Economics, far from being the dismal science, offers us valuable lessons that can be applied to our everyday experiences. At its heart, economics is the science of choice and a study of economic principles allows us to achieve a more informed understanding of how we make our choices; whether these choices occur in our everyday life, our work environment, or at the national or international level.

Volume one, Elements and Principles, delivers clear statements of essential economic principles, supported by easy to understand examples, and uncluttered by extraneous material; the goal is to provide a concise readable primer that covers the substance of macroeconomic theory. The text looks at opportunity cost; the rationale for trade and exchange rates; the economist's basic demand and supply model; the efficient operation of competitive markets; important tools used to measure the macroeconomy; and the causes and effects of inflation and unemployment.