"Essentials of Economics" is the market leader for the one-semester survey course. In just about 400 pages, it provides a solid introduction to the core concepts of economics with an emphasis on real-world examples and current events. "Essentials" has earned its popular success because, unlike other books on the market, it is free of the abstract and complex theory that requires more time than this course allows. Instead, the text is clean and concise, with many examples of significance to students today, including Headlines and Policy Perspectives that use current events to help illustrate the topics discussed. This real-world policy emphasis is a distinctive feature of Schillers text and is integral to its dominance of the survey text market.
Section I: Basics Chapter 1 The Challenge of Economics Chapter 2 The U.S. Economy Chapter 3 Supply and Demand Section II: Microeconomics Chapter 4 Consumer Demand Chapter 5 Supply Decisions Chapter 6 Competition Chapter 7 Monopoly Chapter 8 The Labor Market Chapter 9 Government Intervention Section III: Macroeconomics Chapter 10 The Business Cycle Chapter 11 Aggregate Supply and Demand Chapter 12 Fiscal Policy Chapter 13 Money and Banks Chapter 14 Monetary Policy Chapter 15 Economic Growth Chapter 16 Theory and Reality Section IV: International Chapter 17 International Trade