Microeconomic Analysis

by Hal R. Varian

Microeconomic Analysis has been a fixture of graduate programs in economics for fifteen years. It has held this position because it has the authority, the clarity, and the breadth necessary for a classic text. This new Third Edition continues to supply the building blocks of microeconomic analysis: a thorough treatment of optimization and equilibrium methods, coupled with numerous examples of their application.

The Third Edition expands on the earlier editions in two ways. First, the existing coverage has been rewritten and rearranged. Second, new chapters have been added on game theory, oligopoly, asset markets, and information economics. The rearrangement follows the model of Hal Varian's Intermediate Microeconomics: a number of short chapters, each devoted to a single topic. In fact, the topical division is as close as possible to that of the undergraduate text. This makes it easy to review undergraduate material before moving on to graduate material. The new chapters highlight significant developments in microeconomic theory in the last ten years at a level that is accessible for first-year graduate students.

Classic features:
* Emphasis on the dual approach to consumer and firm behavior.
* Integration of the modem analytic approach with classical price theory
* Analysis of economic behavior using classical methods of comparative statics, duality, and nonparametric methods.
* Emphasis on analytical techniques that are useful in applied research.

Highlights of the revision:
* New chapter on game theory that provides an appropriate introduction for first-year students.
* New chapter on oligopoly that features many of the recent developments in this area.
* New chapter on asset markets that describes "what every economist should know" about the theory of financial markets.
* New chapter on information economics that provides a unified treatment of incentives and markets in the presence of information asymmetries.

Genres: Economics, Textbooks, Nonfiction, Reference, Academic

506 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 1980

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was tough until I read Microeconomic Theory by Mas-Colell. The Varian text is much clearer and intuitive by comparison.

[Moon Na · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came to this book because of recommending from my professor. In reality, I don't like it as much as Micro Theory of Mas-Colell. It's probably more difficult than Kreps's book but less theoretical and mathematical than Micro theory of Mas Colell.
The math summary isn't good as I hope. Maybe this one in Mas Colell is much better.
It suits third-year undergrad or pre-master students than graduate level.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not nearly as mathy as Mas-Colell, Whinston, and Green (MWG), and much more conversational in prose (for a microeconomic theorist, Varian is a great writer), I did find this textbook to be a great supplement to the primary materials in the core micro curriculum of my PhD program. I did find that Varian's explanation of the integrability problem - a way to solve the problem of deriving an expenditure function from observed consumer demand behavior - was better than MWG.

[alzabo · Rating 4 out of 5]

simpler and more approachable method of many topics in mas-colell

[Ince · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm...Its hard to understand this book. But i must read this because my Professor luv this book. This book is one of main handbook to advance micro subject.

Now, I still read this book and cann't never stop because my comprehensive will be come, hikhikhik!

[Arjun · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Little inaccessible and not as complete a treatment of Micro as Mas Collell, Whinston, and Green

[Piotrekjablonski · Rating 1 out of 5]

... :P as boring as microeconomics can be... However it explains Slutcki's and Hick's substitution and income effects quite well

[Roberta]

Did not really read it but rather STUDIED it during my years at university. Easier that other handbooks to start reading/studying Economics.