The authors´ goal in this edition is to provide students with a user-friendly text that challenges the reader to develop the economic way of thinking. Put simply, this text is about: (a) making economics understandable, (b) illustrating the power and relevance of economics to our daily lives, and (c) explaining why both individuals and nations prosper. The accompanying exercises, test questions, and even the PowerPoint package are designed to make the concepts of economics come alive.