Doing Economics

“The book that really helped me understand the economic style of reasoning and approaching problems is Doing economics: What you should have learned in grad school—but didn’t by Marc F. Bellemare. Marc’s book is extremely insightful because he provides in great detail and clarity the hidden curriculum that is unique to the economics profession regarding getting through grad school, publishing, getting a tenure track or other job, and really becoming a research economist. Though absolutely written primarily for aspiring economists or many of the adjacent academic fields that are influenced by economists (e.g., political science, public policy), I found it most helpful to understand the incentive structure of economics, for better or worse, which helps explain the way economics papers are written and the types of language, frameworks for thinking, and terms that are used by economists.”
—Forbes

“The book is especially important for young students of economics who are thinking of pursuing a career in academia but have nobody to tell them about the harsh realities of the profession… Doing Economics has been heralded by many on social media as the book that should have been published when they were in grad school. Life in academia is hard in itself; the imperfect information given to young and aspiring entrants to the profession further complicates matters. Doing Economics is an introductory gateway to a world which is highly gated and uncertain.”
—LSE Review of Books

“By drawing on core economic concepts, Bellemare has you consider your opportunity costs when deciding how much service to do and how to protect yourself from too much early in your career. Doing Economics is aimed at helping you achieve success in academia and uncovering ways to improve your chance of winning tenure. Bellemare takes care to note that success in academia also means different things to different people. Judging oneself constantly against others, or against how many top-tier journal publications they have, is a wonderful recipe for unhappiness. There are many pathways to career success, and the aim of this book is to provide you with the tools necessary to achieve success and level the playing field for those who are unaware of the “hidden curriculum.””
—Journal of Public Affairs Education

Marc F. Bellemare is Northrop Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota and coeditor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.

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