<p>A good site, with high quality online lectures, is the <strong>MIT Open Course Ware</strong>. </p>

<p>You will find courses going from <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-02-principles-of-macroeconomics-spring-2014/">Principles of Macroeconomics</a>, <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-452-economic-growth-fall-2009/">Economic Growth</a>, <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-451-macroeconomic-theory-i-spring-2007/">Macroeconomic Theory I</a>, <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-452-macroeconomic-theory-ii-spring-2007/">II</a>, <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-453-macroeconomic-theory-iii-fall-2006/">III</a> to <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-461-advanced-macroeconomics-i-fall-2012/">Advanced Macroeconomics I</a> or <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-462-advanced-macroeconomics-ii-spring-2004/">II</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-09T01:53:19.943Z
2015-12-09T01:53:19.943Z
emeryville
<p>A good book at the high undergrad/low graduate level is the classic Romer text:</p>

<p><a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0073511374">http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Macroeconomics-Mcgraw-Hill-Series-Economics/dp/0073511374</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-08T15:12:02.240Z
I think the sites policy on recommendation type questions is to post one book per answer. Would you mind posting this as two answers? This way it allows people to independently vote on each recommendation: See http://meta.economics.stackexchange.com/questions/169/consensus-on-list-questions
cc7768
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-08T14:45:01.560Z
2015-12-08T16:14:21.870Z
2015-12-08T16:14:21.870Z
ChinG
<p>A lot of macro nowadays (at least for the past couple of decades) is based on DSGE models. These models recognize the dynamic nature of agents' decisions. A standard approach to solving such problems relies on dynamic programming. My personal favorite to understand dynamic programming and its applications can be found in the Sargent and Ljungqvist booK:</p>

<p><a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/026212274X" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Recursive-Macroeconomic-Theory-Lars-Ljungqvist/dp/026212274X</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-08T16:14:36.820Z
2015-12-08T16:14:36.820Z
ChinG
<p>If you want a thorough, broad and incredibly well done videos series on the internet, there is no way around MR University (from the editors of the mostread economics blog: Marginal Revolution)
<a href="http://www.mruniversity.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.mruniversity.com/</a>     </p>

<p>The level is very basic, but it gives a very, very good intuiton on every topic.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-11T17:11:49.813Z
2015-12-11T17:11:49.813Z
Fitzroy Hogsflesh
<p>There are quite a few books out there, but I found the following books explain the concepts and tools more intutitively:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/ABCs-RBCs-Introduction-Dynamic-Macroeconomic/dp/0674028147" rel="nofollow">ABCs of RBCs</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Economic-Growth-Numerical-Solution-Methods/dp/3540686657/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1449610103&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Economic%20growth%20novales" rel="nofollow">Economic Growth</a>, maybe then go on to read others.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-08T21:28:57.903Z
2015-12-08T21:28:57.903Z
london
<p>The Khan Academy video series on macro is excellent.  They focus on the most important concepts and the diagrams in the videos will really help with comprehension.
<a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/macroeconomics" rel="nofollow">https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/macroeconomics</a></p>

<p>Also, Investopedia's articles and definitions are always very well written.  They are much more plain spoken and to the point then what you would find on Wikipedia.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-09T01:26:56.903Z
2015-12-09T01:34:14.773Z
2015-12-09T01:34:14.773Z
user5623676
<p>I have undergraduate level experience in macroeconomics...but I want to do some further learning to try and acquaint myself with where mainstream macroeconomics is at the moment in the hopes that I can understand the economy better. I understand that most macroeconomics is highly mathematical at this stage and I have no problem with this, but a more intuitive/wordy/theoretical approach would be preferred.</p>

<p>Are there any good online lecture notes, textbooks etc. for this sort of thing?</p>

<macroeconomics><reference-request>
Getting up to Date on Macro
SocraticParadox
# Getting up to Date on Macro

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-08)

I have undergraduate level experience in macroeconomics...but I want to do some further learning to try and acquaint myself with where mainstream macroeconomics is at the moment in the hopes that I can understand the economy better. I understand that most macroeconomics is highly mathematical at this stage and I have no problem with this, but a more intuitive/wordy/theoretical approach would be preferred.

Are there any good online lecture notes, textbooks etc. for this sort of thing?

**Tags:** macroeconomics, reference-request

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-12-09. Score: 8

A good site, with high quality online lectures, is the **MIT Open Course Ware**.

You will find courses going from [Principles of Macroeconomics](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-02-principles-of-macroeconomics-spring-2014/), [Economic Growth](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-452-economic-growth-fall-2009/), [Macroeconomic Theory I](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-451-macroeconomic-theory-i-spring-2007/), [II](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-452-macroeconomic-theory-ii-spring-2007/), [III](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-453-macroeconomic-theory-iii-fall-2006/) to [Advanced Macroeconomics I](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-461-advanced-macroeconomics-i-fall-2012/) or [II](http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-462-advanced-macroeconomics-ii-spring-2004/).


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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-12-08. Score: 5

A good book at the high undergrad/low graduate level is the classic Romer text:

[http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Macroeconomics-Mcgraw-Hill-Series-Economics/dp/0073511374](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0073511374)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I think the sites policy on recommendation type questions is to post one book per answer. Would you mind posting this as two answers? This way it allows people to independently vote on each recommendation: See http://meta.economics.stackexchange.com/questions/169/consensus-on-list-questions  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-12-08. Score: 3

A lot of macro nowadays (at least for the past couple of decades) is based on DSGE models. These models recognize the dynamic nature of agents' decisions. A standard approach to solving such problems relies on dynamic programming. My personal favorite to understand dynamic programming and its applications can be found in the Sargent and Ljungqvist booK:

[http://www.amazon.com/Recursive-Macroeconomic-Theory-Lars-Ljungqvist/dp/026212274X](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/026212274X)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-12-11. Score: 2

If you want a thorough, broad and incredibly well done videos series on the internet, there is no way around MR University (from the editors of the mostread economics blog: Marginal Revolution)
<http://www.mruniversity.com/>

The level is very basic, but it gives a very, very good intuiton on every topic.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-12-08. Score: 2

There are quite a few books out there, but I found the following books explain the concepts and tools more intutitively:
[ABCs of RBCs](http://www.amazon.co.uk/ABCs-RBCs-Introduction-Dynamic-Macroeconomic/dp/0674028147) and [Economic Growth](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Economic-Growth-Numerical-Solution-Methods/dp/3540686657/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449610103&sr=1-1&keywords=Economic%20growth%20novales), maybe then go on to read others.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2015-12-09. Score: 2

The Khan Academy video series on macro is excellent. They focus on the most important concepts and the diagrams in the videos will really help with comprehension.
<https://www.khanacademy.org/economics-finance-domain/macroeconomics>

Also, Investopedia's articles and definitions are always very well written. They are much more plain spoken and to the point then what you would find on Wikipedia.


---

