Macroeconomics Demystified

Macroeconomics is a complex and very often difficult subject to understand. In this book the author makes principles and concepts simple without sacrificing details. Beginners and college students alike can learn from the clear and direct approach that August Swanenberg has taken. Quizzes and test questions as well as a final exam are included. Understanding is enhanced with the many charts and graphs found within the pages of this self-teaching guide. I have a BS degree in Economics and have found this to be a very helpful resource for honing and refreshing my economic skills!

I'm only on Chapter 04, but so far I find this book perfect for preparing for the CLEP in Macroecon. It's well-written, to the point, good visual examples - far better than the boat anchors written by most academics and mandated for college classes. Quizzes at the end of each chapter have excellent explanations for each answer - you'll as much from the quizzes as from the text.

I am using this to study for the CLEP test. It should be called Macroeconomics summary and test prep, rather than DEMYSTIFIED. I say that because it's a good book to use as the core of a quick self-study, but by itself it is not always clear and simple. For example, the section on Aggregate Supply and Demand wasn't clear enough for me. I found myself looking at youtube videos instead (Khan Economy Aggregate Supply video) and even decided to order the microeconomics demystified because I don't think I understand demand curves quite enough. Things I love about the book: good test prep, good mini quizzes throughout the book (though the quizzes should have been shorter and the reading material more thorough), decent graphs. By the way, this book is not in color, it is black and white except for the cover. This is important to know because color graphs are easier to understand than black and white. If you have plenty of time, you might consider getting one of the Mankiw textbooks like "essentials of economics". I picked up a 5th edition of that for $7 with shipping. I think I'll read the Macroeconomics and Microeconomics demystified cover to cover before taking my CLEP tests for both of them. But the Mankiw book will provide any extra help I need for sections I don't get. I'm also using Instacert website which is a paid CLEP test prep service. I would give this book 5 stars, except there were too many quizzes and not enough material, there were some typos. However, for a quick condensed summary of what you need to know - I think this is a good book. I would give it 4.5 but I can't.

I had this book for 8 months before I opened it. I wouldn't recommend this but with 16 real hours of studying, just this book, and no previous experience you can understand macroeconomics. Are all of the chapters well-written? No. Do you learn the answer to every question on the CLEP with this material? No. However, you will learn more than enough with diligent study to pass the examination. My score was a 64 out of 80. I took it approximately 2 weeks ago with just this material

My biggest problem with this book is how confusing it is. This book is NOT for beginners; the technical jargon in this book is heavy. Often, descriptions and summaries of economic concepts aren't explained in a manner that is easy to understand for your average Joe. I also feel like the quizzes at the end of the chapters are filled with tricky questions that are very frustrating. Overall, if you're trying to obtain a concrete understanding of economic fundamentals for a more advanced education in this field, then this may be the book for you. If you're trying to learn about the economy in an easy to understand, laid back manner... look elsewhere because this book is pretty technical.

I bought "Macroeconomics Demystified" (MD) and several other guides for my daughter who will be studying macro-economics this year at college. I thought MD was the best -- very well organized, with an excellent collection of graphics and study questions. While I'm sure that one can make the grade using the others, MD is exceptionally readable and neatly and succinctly communicates the essentials.

I'm a college student and I had to take macroeconomics twice. The first year it kicked my butt so bad I made a D. The second time I took it I made a B, could have been an A. This book aided me so much and made things so much easier for me to understand.

Used this book to CLEP macroecon a few years back. It was a perfect reference for someone with no prior knowledge of econ. I studied for about a month before taking the exam. Highly recommend this book! I also bought the microecon book by the same publisher, but was told by my counselor that I had maxed my CLEP exams with that school and so I had to take it in class.