Our Idea

This Is How It All Started...

We met in the summer of 1992, when Len attended a week-long seminar at Syracuse University to be trained to teach Economics 203 for Syracuse University Project Advance.  Jerry ran the seminar, and introduced the participants to his textbook that is used to teach introductory college economics.  After being colleagues and friends for the next twenty-five years, and after many lunches, seminars, and classroom visits, we set out to write the definitive Regents-level economic textbook for New York State.

With the success of Economics for NYS High School Students, we have now moved on to our national edition - Accessible Economics.

We agree on many things.  First, it's really hard to find a high-school level economics textbook that can accommodate a wide range of learners. If you're like most teachers, you have students for whom graduation will be a struggle, and others who aspire to attend competitive colleges, often in the same economics classroom. Some texts seem to be slightly watered-down versions of college texts, while others are so basic they fail to keep the attention of motivated learners.

Second, it is the rare social studies teacher who likes teaching economics.  After all, it is the "dismal science," the discipline in which you took one class (maybe) during college on the way to achieving your dream of becoming a dazzlingly successful history teacher. Economics is the course whose content terrifies social studies teachers the most. Many times the assignment falls to the least experienced teachers. We understand, and we can help.

Third, the power of extraordinary teaching is undeniable.  While there are many ways to be an excellent teacher, one of the most engaging and effective ways is through narrative. Charismatic storytelling creates deep understandings and allows important, indelible connections to be made in the minds of your students.  This narrative voice is at the heart of our textbook.

Questions?  Email us at Adam.smiths.wisdom@gmail.com