Cover of Principles of Economics

Principles of Economics

by N. Gregory Mankiw · first published 1998

31mentions
11recommended by
25HN commenters
2008–2026first – last mentioned

44% recommend56% neutral

Why HN recommends it

A readable, well-written introductory textbook for learning economics, suitable for a university course or independent study.

Summarised by Claude from recommending comments

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Mentions per year

40 2007: 0 mentions2008: 2 mentions2009: 3 mentions2010: 0 mentions2011: 1 mention2012: 1 mention2013: 1 mention2014: 0 mentions2015: 2 mentions2016: 3 mentions2017: 3 mentions2018: 3 mentions2019: 0 mentions2020: 2 mentions2021: 1 mention2022: 1 mention2023: 4 mentions2024: 2 mentions2025: 0 mentions2026: 1 mention200720172026

What Hacker News says

  • tmbsundar · Nov 30, 2015 · Recommends

    > broad economical trends and projections Any good Economics Text book will do: like Principles of Economics/ Principles of Microeconomics, Gregory Mankiw You can also try, although, personally I have not taken these: https://www.coursera.org/course/microecon https://www.coursera.org/learn/principles-of-macroeconomics…

    on “Ask HN: What's your favorite online course?” ↗
  • alephnerd · Sep 15, 2023 · Recommends

    …with since the 50s. Modern Macroeconomics has changed significantly since the early 20th century. A full explaination would take forever, but I'd recommend reading a basic Econ textbook like Mankiw's Principles of Economics to get started. Econ is similar to ML - a lot of very complex ideas are being distilled into meme soundbite explanations that fail to provide an accurate explaination of very complex systems.

    on “Inflation-adjusted iPhone 15 most affordable base model since 2007 original” ↗
  • ekm2 · Aug 6, 2011 · Recommends

    I would suggest Greg Mankiw's Principles of Economics.He also has a blog here http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/

    on “Ask HN: what are some good resources to understand economics?” ↗
  • edanm · Dec 11, 2018 · Recommends

    …recommend - however, keep in mind that Thomas Sowell is very capitalist/right leaning, and the book is quite "biased". A great textbook, if you really want to get further into economics, is Greg Mankiw's Principles of Economics (almost all undergrad economics textbooks are called "Principles of Economics", for some reason, so you have to search by author.) That's definitely the place to go if you want to have a more sophisticated…

    on “Why Aren’t Rich People Happy With the Money They Have?” ↗
  • mr_overalls · Aug 3, 2020 · Recommends

    …great for accessibility for non-economics. However, he is rightly criticized as failing to cite rigorous studies to back up his opinions. For a more balanced view of basic economics, I'd highly recommend Principles of Economics by Greg Mankiw.

    on “Thomas Sowell interview” ↗
  • lunchbox · May 4, 2008 · Recommends

    It depends if you're looking for a textbook or more entertaining general-audience book. If the former, check out Principles of Economics, as mathoda suggested. If the latter, here are Mankiw's recommendations: http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2006/05/summer-reading-list.h...

    on “Good book for economics” ↗
  • edanm · Jan 18, 2016 · Recommends

    …can you go about reading real economists? The best way is to actually study economics, which you can do either via online videos (plenty of them available) or reading a textbook. I recommend Mankiw's "Principles of Economics" textbook, it's very readable. If you don't have the time/inclination for reading a whole textbook, the next best thing is to read more "introduction to economics" books. A few that I highly recommend:…

    on “Richest 1% will own more than all the rest by 2016” ↗
  • pg_bot · Jun 8, 2018 · Recommends

    Principles of Economics by Greg Mankiw is the intro text at most universities, it's very well written. [0]: https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Economics-7th-Mankiws/dp/1...

    on “Bernanke Says U.S. Economy Faces a ‘Wile E. Coyote’ Moment in 2020” ↗
  • lifefeed · Dec 13, 2021 · Recommends

    …far less than that if you buy international editions off eBay. Same content for less money, even new. (And if you want to know why they sell the same books for less money to different markets, pick up Principles of Economics by Mankiw)

    on “Ask HN: What do you read for general knowledge?” ↗
  • lifefeed · May 3, 2022 · Recommends

    I don't know what your general knowledge of economics entails, so this might be obvious, but the back half of Principles of Economics by N. Gregory Mankiw covers how a lot of those pieces are interrelated. (Bonus tip: buy an international edition on eBay. It's the same content.)

    on “Ask HN: How can I learn macroeconomics properly?” ↗
  • JumpCrisscross · Dec 29, 2023 · Recommends

    …also take 10+ years to permit.) > Do you see the year investment time ending up in the exponent? You may actually enjoy reading some of the foundational texts whose concepts you’re glancing across. (Principles of Economics, Mankiw, is a classic. For a more-applied text, Fabozzi’s Fixed Income.) You’re citing real things. But you’re connecting them nonsensically. Investopedia isn’t a replacement for training, though it’s…

    on “Nuclear power gets new push in U.S., winning converts (2022)” ↗
  • JumpCrisscross · Jul 31, 2026 · Recommends

    …must e.g. "the surface that is being constructed" depending on how one defines surface construction. There are various measures of inflation of various utility. Some are used to deflate GDP. Mankiw's Principles of Economics might be a good satart if you're serious about your questions. Because by your metrics, decarbonistion is a folly.

    on “Europe's fires are just the start” ↗
  • cschwarm · Jul 25, 2009 · Recommends

    …In fact, it's been in print since 1948, so that it's probably the most successful economic textbooks of all time. However, it seems to have lost some traction in recent years. My impression is that "Principles of Economics" by N. Gregory Mankiw took its place. If Mankiw's "Principles" is written as clearly as his Macroeconomics textbook, it's certainly worth to start with it. Of course, both are quite expensive and --…

    on “Economics in One lesson - Henry Hazlitt” ↗
  • manny · Sep 19, 2008 · Recommends

    This was required reading in my Econ 101 Class. A must read. However, a caveat: this book, along with Carl Menger's Principles of Economics, will turn you into what some might call a "[Ron] Paulite". Then again, some see that a term of endearment. ;p

    on “Economics in One Lesson” ↗
  • How would compare Mankiw's Principles of Micro / Macro separately vs. his single, Principles of Economics text? Some background: I'm a graduate student with little time, but this election cycle has motivated me to learn some basic economics / history in my spare time.

    on “Ask HN: What are the must-read books about economics/finance?” ↗

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