A Story of Economics: A Principles Tale

Economics as the study of choice

This Rice University course on Coursera frames economics around a question about making the world better: how do people and societies choose when resources are limited? The description is short, so the course's narrative approach, suggested by its title, is the main thing to judge from the outside.

Who it suits

Beginners who want a gentle introduction to economic reasoning are the natural audience. The emphasis on choice gives the subject a practical starting point for everyday decisions as well as policy debates.

• Look for the trade-offs in a decision you made this week and compare them with the course framing.
• Treat the course as a first pass before moving to more specialized economics material.