<p>I'm planning to self study for European History and both Micro/Macro Economics. I've gotten some prep books (PR, Barrons, etc.) but would like to know if textbooks are neccessary.</p>
<p>Economics no.
I've heard that PR is amazing for Micro and the only source you need to score a 5, however I've also heard that it is a bit lacking for Macro.
I took Economics with an online course having a textbook (Economics Today) and a workbook. I really enjoyed having a textbook, because of the many more examples and graphs it has compared to a prep book; also a textbook goes way more in depth. I reviewed with PR, and agreed with what I've heard about it. I think PR would be enough to get a 5 if you studied hard, but I really liked having a textbook. Then again, since taking it I've decided that I want to major in Econ. If you just want to learn the material quick for the AP, then I'd recommend just studying PR for Micro, possibly supplement with other sources for Macro for the bare minimum.</p>