economics textbook-writers (almost all of which are what I call the "Ekon") make their decisions subject to the dead hand of tradition. If they violate tradition by scoffing at "economic man," they'll be punished in the market by the large mass of Ekon profs who have been indoctrinated with it and believe in it (perhaps because it's "mathematically tractable"). Most of the textbook-writers also believe in this theory, seeing it as almost tautologically true. They rationalize away any qualms by thinking that they need to prepare the students for higher-level courses.
the Goodwin, Nelson, Ackerman, and Weisskopf textbook (MICROECONOMICS IN CONTEXT) gives a much better presentation of consumer-choice matters. On Jan 9, 2008 10:15 PM, Eugene Coyle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thanks, Julio, for this. Everyone should read the comments which follow, > most of them attacking the author. Amazing. > > I recently had a look at Mankiw's textbook to see what he had to same about > consumers. Terrible stuff, essentially a lie. I also looked at the > principles book by Robert H. Frank & Ben Bernake at the same time and it was > as bad, or almost so. That, despite the fact that Frank writes books like > Luxury Fever and asked in the NY Times about "Whatever happened to James > Duesenberry?" Isn't there a way to impeach and incarcerate textbook writers > who commit these crimes? > > Gene Coyle > > > On Jan 9, 2008, at 2:16 AM, Julio Huato wrote: > http://adbusters.org/the_magazine/75/Economic_Indoctrination.html > > -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.
