some tips:

1. you dont have to go to lectures, but if you dont, you should definitely read the chapters that are going to be on midterms/finals

2. go to TA sessions since they go over the lectures and problems on the tests

3. tests are not easy, but the curve is generous (for this qtr, lowest A- on 1st midterm was about 82%, and lowest A- on 2nd midterm was about 74%...or something like that)

basically, READ the book and PRACTICE his old exams, as he pretty much uses same questions with different numbers/contexts

Professor Hou is hands-down the worst instructor that I've had at UCLA. There've been a slew of them, but he, folks, makes the others look like Teacher of the Year candidates. OH are from 7 until 7:40 AM. God forbid you have to sleep, because he doesn't. Though his tests can be studied for using older exams, the 2nd midterm for 05W had a question not even the TAs could figure out. Exams are challenging, albeit blessed with generous curves.
I don't so much mind that he goes off topic, because interspersed with the junk is actual, useful information, but if you're going to take Econ 2, best do so with someone else. Hou will make you hate the subject.

I was thoroughly annoyed at waking up for his 7:50 (not 8:00) in the morning only to hear him talk about his wife or the history of China and learning about 5 minutes worth of material. Hou digresses way too much but he does give hints about midterms/final questions during lecture. He also focuses on different things that the book might not focus on. So go to lecture but bring a crossword for those 45 minutes he talks about everything BUT econ. When he's actually teaching, he's pretty effective and easy to understand. Tests are hard but not impossible. Reading the book is helpful, especially if you don't attend lecture. Not a difficult class if you can master the material.

Professor Hou is a very ineffective teacher. He isn't so much difficult, as annoying. His arrogance and constant tangents (about his wife's salary and the history of China) take up more time than anything else. This class is not difficult if you take the time to study and complete the practice midterms and finals. The tests are fair, but you need to attend lecture because Hou goes over some material that is not extensively covered in the textbook (which is horrible). Also, Hou doesn't seem to be concerned about student learning or his availability outside the classromm. His office hours, during my quarter, were 7:00-7:40 in the morning, right before lecture. He does not welcome questions and he hardly listens to what a student has to say during office hours, mostly because he is only concerned in hearing himself speak. Avoid Hou if you need to take Econ 2.

I liked Professor Hou, but sometimes he'd get way off topic. The tests are fair. Read the book, study the old midterms, go to lecture (sometimes he covers things that aren't in the book), and you'll get an A.

Yah, this class really isn't all that hard. The problem is that even though it's easy, the book is horrible, the teacher is horrible, and the class time is horrible.

Basically, yes you should go to lecture if you are prepared for 15 minutes of content and 55 of filler. He is very funny, mostly because he is clueless about a lot of things yet takes himself and what he does so seriously. The lectures will help for the tests, but not incredibly much.

For the 2 midterms and final, read the book for the MC (I think he said hes switching the book again so the old exams wont do much for you)- do the questions in the study guide for the book. Theyre practically the same thing. For the essay, just do the old practice exams. It will help a lot if your TA does them for you each week, as mine did. You can go to any TA...

Basically, theres a pretty big curve on each test, and the essay is predictable. So its not hard, although it can seem really intimidating. The problem i have with him and the class is that he didnt teach much useful economics, and he sucked the life out of whatever he did teach

I couldn't have said it better than the review posted on 3/8.
This is not a hard class if you don't blow it off!
all you have to do is read the book. (its easy if you keep up with his lectures)
and study his practice exams. DO EACH ONE OF THEM! (the mc before fall 2003 is useless because it is from a different book. Study all of the written exam portions (usually around 4 or 5) and 3 mc practice exams (fall 2003, winter 2004, spring 2004). If you study the written exams, you will ACE the written portion. If you read the book (know def. too), you will ACE the the m.c. Remember esp. for both midterms, time is really limited. GO FAST! For the first 2 midterms, you have 30 mc and 4-5 essays in an hour and 15 minutes. You will know approximately what essays will be given on the first 2 midterms, KNOW THEM like the back of your hand. Scribble them down, and spend more time on mc.
For the final, you will have ample time to finish. But for the first two midterms, its about going fast and knowing the material well enough that you dont have to slow down to think.
I was really frightened because I had friends get C in Hou's class, but honestly if you follow the advice above and the advice from 3/8 review, you will do GREAT. I promise.

There is a lot of material covered in this class, so keep up with the reading. I barely went to lecture, and still managed a B+. As long as you read, you will be fine, because you should know every concept as the midterm and final questions are so detail oriented. Old exams are up on the website. Be sure to do them, and practice the essays till you completely know them, they will show up on the tests. The few lectures i went to, Hou seemed intimidating, yet entertaining. He kept me awake in the morning. If you're planning on taking Econ 2 in the near future, Hou is the only one teaching it lately, so might as well take it

Okay, so he seems funny during first week of class, just wait. By week six you'll be begging to hear about econ rather than stories about China or his wife. Don't bother going to his office hours, he won't even make eye contact with you. The only good thing about this guy is that his midterms and final are very similar to the ones from past years. Ask your TA for those midterms, you'll ace the class. And read the book, a lot of the m/c questions are right out of the book.

Honestly I did not believe the reviews on how difficult this professor is and they were right he is not difficult the problem is that he is not effective in teaching the class since his stories take up most of the time and YOU MUST READ THE BOOK THAT'S NOT AN OPTION if you go to class thats a plus but that won't really help. TA's is a good resource but since all of them have a strong accent that becomes another problem. I would suggest taking the class with someone else.