Macroeconomics (Study Guide)

Rating:
Summary: The best macro text at the intermediate level
Review: I've read almost all macro textbooks since my undergraduate and postgraduate studies some ten years ago. Farmer's is the BEST in my view. The most important achievement of this book is that it bridges the gap between the static macroeconomics taught at the undergraduate level and the dynamic macroeconomics taught at the postgraduate level. I myself found it rather difficult to jump from one level to the next when I first began my postgraduate study. If I had the opportunity to learn from Farmer's, I would have found it much easier to pick up advanced macro. There are many other nice features in this book as well. I like the introductory chapters on the use and interpretation of macro data. As a practicing researcher now, I find them extremely helpful. As I read through this book, I don't have the usual feeling that the subject matters are far away from the real world. The flow of topics is also pedagogically sound, starting from classical theories, then to "modern" theories, and finally ending at dynamic macro. The exposition is clear, and the whole text is extremely well-written and highly readable. Farmer has the ability to keep the readers' attention, and stay focus on the important ideas. This is a terrific piece! Highly recommended.