"This text is clearly superior in its treatment of microeconomics from a broader context.” (*) Designed for one-semester use, this innovative and affordable principles-level text takes a broad “contextual” approach to economics—including serious consideration of ecological, feminist, and social concerns—while still including coverage of the standard microeconomic concepts and models. Unlike most microeconomics textbooks, which focus exclusively on markets and efficiency, this book starts with the question of human well-being and then examines how economic activities can contribute to, or detract from, well-being. It addresses such critical concerns as ecological sustainability, distributional equality, the quality of employment, and the adequacy of living standards. An Instructor’s Resource Manual, a Test Bank, and a Student Study Guide are available online to instructors who adopt the text. Endorsements:

"This text is clearly superior in its treatment of microeconomics from a broader context, paying attention to issues [such as] environmental sustainability and activities in households and communities. It is quite innovative in that regard, while at the same time giving due treatment to all the standard microeconomic theory presented in the mainstream textbooks." — Marjolein van der Veen, Bellevue Community College (*)

"The inclusion of alternative viewpoints and debates within economics is an essential and very valuable aspect of this book. It is extremely well suited to liberal arts colleges and for students who take introductory microeconomics as a requirement for social science and environmental studies programs. It think it is equally valuable for business students and traditional economics studies as it both incorporates alternative viewpoints and provides a thorough analysis of the traditional model which allows students to easily progress to intermediate and upper level economics classes." — Fred Curtis, Drew University

"It's common enough for faculty to say 'just read any standard micro text, they're all the same.' But I do sense that more faculty are looking for an alternative, like Goodwin & Nelson, that still provides students with the 'traditional basics' they need, but goes beyond the abstractions to situate economics in the reality students will be facing and in the context within which they'll be making decisions. This is especially true for ecological sustainability, and the systemic treatment of this topic is one of this text's strengths." — Bruce Logan, Lesley College

"The best undergraduate education is achieved by facilitating the opportunity for students to both gather new information AND learn to think critically. This text provides the opportunity to meet both of these goals in an introductory economics course, thereby providing an important educational foundation for all future learning. ... The notion of sustainable development is gaining so much ground in colleges and universities and this text provides a wonderful basis for using that attention to teach about economics." — David H. Ciscel, Emeritus, The University of Memphis