The answer to the first question is no. That is, there exists an abelian group $A$ isomorphic to $A^3$ but not $A^2$. This result is due to A.L.S. (Tony) Corner, and is the case $r = 2$ of the theorem described in the following Mathematical Review.
MR0169905 Corner, A.L.S., On a conjecture of Pierce concerning direct decomposition of Abelian groups. 1964 Proc. Colloq. Abelian Groups (Tihany, 1963) pp.43--48 Akademiai Kiado, Budapest.
It is shown that for any positive integer $r$ there exists a countable torsion-free abelian group $G$ such that the direct sum of $m$ copies of $G$ is isomorphic to the direct sum of $n$ copies of $G$ if and only if $m \equiv n (\mod r)$. This remarkable result is obtained from the author's theorem on the existence of torsion-free groups having a prescribed countable, reduced, torsion-free endomorphism ring by constructing a ring with suitable properties. It should be mentioned that the question of the existence of algebraic systems with the property stated above has been considered by several mathematicians. The author has been to too generous in crediting this "conjecture" to the reviewer.
Reviewed by R.S. Pierce
