All you need to know to fully understand the crisis
932734
Since the beginning of the financial crisis I have read a number of books on the subject and probably thousands of pages of web content.  However, until now, I had never read a book that rolled the entire scenario into nearly as clear a picture as was accomplished by this author.  It's all there, every factor behind the crisis clearly and entertainingly woven into a complex quilt detailing the fraud, corruption, and greed behind the largest transfer (theft) of wealth in history.  If you're going to read just one book on this subject, make it this one.
1854683
So many disturbing things are happening in the world, and it often seems that trouble is increasing every day. As believers, it is essential that we understand Biblical prophecy regarding the End Times, and how it relates to what is happening now. Prince Handley explains how the famine, political upheaval and realignments, disease, and natural disasters are all fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, in a way that is easy to understand. We need to know what is happening, and what the prophets and Jesus himself said about these things, so that we may prepare in faith (not fear) for what is coming. We can take comfort in the knowledge, that no matter how evil and chaotic the times, everything is going according to God's schedule--unfolding exactly as He said! Anyone who is confused about prophecy as it relates to the End Times, and to Israel's role, should definitely get this book. Scripture references are provided, so that the reader can be certain of what God's Word says on this important topic, which affects us all.
3564538
Since the fall of 2008 I've bought and read 35 books on economic related subjects - most from Amazon here - and been scanning 17 blogs by experts such as Krugman and Simon Johnson in my attempt to understand what is really happening - how the current financial crisis evolved and where it is going.

This book gives Mason's (economics editor for BBC's newsnight) perspective in a comprehensive logical detailed way - backed up by 230 footnotes; and gives a logical explanation of where we are probably headed.

He explains how world forces are breaking the dominance of the US oligarchs and will probably force the US into having a responsible financial sector. He describes a future evolving as a struggle between the workers of China - versus the power structure of China - versus the class interests of the West.

It is by far the best explanation I've seen.
4862497
This book is a must. If you know that this world is headed for a crisis bigger than mankind has ever seen, this book will be the "how to survive it " book. Get it , read it , and implement it in your life. I know JOHNNY jacks personally and have known him for 4 yrs. He knows what he's talking about and he wants you to survive the disaster.
4220311
These are difficult days for all of us.  It is so important to know what is going on in our Government.  Beck lays it all out in clear and precise terms.  These are the facts you need to know. Everyone should read this book and then pass it on to all you know.  Make up your own mind, but only after you know the facts first.
4441270
The subprime mortgage fiasco is very complicated, if not impossible, for the lay person to understand. However, Michael Lewis does a superb job of outlining just exactly what led to the problem and how it played out all through the eyes of several players who spotted the problem early on. Not only does Mr. Lewis paint a very intriguing picture of the major players in the problem but he explains everything in a way that is easy to understand and follow. As the title to this review indicates, if the facts in this book are only "half" true then it would be very easy to form the opinion that either the major movers and shakers on Wall Street and the mortgage banks were either incredibly stupid or incredibly crooked.
With the current situation with Congress and the SEC looking into the problem, this book is a must read for anyone wanting to be able to follow the stories and investigations as they unfold.
3326912
If you read only one book of financial crisis (of any financial crisis), it has to be "lords of finance".
The author explain in very simple words, what went wrong and why. You will get to know each character and learn a lot of history.
4555200
I have read numerous books in the past couple of months on the causes of the Great Recession.  They ranged from Posner's  A Failure of Capitalism to Sowell's The Housing Boom and Bust, among others.

Some of them attribute the blame to the free market (Republicans, greedy Wall Street executives, etc.), others to the government (Democrats, housing policies, etc.) and yet others to a combination of the two.

Both sides made good cases for their point of view and I found myself unsure who had the stronger argument.  I would be convinced by one and then when I got to the other their explanation would make more sense.

Still, through it all, there was a concern in the back of my mind which I couldn't shake - the feeling that something was missing in all the other attempts to explain the crisis.

Stockman provided this missing "something."

The value of The Great Deformation lies in the fact that it provides a unifying theory behind the Great Recession.  The  missing factor he identifies that explains all of the other causes of this recession: Federal Reserve policy.

