Money for Minors

Money. Debt. Interest rates. Bankruptcy. Billionaires. Students may understand that money makes the world go 'round, but most are a little shaky when it comes to explaining how and why. Using an A-Z format and containing over 400 entries, this reference book provides an essential foundation of business and economic knowledge for middle-school, high-school, and community college students. Short features scattered throughout the text add interest and fun, while helping students understand how economics affects their daily lives. Best, the entries are written in a style ideal for students just beginning to learn how economies work and functionTeenagers spend over $100 billion annually in the U.S. and influence everything from clothing styles to music and movies to food and cell phones. Money for Minors will help them understand how their daily decisions have a huge impact on the economy. Special features will enable budding moguls to understand how they can become entrepreneurs and create economic value in various ways, evaluate offers from banks and credit card companies, read the business section of the newspaper, understand the importance of various government statistics, and more. And the book will not just prepare students for the higher-level economics courses they will take in high school and college—it will be a terrific guide for anyone doing research on everything from the Great Depression to credit card debt to real estate to inflation. Over 400 clearly written definitions will help students understand the essential concepts of economics and finance. In addition: -Short sidebars scattered throughout the text help students understand how economics affects their daily lives. Topics include reading stock quotes, icon economists like Alan Greenspan, monetary trivia, cool econ and monetary Websites, and the basics of entrepreneurship. -Six mini-lessons provide real-life applications of how the economy functions. Topics include The Federal Reserve System, Gross Domestic Product, Government Spending and Taxation, National Debt, Money, and The Business Cycle. Used as a stand-alone reference or in conjunction with an economics textbook, the definitions in the book will help students learn the language of economics—and help them understand the ways in which individuals, businesses, and government work together to form our $13 trillion economy.

"…an informative, practical guide to economics for high school and community college students…The clear, concise writing and dictionary/lesson structure will appeal to new students who need an introduction to economics and to more advanced pupils looking for a quick definition or a more detailed explanation of an economic theory to supplement their course reading. Readers will come away impressed by the author's recognition that teens are an important – and growing – part of the United States' $13 trillion economy." - VOYA, "[A]n expertly compiled guide for those students who are just becoming active participants in the economy. Serving a dual purpose as a practical financial training course and an education in economics, Money for Minors: A Student's Guide to Economics is a top pick for community library economics collections as well as high school (and college!) libraries." - Midwest Book Review, "This book is touted as a supplement for students in economics courses. When used in conjunction with a text, it would be extremely beneficial." - Library Media Connection, "Economic terms accompany brief portraits of financial notables such as Federal Reserve Chair, Ben Bernanke, and entrepreneurs including Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Timely lessons on banking, credit, government regulations, and business cycles follow, spiced with money trivia. The handbook contains plenty of extras for students and general readers, including information on related Web sites and podcasts." - Curriculum Connections

Marie Bussing-Burks is a lecturer in economics in the College of Business at the University of Southern Indiana. In addition to teaching economics at the college level for twenty years, Bussing-Burks has taught Junior Achievement business classes in middle school and microeconomics to high school students. She is the author of The Young Zillionaire's Guide to Taxation and Government Spending, Profit from the Evening News: Using Leading Economic Indicators to Make Smart Money Decisions, and Influential Economists.