For 7.2a:
The total pressure = pressure due to atmosphere + pressure due to liquid in the pool. They say initially, a barometer measures the total pressure to be twice that of atmospheric pressure. So total pressure = 2 atm (with 1 atm due to atmosphere and 1 atm due to liquid pressure) at the initial depth.
Then they submerge the barometer twice as deep. This serves to double the pressure due to the liquid (now 2atm instead of the initial 1). Thus, total pressure = 1 atm (atmosphere) + 2 atm (liquid) = 3 atm
3 atm is 50% more than 2 atm, so the pressure increases by 50%
For 7.2b, I think the book explains it well
EDIT Son of a gun! Pisiform beat me to it!