01 / Reading Guide
Reading Guide
Who this book is for
For applied economics graduate readers and advanced students who want to scrutinize the design behind an empirical estimate. It is especially relevant after a first econometrics course, when familiar fixed-effects and difference-in-differences routines need to be checked against treatment timing, heterogeneous effects and the actual comparison being made.
Prerequisites
Have a working command of probability, statistical inference and linear regression. Be able to read simulation code and interpret treatment-effect estimates before attempting the more demanding panel chapters.
What it covers
The second edition connects graphical reasoning and potential outcomes with unconfoundedness, regression discontinuity and instrumental variables. Its expanded panel material distinguishes basic difference-in-differences from more complex designs and develops synthetic-control approaches. Checklists and simulations support evaluation of assumptions rather than treating an estimator’s name as a guarantee of credibility.
How to use it
Begin by defining the population, treatment and target effect in words. Reproduce a small simulation and inspect how the comparison group is formed. For a panel study, draw a treatment-timing table and identify already-treated controls before choosing an estimator. Record falsification checks and the limits of the evidence alongside the final estimate; do not interpret statistical precision as proof of identification.
Edition and sources
Yale identifies the second edition, paperback ISBN 9780300272444, published August 25, 2026. The author’s site now hosts The Remix and labels its online second edition a work in progress. The separate first-edition Mixtape archive is not the edition described here. Publisher metadata and the public opening discussion were checked. Publisher or author record Official online resource
