A Review of Some Recent Textbooks of Econometrics

Estimation and lnference in Econometrics, Russell
Davidson and James G. MacKinnon, Oxford
University Press, 1993, 874 + xx pages
(Designated DM).
A Course in Econometrics, Arthur S. Goldberger,
Harvard University Press, 1991, 405 +
xvii pages (Designated GO).
Econometric Analysis, second edition, William
H. Greene, Macmillan, New York, 1993, 791
+ xxii pages (Designated GR).
Learning and Practicing Econometrics, William
E. Griffiths, R. Carter Hill, and George G.
Judge, John Wiley, New York, 1993, 866 +
xxv pages (Designated GHJ).
THERE ARE NOW many textbooks in econometrics.
This is a review of a deliberately selected
subsample of recent texts designed for
graduate students. Some of the other available
books are elementary introductions, are more
specialized, or are aimed to be more applied.
Examples are Wojciech Charemza and Derek
Deadman (1992), Karl Cuthbertson, Stephen
G. Hall, and Mark P. Taylor (1992), Michio
Hatanaka (1990), Andrew Harvey (1990), G. S.
Maddala (1992), Terence Mills (1990), and
Anindya Banerjee et al. (1993). Because the
contents of these books determine the syllabus
of the typical graduate course in econometrics
and the way that the topic is taught, the review
will take the opportunity to comment on how
the subject matter is evolving and how well
the course material is following these changes.
It is clear that there is a good portfolio of wellwritten
texts now available for teachers to consider.
The texts under review all have some
excellent qualities but are far from perfect.