Through its Defining Moments theme, the Ruffin/Gregory text provides a historical basis for students to understand the economic theories and policies of today. Defining Moments outline the ideas behind the most important events of economics--the Industrial Revolution, the Rise and Fall of Socialism, the Great Depression, Globalization, and the Information Revolution. In addition to thoroughly updated microeconomics coverage, the new edition features a wealth of up-to-date boxed examples and all-new pedagogical features, including Learning Objectives, Chapter Puzzles, and Web Questions.