Content area
Full Text
ECONOMICS RESOURCES AQA AS / A Level Year 1 Economics, Malcolm Surridge and John Wolinski, CrossAcademe, 2015, 474 pages, £24.99, ISBN 978-1-909592-45-2
This is a brand new resource to accompany the AQA Economics A Level (Year 1) syllabus from the publisher 'Cross Academe'. Their website states 'Cross Academe is an Oxford-based educational publisher with a clear purpose: to support GCSE and A-level students aspiring to the highest grades through the creation of highly focused textbooks, revision guides and practical classroom resources that will stimulate, challenge and inspire.' I think this book meets this aim admirably. There is a wealth of contemporary content and a focus on the demands of the examinations that will support students of all levels of ability.
To some extent, this book further exemplifies what is an increasingly dumbfounding conundrum of when is an AS not an AS, and when is it a year 1 ? For example, with this being the year 1 text I would logically expect to need to purchase the year 2 text (due for publication in September 2016) in due course. However, unless the year 2 text also includes reference to the year 1 content and examination preparation will I also need my students to have access to the year 1 text before their A level exams? Does this mean I need to buy two sets, one for year 12 students and one for year 13 students? If I do have students sitting the AS as a discreet group (if there even is an AS examination in a couple of years) do I need a further set? If the A level is a two year course with an expectation that the vast majority of students will study for two years would it not be better to have a text book for the whole course?
Economics and Business Studies A level text books are almost an example of competitive markets in themselves. Author-wise, Business has for years been dominated by the forces of Wolinski, Coats, Marcousé, Surridge and Gillespie (not to mention Hall, Jones and Raffo), while Economics has been the domain of Powell (and son) and Anderton. This foray by two respected business authors into the realm of economics is an interesting move, and places them...