An essential starting point for all those who wish to explore political economics for the first time, or for whose who want to update or build upon what they already know. Roncaglia clearly illustrates the key aspects of economics and the major theories. He equips the reader both with knowledge of and material for reflection on the major economic issues at stake today: from unemployment to inflation, from social stratification to underdevelopment, from the international monetary system to the organization of the European Union.