International Economics: Theory and Policy

Reviewed by Huei-Jyun Ye, Assistant Professor, Wabash College on 11/1/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Although named “international economics”, this textbook covers economic models as well as political dimensions. The topics include trade, international finance, and monetary policies. This book would be a good fit for classes in economics and political science.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The explanations of the economic models are clear and to the point. I like the author's use of visuals and simple examples to demonstrate the idea.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

I think mixing relevance and longevity in one criterion could be misleading. A relevant textbook, full of up-to-date content, might not last long as many descriptions will soon be outdated. This book’s focus on economic rationale will surely give it a long shelf life, but it doesn’t provide recent updates as many would expect. However, in the future, it might not be challenging to add and update recent developments or applications of the models toward the end of each chapter.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is reader-friendly overall. Some notations might look intimidating to students, but the explanations are short, clear, and accurate.

Consistency rating: 5

The design in each chapter is consistent. The learning objective is clearly listed at the top, and the takeaways and exercises are clearly separated from the main text. The consistency helps readers build up expectations for each section. The terminology is also clearly defined throughout the chapters. I have no problem understanding the concepts.

Modularity rating: 5

Using the online version, instructors will find it easy to assign small sections, if not entire chapters, for specific purposes. Readers do not have to read the whole chapter to learn one concept. The subsections and the links provided in the online version make it very convenient to use just parts of the explanations. I think this is a huge advantage because, back to my first point, economists and political scientists will be able to find useful sections for their different class designs.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The strength of this book is its modularity and comprehensiveness. I would not worry too much about the organization or structure since I do not assign every chapter. The subsections within each chapter are well-organized. If readers dive into a chapter, they won’t have difficulty understanding the build-up.

Interface rating: 5

The chapters and subheadings are easy to navigate through in the online version. However, I would wish to have the chapter structure on the side so readers can directly click the links to specific sections. Right now, readers need to return to the table of contents to get an overview of the book.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I don’t notice any.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I don’t notice any.

Comments

I like this textbook. I have used it in my Trade Politics class and will use it for International Political Economy, although the book title doesn’t mention anything about politics.

Reviewed by Amel Ben Abdesslem, Assistant Professor of Economics, Marymount University on 12/15/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Some sections can be confusing here and there on the pdf version but the online version is well thought. The index is easy to use and effective. It's well organized, there are key takeaways and jeopardy questions at the end of each sections. I could not find a glossary section, which is unfortunate as students find it useful.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The book does not have enough current examples. For example, in the Economic Integration section (Chapter 9), I would have liked more detail and examples about each degree of integration, and perhaps updates on the NAFTA or the European Economic Union (Brexit).

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Because of the lack of examples, the textbook cannot be quickly obsolete, as it mostly relies on theories.

Clarity rating: 5

The online version is easy to read, with adequate terminology for undergraduate students. Some sections might be more difficult to understand but overall the text is lucid.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent throughout the chapters, the framework is mostly logical, except for Chapter 7 (Trade Policy Effects with Perfectly Competitive Markets). I would have expected more sub-categories, instead of 23 sections...

Modularity rating: 4

Even though I find some of the chapters too long, I will be able to easily assign specific sections to my students, without it being overwhelming.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The structure is not completely logical. I would have liked a whole section on absolute advantage, instead of being just an introduction to competitive advantage. I don't find a "national output determination" chapter completely relevant in an International Economics textbook. this is not an issue though, as I will just skip this chapter (19).

Interface rating: 5

The online text is free of issues such as navigation problems, or issues with display features or images and charts. However the pdf version is particularly difficult to read and navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text is free of grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I did not find any cultural insensitivity throughout this textbook.

Comments

Overall, this is a great textbook, it has more content than I will need for my undergraduate course. For anyone who would consider adopting this textbook, I would suggest to add some case studies for each chapter, as I found it lacking.