The Student Room Group
jack_l
Hey
Just wondering whether anyone uses the book Intermediate Microeconomics: A modern approach by Varian. If so would like to know if it's useful/good and if you would recommend a different micro textbook as a uni introduction.
thaks for any help on this
Jack

As an introduction, you can pick up Begg or Perloff. Varian isn't an easy book in my opinion. If you want to go beyond it, Nicholson does decent books too.
Reply 2
nice introductary books - carlton perlof, pepal richards and norman, lipczynski and wilson. Not familiar with Varian.
Reply 3
OK thanks a lot for your help will check out those other ideas...probably get Perloff.
Cheers
Jack
Reply 4
Reply 5
Varian is good - at warwick we use it for second year, its the main textbook. Also helps for the harder bits inyear 1. [im first year]

£10 from ebay.
Reply 6
tangsiuje


LOL its such a long textbook to read - i mean 30 pages a chapter? whats that all about, lol. Plus although we have kar for lectures, i dont think its essential to read it cover to cover, the exam seems ok.
Reply 7
the varian textbook is very good I would strongly recommend it
esx77
the varian textbook is very good I would strongly recommend it


As an intro, it's arguably a little up there, not too up there but wouldn't say it was going to be easy going... UCL, we kind of use it in the first year. Kind of in the second. It's a bit of a bridging book. Cambridge use it year 1 (not exclusively, not entirely sure how much and how they use it). Evidently, Warwick, it's year 2.
Reply 9
The Katz & Rosen textbook suggested by tangsiuje is a much easier read.
Money spent on Varian wouldn't be wasted though. It's used a bit in the first half of 2nd year Micro at Warwick along with Microeconomics by Gravelle & Rees.
Yeah Camb use Katz and Rosen 2nd year and Oxford use it in third, well thats what my lecturer who used to work at camb said.
I'd say: Gravelle & Rees > Varian > Katz & Rosen

(where greater is more advanced)
Reply 12
Yeh. But the OP asked for an intro textbook. Probably depends on what your ambitions in economics would be. I'm only doing it as 1/3 of my degree. :p:
Reply 13
We were introduced to Varian end of year 1 and used it properly in 1st half of year 2. I hate the book personally :biggrin: I wouldn't say it's a good introduction as such..Perloff or Mankiw maybe might be better.
NB. Mankiw is a macro man
Reply 15
President_Ben
NB. Mankiw is a macro man


Used this book last year: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/032420308X/qid=1144171735/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-4374198-1774037. Unless my eyes are fooling me it's micro :confused:
Well, he is primarily a macro man (if you ever read his research papers, columns etc)

And his books are *****.
Reply 17
Fair enough, never really read anything bar a couple of his papers and I like that textbook so I shall agree to disagree.