The authors recognize that the economy is a complex system and that economists do not have all the answers; basic economic models do not hold true under all circumstances. The text provides students with a framework for discussing complicated questions and the tools to think about models and the economy in the way that macroeconomists and policy makers do. Theory is developed as needed to understand policy, rather than presenting theory first and then adding policy, and is presented with a minimum of technical detail. The authors present modern macroeconomic concepts and issues in a lively, accessible and entertaining style.