\input zb-basic
\input zb-matheduc
\iteman{ZMATH 06115714}
\itemau{Asano, Akihito}
\itemti{An introduction to mathematics for economics.}
\itemso{Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (ISBN 978-0-521-18946-0/pbk; 978-1-107-00760-4/hbk; 978-1-139-03522-4/ebook). xvi, 267~p. \sterling~19.99, \$~34.99/pbk; \sterling~60.00, \$~99.99/hbk (2013).}
\itemab
This textbook ``An Introduction to Mathematics for the Economists'' is intended for a first-year undergraduate course in quantitative methods. The expected audience consists of business or economics students who probably do not appreciate mathematics for its own sake, and may even suffer for ``math-anxiety". So, this textbook takes a practically-oriented approach. This means that instead of building a mathematical theory, the author starts with practical problems from economics, like the law of supply and demand, and the mathematical content is presented as a mean to solve practical problems. The textbook's practically-oriented approach seems very good and is certainly appropriate for the intended audience. The book contains all the basic material one would expect in an introductory course in quantitative methods for business or economics students. Also, the book contains sections on logic and proofs. This is a most welcome addition, and I would like to see this rigorous side of mathematics, and indeed thinking, emphasized more in textbooks. The textbook has a relatively nice layout: much nicer than textbooks of this kind on average. However, it seems that the layout was designed to be in colors and the book is in gray-scale.
\itemrv{Tommi Sottinen (Vaasa)}
\itemcc{M15 M45}
\itemut{textbook; undergraduate course; quantitative methods; economics}
\itemli{doi:10.1017/CBO9781139035224}
\end