Understanding Econometrics with Economic Applications

I think most texts on econometrics are heavy on math and light on memorable information. This text uses a conversational style to make its many points. The end result is that the book doesn't put you off the subject. I took a couple of courses with Dr. Halcoussis at Cal State Northridge, one of which was intro to econometrics. We used this book and it definitely made the subject easier to understand. Today, I use this book mainly as a reference on the subject, for a required course at a grad school I'm studying finance at. I think Dr. Halcoussis's econ courses seemed easier to me than other econ courses mainly because of the uncluttered language he used when he lectured. I think that same way of communicating shows up in his book, and that's why I recommend it.

This book explains complicated topics in a clear and engaging manner. Math is not my strongest point but with the aid of this textbook I gained a very good understanding of the concepts and did well in my exam. The book has understandable definitions and helpful examples in every chapter. The friendly tone and voice make the text a pleasure to read. I think you could teach yourself stats using this book. Highly recommended.

I have to admit, econometrics can be a very difficult subject to tackle. There are books that are very mathematial in their approach which can lead the reader astray. However, Dennis Halcoussis has found the bridge that allows the undergrad. to comprehend this most difficult subject. In the first few pages, Halcoussis even tells the reader about how other textbooks can simply loose students in theory and mathematics! This is very true, just go pick up one of many econometric textbooks. After thumbing through Woolridge's Introduction to Econometrics, I knew that I needed another econometrics text that would serve as a better medium and would allow me to quickly understand topics like autocorrelation, heteroskedacity, and time-series data. Halcoussis has found the appropriate balance. He offers some of the math behind the theorems and regressions if the reader is interested. Although, this book is rock solid for reader comprehendibility, it does not allow the economics grad. student to see everything that he needs. So, it may be wise to supplement this text with another of the more theoretical and mathematical texts. But overall, this is the best text out there for the beginner.

This book is a great text for a very difficult subject. It contains wonderful examples that are never boring and is a great starting foundation for beginning econometricians. It is very well written and teaches the subject with clarity.