Introductory Econometrics: Intuition, Proof, and Practice attempts to
distill econometrics into a form that preserves its essence, but that is
acceptable--and even appealing--to the student's intellectual palate.
This book insists on rigor when it is essential, but it emphasizes
intuition and seizes upon entertainment wherever possible.
Introductory Econometrics is motivated by three beliefs. First,
students are, perhaps despite themselves, interested in questions that
only econometrics can answer. Second, through these answers, they can
come to understand, appreciate, and even enjoy the enterprise of
econometrics. Third, this text, which presents select innovations in
presentation and practice, can provoke readers' interest and encourage
the responsible and insightful application of econometric techniques.
In particular, author Jeffrey S. Zax gives readers many opportunities to
practice proofs--which are challenging, but which he has found to
improve student comprehension. Learning from proofs gives readers an
organic understanding of the message behind the numbers, a message that
will benefit them as they come across statistics in their daily lives.
An ideal core text for foundational econometrics courses, this book is
appropriate for any student with a solid understanding of basic
algebra--and a willingness to use that tool to investigate complicated
issues.
