Commercial Society is about how to understand a market economy. The book, part of the "Economy, Polity, and Society" series, is a primer on economics and ethical entrepreneurship. The authors (all, Univ. of Arizona) cover concepts in both microeconomics and macroeconomics, and they provide chapters on business and entrepreneurship. The chapters are brief and cover the basics; each chapter concludes with exercises and topics for class discussion. Each chapter also has a QR code, that, when scanned with a cell phone, takes the user to a website for more information. . . This work could serve as a textbook on economics for students who are not economics majors. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, including students in technical programs.

Choice Reviews

The authors do an outstanding job of capturing the essential, complementary roles of commerce and ethics in short, concise chapters that are easily digestible for readers of almost any age and educational background. They adroitly link seemingly diverse concepts into a simple narrative of societal sustainability through human interdependence and cooperation. Commercial Society is a thoughtful, delightfully easy, and critically important read.

Stephen L. Vargo, Professor of Marketing, University of Hawai'i at Manoa

This thought-provoking text encourages exploration and engagement in life’s conversation regarding the connection of ethical behavior to commercial economic progress, as well as the importance of entrepreneurship in creating ways to make others better off. It is succinct and will engage students creatively and deeply in dialogue, study, and research.

Candace Smith, Economics Teacher

Learning economics is hard because it is part social science, part business discipline, part moral philosophy. You need to learn how the world works, how to flourish in business and life, and how choices benefit or harm others. Commercial Society is the first text that consistently stresses all three of these points in a clear and simple way. Highly recommended!

Joshua C. Hall, Professor of Economics, West Virginia University

A well-conceived and well-executed guide for young adults embarking on lives in our commercial society. The book provides a beautifully clear description of trade and its centrality to human life, the institutions supporting trade, and the ethics woven into its fabric. On the practical side it discusses personal and business finance and ends with a challenge to the reader to start his or her own business.

David Keyt, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy, University of Washington, USA