Interesting because I'm interested in that subject
How useful was it?
Very useful
Would you read it again?
No, never
Value for money
Satisfactory
Advantages:
Very comprehensive .
Disadvantages:
Can be slightly daunting/boring .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
The title isn't meant to be ironic. This is a textbook for economics a-level, covering both AS and A2 syllabus.
The first impressions are apparently important to some people. This isn't the prettiest book in the world. The whole book is printed in black and red inks, and involve a lot of technical theories and graphs that can be very daunting to look at. But once you get into it, you will realise that the looks don't reflect the contents. This is a great textbook that explains concepts and economic theories in a straightforward, easy to understand manner. It covers all the parts of the syllabus, and does that pretty well.
The book also has questions for you to try, both short questions for learning theories and exam style questions. Included in each chapter are summaries of the key points in the chapter, and where appropriate, a list of definitions. Both of these are very useful when the exams draw near.
I suspect that not many people would read it for pleasure. The book is over 700 pages and even to people who are interested in economics, it can be tedious at times.
Would I buy it? That really depends. If you already have an economics textbook and are looking to have something else to prepare you for exams, then you'll be better off with a revision guide. If your school doesn't provide you with your own copy of a textbook, buying a copy of Economics may help you through the course.
If you are not taking A-level economics but are thinking of taking it at university, or you are studying for some other reason, than the fact that you don't have to follow the A-level syllabus strictly gives you a bit more choice. There is another book called Economics by John Sloman. Don't get me wrong, it contains pretty much the same topics, but in my opinion Alain Anderton's book is much more geared towards exams. I presonally think Sloman's is slightly easier to follow, and it's recommended by LSE so it can't be bad.
(Yes, I do own both books. Yes, I know it's bordering on sad.)
All in all, a great TEXTbook, but only a good book.
*Just a small point. All the comments on this book was based on the Third Edition. It was updated in 1991, 1995, and 2000, so could be due for another update soon. Before buying, it might be worth checking that you are buying the latest version.
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