Part I: Economics: The Science of How People Deal with Scarcity.

Chapter 1: Discovering What Economics Is and Why You Should Care.

Chapter 2: Cookies or Ice Cream? Exploring Consumer Choices.

Chapter 3: Producing the Right Stuff the Right Way to Maximize Human Happiness.

Part II: Microeconomics: The Theories of Consumer and Firm Behavior.

Chapter 4: Supply and Demand Made Easy.

Chapter 5: Getting to Know Homo Economicus, the Utility-Maximizing Consumer.

Chapter 6: The Core of Capitalism: The Profi t-Maximizing Firm.

Chapter 7: Why Economists Love Free Markets and Competition.

Chapter 8: Monopolies: How Badly Would You Behave If You Had No Competition?

Chapter 9: Oligopoly and Monopolistic Competition: Middle Grounds.

Part III: Applying the Theories of Microeconomics.

Chapter 10: Property Rights and Wrongs.

Chapter 11: Market Failure: Asymmetric Information and Public Goods.

Chapter 12: Taking the Pulse of Health Economics and Finance.

Part IV: Macroeconomics: The Science of Economic Growth and Stability.

Chapter 13: Measuring the Macroeconomy: How Economists Keep Track of Everything.

Chapter 14: Infl ation Frustration: Why More Money Isn't Always a Good Thing.

Chapter 15: Understanding Why Recessions Happen.

Chapter 16: Fighting Recessions with Monetary and Fiscal Policy.

Chapter 17: Grasping the Origins and Aftermath of Financial Crises.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 18: Ten Seductive Economic Fallacies.

Chapter 19: Ten Economic Ideas to Hold Dear.

Chapter 20: Ten Great Ways to Become Informed about Economic Issues.

Appendix: Glossary.

Index.