Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Economic Issues

this book was just how it was described and for a great price, the guy in the bookstore wanted $23 for it.

I bought a set of these books for use in the high school economics class that I teach. If you have a basic understanding of economics, and are interested in seeing how economics is actually applied in real world situations, then this is the perfect book for you. It presents a variety of relatively recent current events, and two articles for each of those current issues. The two articles disagree over the correct economic action for the situation and illustrates how frequently economists disagree. I use them in my classes to set up formal class debates on the same issues; students learn a lot in these activities and seem to really enjoy them.

What you're looking at here is the 13th edition, the latest as of my writing, which was available for sale starting April 2007 (the copyright page says it is copyright 2008). They come out with a new edition about every five or six years. As you can probably tell by that, this is a book intended for use in a college setting, not for the general reader. It's basically a collection of essays about current economic issues, two on each topic, one "pro" and one "con." This is near-ideal supplementary reading for a freshman survey course. The book has three sections, Micro, Macro, and "The World Around Us" (essentially Macro stuff), so it could be used in either course. The issues are well-worn: rent control, independence of the Fed, pollution permits, etc. I should warn you that the articles reprinted here come from semi-academic sources (such as "The Washington Monthly," "American Prospect," "Dissent," and various testimonies to Sentate subcommittes), not popular, reader-friendly venues such as "The Economist" or "The Wall Street Journal." So frequently the writing will be found to be dense and difficult, requiring slow and attentive reading. A couple of the essays even include equations, or extended math talk. I would only suggest using this in a high school setting if you're talking about a crack group. Here are the issues addressed in this edition: MICROECONOMIC ISSSUES: 1. Are profits the only business of business? 2. Are CEOs paid what they are worth? 3. Is there discrimination in U.S. labor markets? 4. Is the new Medicare Part D Drug Benefit good health care policy? 5. Are health savings accounts the right medicine for the ills of the health care industry? 6. Is it time to reform medical malpractice litigation? MACROECONOMIC ISSUES 1. Is Wal-Mart good for the economy? 2. Should Social Security be changed to include personal retirement accounts? 3. Should the double taxation of corporate dividends be eliminated? 4. Are credit card companies exploiting American consumers? 5. Should minimum wage and living wage laws be eliminated? 6. Do unskilled immigrants hurt the American economy? 7. Are protectionist policies bad for America? 8. Should we sweat about sweatshops? 9. Are the costs of global warming too high to ignore? 10. Are spending cuts the right way to balance the federal government's budget? 11. Has NAFTA benefited the economies of Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.? 12. Is the No Child Left Behind Act working? 13. Will the creation of an ownership society make the American economy more efficient and more equitable?

Here is the economics volume of the excellent "Taking Sides" series. Each issue is approached from two opposing viewpoints (these are articles written by various economists and public policy analysts), and contains a crisp introductory summary and conclusion. This is done in a lively, very readable format.Are profits the only business of business? Does the minimum wage play an important economic role in society? These are just two of the intiguing issues discussed in this most excellent book.

I have used this book in a Master's level course in Business, Government and Society. It is an extremely useful text. The issues that the editors have selected are comprehensive and current. The particular authors and articles selected are spectacular. I am gratified to have found a book that so easily prompts high-level student discussion. It is fulfilling to hear students say that a book has made them think about the substance of issues rather than just accepting popular slogans. Anyone who looking for one source that explores many of the ethical issues that impact business today should pick up this book.