[reference]

摘要

Dieterle (economics, Walsh Coll., MI) focuses on people (economists and practitioners in business and politics), concepts, institutions, and events that influence the economic landscape primarily in the United States. Volume 1 outlines foundational economic theories-essentially the idea of free trade and its implications. Areas where free trade breaks down are briefly discussed. Volume 2 considers how the government influences economic behavior and examines federal institutions that measure economic performance. Volume 3 explores short-term disruptions (for instance, economic bubbles and busts) and how markets function. Volume 4 begins with the assumption that trade increases the number of goods accessible globally and covers topics related to global economics. Measures of economic performance (such as balance of payment) and concepts related to free trade (such as comparative advantage) are also discussed. This straightforward set is appropriate for those relatively new to the subject. A downside is the lack of depth-most articles are no more than a couple of pages long. However, each entry is heavily cross-referenced and followed by further reading suggestions. The extensive index at the end of each volume makes navigating the various topics easy. VERDICT A supplemental reference that will complement high school and introductory college courses.