The New Introduction to Geographical Economics

Reviews / Votes

'Geographical economics is a broad field which encompasses or connects with the economics of region, cities, location, trade, development, and growth. Academic research in these areas has gone in many directions and made lots of progress in recent years. The first accomplishment of this New Introduction to Geographical Economics was to digest this diverse and fast growing body of knowledge. The second achievement of this great book is to be able to present everything in a clear, comprehensive, and accessible manner.' Gilles Duranton, University of Toronto 'In recent years geographical economics has gained momentum, in both academic and policy circles. This has happened thanks to a series of remarkably original contributions pioneered by the Nobel Prize Winner Paul Krugman. The combination of imperfect competition, increasing returns to scale, and transport technologies in new and powerful ways have helped to clarify the microeconomic foundations of both urban and regional imbalances at the national and the international levels. Steven Brakman, Harry Garretsen and Charles van Marrewijk provide students and fellow researchers with a timely and accurate introduction to the state-of-the-art of this vibrant field of research.' Gianmarco I. P. Ottaviano, Bocconi University, Milan 'The authors provide a very nice and clear overview of what has been accomplished in this new field. Undergraduate students and teachers have no excuse anymore for ignoring the theoretical and empirical material uncovered by geographical economists. They now have a great text handy.' Jacques Thisse, CORE, Universite Louvain-la-Neuve 'The authors' 2001 graduate textbook was a masterful combination of theory, facts and examples - the book made it easy to interest students in this difficult but essential topic. With the 2008 Nobel going to Paul Krugman, in part for his contribution to Economic Geography, this second edition could not come at a better time. This edition keeps the excellent pedagogical style of the first edition and applies it to the substantial theoretical and empirical advancements that have occurred in the New Century. I would also recommend it to professional economists who would like an accessible introduction to this vast literature.' Richard Baldwin, Graduate Institute, Geneva 'Since Paul Krugman's initial explorations into what he called the 'new economic geography' barely two decades ago, an increasing number of mainstream economists have recognised the importance of geography - of space and location - for understanding how economies develop and function, and a large literature now exists in this field. The first edition of Brakman, Garretsen and Marrewijk's, Introduction to Geographical Economics was one of the most successful books on this subject. This new, updated, edition builds on this success, and provides a rigorous yet highly readable introduction to the new economic geography. The clarity of theoretical exposition and the copious use of real world applications set this book apart from others in the field. Not only does it advance the subject in its own right, its accessible style and its willingness to engage with the views of geographers will do much to encourage positive dialogue with the latter.' Ron Martin, University of Cambridge '... very versatile ... while ... an ideal textbook for undergraduates ... it still provides a good review of applications of the models for graduate students, policymakers, and early career researchers.' www.EGRG.com (Economic Geography Research Group)