'This book fills a very real gap: a textbook of more rigor than the leading undergraduate textbooks, while at the same time written in a clear, understandable style. Better than any other textbook I know, this work provides the student with a knowledgeable basis for setting textbook analysis in the context of the messy real world of political economy. It is appropriate for good, well-trained, relatively sophisticated undergraduate economics majors and for introductory graduate-level courses.' Polly Reynolds Allen, University of Connecticut 'This is a textbook rich in policy and institutional detail, yet rigorous in its exposition of economic ideas. Students will love the real-world orientation, while their professors will appreciate the no-nonsense approach to theory. Just as the author himself, this text is unsurpassed in erudition, wisdom, and practical insights.' Dani Rodrik, Kennedy School, Harvard University