Rating: 
Summary: No need for other graduate micro books
Review: At the University of Paderborn (Germany) use the book as our main basic text book for 3rd to 5th year economic students. There is only space for a few additional texts. That sums up the excellence of this outstanding book.
Rating: 
Summary: "Mas-Colell"
Review: Microeconomic Theory - known simply as 'Mas-Colell' to affectionate graduate students - is a difficult text on which to impossible a single "star" rating. The text is divided into several sections. The first of which introduces the reader to choice theory and the theory of the firm. This section is easily the worst treatment I have read in an educational work in any field. Useless diagrammatical references, pathological exercises, and absurd notation typify the first section. This section of the text is preferred by specialized theoretical microconomists and by predominantly non-American first year graduate students who have already been introduced to the material in a tractable text (such as Varian). This section gets 1 star for its comprehensive references. Conversely, the general equilibrium section is excellent. The author actually introduces concepts and explains their relevance. This section is still dense, complicated, and comprehensive: sufficiently "graduate" enough for any program. Overall, the text book is comprehensive, and makes a fairly good reference source. Nevertheless, learning from this book is akin to learning medicine from the Physicians Desk Reference; I suspect the book retains popularity across academia solely as a fraternal rite of passage: "I survived this ridiculous book!
Rating:
Summary: M A G N I F I C E N T !
Review: The state-of-the-art text for graduate micro theory courses. Easily supercedes all other texts of its type, especially Varian, which is shallow and simplistic.Toss those other texts, and get the real thing.
Rating:
Summary: big
Review: the critics of this book fail to mention the fact that if you are a graduate economics student you should be able to grasp the mathematics utilized in this book.
the book may be dense and lacking explanatory power in terms of intuitive statements, but it certainly is the only graduate textbook which can be used as a stand-alone text for a complete micro sequence. kreps is too chatty and idiosyncratic and varian outdated. if someone criticises this book on the grounds of its mathematical sophistication he is basically criticising what modern micro amounts to (find this hard? good luck reading papers in econometrica).
as noted by another reviewer the section on individual decision making is very good (the production chapter sucks, however). the same can be said of the section on general equilibrium. the game theory chapters are simple, but still concise, likewise the two chapters on information economics. furthermore, there are three good chapters on welfare economics and incentives, topics not really treated in other micro texbooks. the exercises are a bit too "prove that this and that is convex"...
Rating: 
Summary: This isn't Physics!
Review: This book is certainly complete, and it is a solid reference. However, there are sections where it seems the authors take great pleasure in making relatively simple concepts much more confusing than they need to be. Bland, boring writing, and atrocious lay-out make it painful to read at times. I can see how some people might like this book....people I have ZERO in common with. Burrying the beautiful intuition of economics under a pile of cumbersome notation isn't helping anyone.
Rating:
Summary: The Bible of Micro
Review: The mathematics may be daunting in areas, but this book has everything in it. The areas of consumer theory is the most complete I have seen. The game theory section is also very good. With this book on your shelf there is little need for any other Microeconomic refrence.
Rating:
Summary: Too dificult
Review: I've read this book and i find it too dificult to understand it although i study applied economics
Rating:
Summary: Why are people so scared of math ?
Review: Yes, there is a lot of math in Mas-Collel's book. so what ? Math is a language that everyone should be able to understand. If you dont like the book, that's ok. But be sure you understood all the book before writing a review.
Rating:
Summary: Microeconomic Theory or an unreadable "Bible"?
Review: I do not mind mathematics in order to gain more insight into economic theory but it cannot be used at the expense of economic intuition. I do not believe that Mas Colell's book has improved my knowledge of microeconomics beyond the level of Varian's intermediate textbook. I now recall the following refrain: "To find a name for learning when other streets are barred, find something very easy and make it very hard..." Not useful for a busy "student".
Rating:
Summary: The math is good for you.
Review: When was the last time you saw a physics textbook that wasn't mathematical? Without math, they can talk about momentum, black wholes, and relativity they same way that introductory and some intermediate microeconomics textbooks talk about indifference curves and perfect competition. There are many similarly written physics books, but you won't find them being used as textbooks outside courses for freshmen with no intention of majoring in a science. The thought of a physicist complaining about the math used in their textbook is silly. The thought of a physics grad student complaining is absurd. In my opinion, the problem here isn't with MWG's Microecononic Theory but with the undergraduate economics curricula at most schools, which leaves students unprepared mathematically and mentally for rigorous graduate level work in economics. If you wan't a less mathematical treatment there are plenty out there. I'm greatful for a rigourous treatment with a more textbookish and current treatment than in Kreps and a more thorough analysis of both the economic intution and the economic models than Varian.
| 
