ordered these new textbook in for us
"The market economy yearll preliminary ecomics - Tim Dixon and John O'Mahony '
its very up to dated than the other eco textbooks

 

[*emi*]

bahaha ross gittons..
i swear my economics teacher is in LOVE with him

 

[ipod21]

Is "Updated Economics" a classroom textbook?

I think ive seen it before, but it doesnt look like a textbook. Its like a plain , boring looking large book right? and it coems in 3 parts over the year? (Parts A, B C)?

Where can i buy this??

 

[atreus]

gittins is pretty good, but for a textbook, i think riley is pretty good. and that other guy, cant remmber cos i only used it for preliminary, i think its mahony?

 

[ipod21]

How about TIM REILLY? Ive heard his name mentioned alot - what series of textbooks does he write? (links would be great)

thanks

 

[ipod21]

Doesnt he also release online publications/newsletters??

 

[nathanbalam]

Leading Edge FTW.

 

[Ozza]

Lol, yeah... Leading edge is all I've got, I've got a pretty basic school but my teacher is always giving us Gittens articles and the economics updates as extra. Occasionally when we get to a subject which is more complex, we are always given Riley as well. That and we also go to the leading edge conferences and the notes that they give there are chock full of useful statistics and further reading on the topics that you cover. Also I think that the Leading edge workbook is VERY useful for revision. But I can't really comment on Chapman (I think it is), we use him for Business studies but I don't know about his economics books.

 

[nickthebiscuit]

my teacher uses the spectrum of economics books pulling revision stuff from everywhere and anywhere

i personally found excel preliminary a nice prelude to the entire yr 11 course, gave me the basics for everything i needed to know.

excel HSC though is another story -> i hated it probably cos the person i bought it off highlighted it all, but the layout is not very aesthetically appealing.

i rekn the global economy is pretty good, it seems to cover the concepts pretty well, but you should only be reading the txt book if you're not grasping the concepts well~

if your teacher is one of those people that just tell you to summarise the txt book -> may the force be with you

 

[cucum3rs]

personally i found the leading edge dixon/o'mahoney one the best to learn from, but i also love macquarie for revision. sometimes the leading edge however, drags on and on and on and repeats the same point, and sometimes the macquarie seems to leave out important facts.

but all in all, i reckon as a duo their the best

 

[navneetk]

From your experiences, what was the best eco txtbook you've used that actually HELPED you understand?

personally i am in yr 11 i find the leading edge people the best so good to understand

 

[cs01001]

Tim Dixon's 'Australia in the Global Economy' simplified a lot of the concepts so to make it simple to understand. It has a greater emphasis on recent statistics and trends, and examples.

Tim Riley's textbook on the other hand goes into the more complex concepts/underlying basic theory. Less emphasis on recent statistics, but it includes a lot, a lot of a statistics for comparison. Ie energy consumption kw/hour for low developing countries etc. Often goes overboard to knowledged beyond syllabus requirement, but it can be a good thing. The language its written in is also good to use in extended response. The down side of Riley's book is the poor formating/layout. Sometimes the whole page is of full of words with the 5th or so word being a number. It can really turn you off sometimes, but Yeah.

I can't really make an accruate judgment as to which book is 'better'. Because since I got the secondhand Riley book a short while ago (Prior Half Yearlies), and havent thoroughly looked at it. But if you don't mind getting a second book, a supplement is always good for cross referencing.

 

[BackCountrySnow]

Tim Dixon's 'Australia in the Global Economy' simplified a lot of the concepts so to make it simple to understand. It has a greater emphasis on recent statistics and trends, and examples.

Tim Riley's textbook on the other hand goes into the more complex concepts/underlying basic theory. Less emphasis on recent statistics, but it includes a lot, a lot of a statistics for comparison. Ie energy consumption kw/hour for low developing countries etc. Often goes overboard to knowledged beyond syllabus requirement, but it can be a good thing. The language its written in is also good to use in extended response. The down side of Riley's book is the poor formating/layout. Sometimes the whole page is of full of words with the 5th or so word being a number. It can really turn you off sometimes, but Yeah.

I can't really make an accruate judgment as to which book is 'better'. Because since I got the secondhand Riley book a short while ago (Prior Half Yearlies), and havent thoroughly looked at it. But if you don't mind getting a second book, a supplement is always good for cross referencing.

I've already got the leading edge, macquarie and Bulmer (all 3). So Riley would complete my collection haha (excel doesnt count coz its shit). But, I don't think i really need Riley's book. If i can get it cheap then ill take, but yeah, no way will i buy it brand new..