Simulation Methods for Reliability and Availability of Complex Systems (Springer Series in R... Book

This project was a lengthy undertaking, but I finally worked my way through this text.

This text is outdated, but that's not its fault; this is the one I got. Otherwise, it was a strong, simply-presented introduction to concepts in microeconomics and macroeconomics, primarily focused on the economic system(s) and context(s) of the United States. The world is changing so quickly in the Internet age that many of the delineations here no longer exist, though references to classical economics and some alternative systems were of course still pertinent. The economies of other nations are treated in a quasi-segmented way that does not reflect our global society (economy), and a shift in power dynamics has most definitely occurred internationally since this edition was released around the turn of the millennium. Language also needs a refresh. Generally, though, concepts are revisited multiple times, and students/readers are referred back to explanatory chapters for foundational information wherever necessary. Applied concepts in global economics (now outdated, but still interesting) are presented in each chapter for context. It's a good introductory text.

Newer editions (which I have not read) hopefully deal more with cultural and socio-economic influences on the economy in the United States, international economics and globalization, and the rise of the tech sector and knowledge workers. And of course there's the development of behavioral economics, which may eventually bring the entire rationality model crumbling to the ground.