Economics, far from being the dismal science, offers us valuable lessons that can be applied to our everyday experiences. At its heart, economics is the scientific study of choice and a study of economic principles allows us to achieve a more informed understanding of how we make our choices; whether these choices occur in our everyday life or in our work environment.

This two-volume text represents a common sense approach to basic microeconomics. Volume two, Competition and Constraints, focuses on understanding how markets may operate; profit maximization; how real-world concerns may reduce efficiency; what corrective actions may be taken to prevent market failure and the implications of those actions. The goal is to provide a concise readable primer that extends the fundamentals of microeconomic theory to consider practical economic issues.