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Th e Economic Indicators Handbook ( EIH ) provides a comprehensive and convenient compilation of data that will be useful to anyone interested in the performance of the U.S. economy. Some 267 series are presented in 805 tables that provide actual and constant dollar summaries of economic performance (presumably, these are the ''conversions'' referred to in the book's subtitle). The book states that all ''series begin with the earliest date for which statistics were collected or estimated by the government or other sources.'' Thus, the ''Gross National Product'' series begins with 1929 data and includes estimations extending back to 1869. The EIH is divided into eight chapters that cover the Gross National Product and Gross Domestic Product, business cycle indicators, various economic indicators (e.g., employment and trade statistics), the Consumer and Producer Price indexes, and selected stock market indexes. Each chapter begins with a brief description of the series and concludes with a short bibliography. More than 600 of the book's almost 1100 pages are devoted to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is reported on a monthly basis both in the aggregate and for 27 different cities. The least satisfactory chapter too briefly summarizes stock market performance. Unfortunately, the EIH covers only U.S. indicators; in today's global economy, even a brief chapter providing some comparative international statistics would have been a welcome addition--a suggestion for the second edition. For general and specialized collections.-- Peggy Smith, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park
BookList - Sandy Whiteley
"Gross domestic product", "leading economic indicators", "consumer price index"--these are terms we hear on the evening news and read in our daily newspapers. They are statistical series used to measure the health of the U.S. economy. Here Darnay, the compiler of such business reference sources as "Manufacturing USA" ["RBB" Je 15 90], provides 805 tables for 267 series. The tables are almost all based on U.S. government sources, usually the Commerce or Labor departments. Most tables are current as of 1991. Some give monthly data for the past 20 years, others for 50 years, and some go back more than 100 years. Most series are given in two forms: in actual dollars and converted to constant dollars
Each statistical series is introduced by an explanation of the tables, which is accessible to laypeople. Brief bibliographies are often provided for further reading. Among the tables in the gross national product and gross domestic product series are "Change in Business Inventories" and "Net Exports of Goods and Services." Also given are business-cycle indicators (composite indexes of leading, coincident, and lagging indicators) and such cyclic indicators as unemployment. The consumer price index is presented for the average U.S. city and then for 27 specific cities. For each city are listed figures for food, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care, and entertainment. Producer price indexes are given for a range of businesses from farm products to machinery and equipment. The final chapter provides selected stock-market indexes. A keyword index completes the volume
Libraries with large government-publications collections will be able to pull together some of the information presented here. However, having data provided for these series since their inceptions in one volume is extremely handy. Academic and large public libraries will find "Economic Indicators Handbook" a worthy addition to their business collections.
Th e Economic Indicators Handbook ( EIH ) provides a comprehensive and convenient compilation of data that will be useful to anyone interested in the performance of the U.S. economy. Some 267 series are presented in 805 tables that provide actual and constant dollar summaries of economic performance (presumably, these are the ''conversions'' referred to in the book's subtitle). The book states that all ''series begin with the earliest date for which statistics were collected or estimated by the government or other sources.'' Thus, the ''Gross National Product'' series begins with 1929 data and includes estimations extending back to 1869. The EIH is divided into eight chapters that cover the Gross National Product and Gross Domestic Product, business cycle indicators, various economic indicators (e.g., employment and trade statistics), the Consumer and Producer Price indexes, and selected stock market indexes. Each chapter begins with a brief description of the series and concludes with a short bibliography. More than 600 of the book's almost 1100 pages are devoted to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is reported on a monthly basis both in the aggregate and for 27 different cities. The least satisfactory chapter too briefly summarizes stock market performance. Unfortunately, the EIH covers only U.S. indicators; in today's global economy, even a brief chapter providing some comparative international statistics would have been a welcome addition--a suggestion for the second edition. For general and specialized collections.-- Peggy Smith, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park
BookList - Sandy Whiteley
"Gross domestic product", "leading economic indicators", "consumer price index"--these are terms we hear on the evening news and read in our daily newspapers. They are statistical series used to measure the health of the U.S. economy. Here Darnay, the compiler of such business reference sources as "Manufacturing USA" ["RBB" Je 15 90], provides 805 tables for 267 series. The tables are almost all based on U.S. government sources, usually the Commerce or Labor departments. Most tables are current as of 1991. Some give monthly data for the past 20 years, others for 50 years, and some go back more than 100 years. Most series are given in two forms: in actual dollars and converted to constant dollars
Each statistical series is introduced by an explanation of the tables, which is accessible to laypeople. Brief bibliographies are often provided for further reading. Among the tables in the gross national product and gross domestic product series are "Change in Business Inventories" and "Net Exports of Goods and Services." Also given are business-cycle indicators (composite indexes of leading, coincident, and lagging indicators) and such cyclic indicators as unemployment. The consumer price index is presented for the average U.S. city and then for 27 specific cities. For each city are listed figures for food, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care, and entertainment. Producer price indexes are given for a range of businesses from farm products to machinery and equipment. The final chapter provides selected stock-market indexes. A keyword index completes the volume
Libraries with large government-publications collections will be able to pull together some of the information presented here. However, having data provided for these series since their inceptions in one volume is extremely handy. Academic and large public libraries will find "Economic Indicators Handbook" a worthy addition to their business collections.
Used availability for Arsen Darnay's Economic Indicators Handbook