There are awfully many introductory expositions of economics available. Why bother to write another? Well, think of economics as a gigantic architecture with deep cellar vaults and high towers. It has gorgeous dining halls, remote chambers, and balconies that allow breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. In this allegory, the author of a textbook is a guide and the readership a group of visitors taken on a tour of the complex. The architecture is large and the time the visitors may spend is short (moreover, they are easily bored and tire fast). So what the dutiful tour guide has to worry about is: where in the building do.
