Best books for the following subjects: AP English Language, AP microeconomics & AP macroeconomics.
What books are generally the best, or for these specific subjects?
My econ teacher said Barron’s isn’t that good…
Well I used Barron’s for AP Macro and microeconomics and found it to be pretty detailed. I think 5 steps to a 5 (McGraw Hill) covers the deficiencies of Barron’s so a combination of Barron’s and 5 Steps to a 5 should do the job pretty well. I’ve seen people recommend using Princeton Review for these two subjects, but I personally found the explanations to be pretty brief so it’s not as good. However, Princeton Review did include a few points that came up on the actual exam that weren’t really explained in the McGraw Hill and Barron’s book.
It really depends on what book works for you. I’ve had 4 kids through this process and a prep book one loved the next one hated. If your school library has some, do a small section from each and see what style resonates with you. I would suggest you use a current prep book that has plenty of practice questions. If a friend did great with a specific book, don’t assume that’s the best book for you. Do your own research. A trip to a bookstore that sells different brands will also help. Independent of the book, practice practice practice! Good luck!
Agreeing with NCmom14: different books suited different kids, and agreeing with @blu5959 that a combination of books is usually best. 5 Steps + Princeton were the most common successful combination for us, but for history (which you aren’t looking for right now) the Crash Course books were also great.
You can also find them at the Public Library, and it doesn’t matter if they are a couple years old UNLESS the AP has been recently re-written. The recently changed ones are French, German, and World History (changed in 2012) and Bio and US History (2013). The ones you are interested in haven’t changed much in a number of years.
Either way, doing practice problems and a few full, timed, practice exams is really useful.