Myatt Tony - The Economics Anti-Textbook: a Critical Thinkers Guide to Microeconomics

Rod Hill grew up in Ontario, was educated at the University of Toronto, the University of Stockholm and the University of Western Ontario, where he obtained a PhD in economics. He has taught at the University of Windsor, the University of Regina and the University of New Brunswick, where he has been a professor of economics since 2003. His research interests have included international trade policy, taxation and the underground economy, and (as a result of growing dissatisfaction) the content of the introductory textbooks. He is a research associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and a member of Economists for Peace and Security and the Progressive Economics Forum.

Tony Myatt received his PhD from McMaster University with distinction in theory. He has taught at McMaster University, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Toronto and the University of New Brunswick, where he has been professor of economics since 1992. His research interests have included the supply-side effects of interest rates, labour market discrimination, unemployment rate disparities, and the methods and content of economic education. He has developed several different introductory courses as vehicles for teaching principles of economics, including Economics of everyday life, Economics in the real world and Economics through film. Professor Myatt was the recipient of UNBs Arts Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2008.

The Economics Anti-textbook: A critical thinkers guide to microeconomics was first published in 2010

Published by Zed Books Ltd, 7 Cynthia Street, London N 1 9 JF , UK and Room 400, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA

Copyright Rod Hill and Tony Myatt 2010

The rights of Rod Hill and Tony Myatt to be identified as the authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988

Designed and set by Ewan Smith, London
Index
Cover designed by David Bradshaw

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data available

eISBN 9781848138292

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Walid Hejazi, Michael Krashinsky and Jack Parkinson of the University of Toronto, participants in a seminar at the University of New Brunswick, and a variety of anonymous referees who provided helpful comments on the initial outline of the book. Many colleagues also helped in selecting a title: Abdella Abdou (Brandon University), Hafiz Akhand (University of Regina), Marilyn Gerriets (St Francis Xavier University), John Janmaat (University of British Columbia, Okanagan), Harvey King (University of Regina), Rob Moir (University of New Brunswick), Saeed Moshiri (University of Saskatchewan), Michael Rushton (University of Indiana, Bloomington), Jim Sentance (University of Prince Edward Island), Calin Valsin (Bishops University) and Fattaneh Zehtab-Jadid (Brandon University).

Special thanks to: Michael Bradfield of Dalhousie University, who commented on initial drafts of some chapters; our two editors at Zed Books, Ellen Hallsworth and Ken Barlow, for their guidance and their patience with our missed deadlines; and to two anonymous referees who read the first draft.

None of the above should in any way be held responsible for the views expressed here.

Finally, thanks to our respective wives Virginia and Muriel for putting up with us through the writing of this book.

We dedicate this book to our respective children, Rose and Thomas Myatt, and Joan-Maki Motapanyane, and grandchildren, Maia and Terence Motapanyane, and to all inquisitive economics students who want to think for themselves and not just believe what theyre told.