As others have indicated, he does repeat himself quite a bit during the course of the book but this was actually beneficial to me.  There is so much content in this book that it cannot be read at anything close to one sitting.  If you are like me you will forget some important information by the time you get back to reading the book again so it is helpful when the author mentions certain central points every so often.
3145672
I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to understand the situation our economy sits in today and the reasons why they have occurred. Woods makes everything so clear by writing in a simple manner anyone can comprehend. Anyone who agrees with the Fed and its policies after reading this book clearly doesn't have the capacity to think clearly and logically. The fed should be abolished and I will continue my support in the matter.
3804879
Having myself written about both peak oil and the capital finance fiasco, I hugely admired Ken Worth's succinct and clear treatment of these synergizing and escalating problems. His blunt advice about what to do with your own savings was especially pertinent in this moment of gross instability in investment market. We are indeed caught in a very tough place now. Our society is unwinding and it's destination is a much more austere standard of living. The potential for political mischief is very great. This book is an excellent primer for people who are just beginning to connect the dots.
--James Howard Kunstler
Author of "The Long Emergency" and the post-oil novels, "World Made By Hand" and "The Witch of Hebron"
2882915
There has been surprising little serious study on what caused the financial crisis and what the impacts of policies like the stimulus were (John Taylor is a notable example of someone doing good work on this).  This book really gets into analyzing what was going on and what the policies did.  It looks at the data and brings in the institutional detail of the policies going back decades to push home ownership at all costs.  I am learning a lot about the crisis and the policies enacted in its aftermath from the book.  It is the most thorough and rigorous piece I have seen yet and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the issues, regardless of political persuasion.
3056201
If only these charts and graphs were available to us all when the mortgage bubble was growing.  It is very intense to view this information to see what has contributed greatly to the demise of our financial sector.  The warning signs were all there and ignored.  With bailouts coming, what will happen next for those who received the 'hard money' loans?  It would be interesting to me to see a sequel to this book.  It is yet timely to understand where we still are and a must read for anyone in, getting into or thinking of going into finance.  Also, this is for anyone who is wanting to think responsibly and to be informed so he or she can help others help our nation avoid another crisis.
4121262
I found this book a tremendous help in understanding why we are in the mess we are in.  That our president would say that nothing illegal was done by the banks in incredible.  What the bankers and their mortgage rating and underwriters did was explained clearly and in detail.  Everyone,particularly those in our government, would profit from the information in this book.
92873
The book is an excellent illustration about the causes of financial crisis. People got greedy; they thought they were smart and that they never expected that the music would ever stop. In essence, the book shows how human greed (living beyond one's mean) and stupidity or lack of wisdom  (no common sense) can bring great disaster. People often like to blame politicians and governments about all the problems but we have to remember how they got there at the first place. Greece's debt was engineered by the government but it was because Greeks wanted generous pensions and did not want to pay taxes. The book is a great wake up call for everyone. Don't be greedy and have some common sense. Also, stop blaming others for your problems. Most problems start with you. Finally, most problems can only be fixed by you. Stop overspending, overeating, and trying to impress others.

Overall, the book is great and I highly suggest that everyone reads it and realize that it is greed and stupidity that causes great crisis and we all play part of it unless we behave more responsibly.
2988200
Great explanations, was very good at covering economic crisis issues, easy to learn from. Litlle dated now (2014)
2039483
I really enjoyed reading this expert account of all that happened to get us into the recession and all the steps we have taken to get out of it.  It is clear the author knows his stuff.  I will say that this was not an easy or fast read because I did not know so many of the insider details about this but by the time I was done reading the book I felt very educated about this to the degree that I felt I could discuss it with anyone and not only know what I was talking about but propose some theories of what may happen next.
1525825
If you're interested in the global financial crisis, especially in Europe, this book is for you! Lewis' insight on the crisis is particularly easy and fun to read. His opinions and journalism is presented in a documentary/diary style format.

Look at what we're getting ourselves into in The EU. We're about to bailout Greece. Who's next?

Look at our irresponsible investors on Wallstreet... They get a free pass because they "OOPS'ed"...

Look at GM communist cars and the trash they're producing. Sure they're being innovative with the Volt, but still inconsiderate about outsourcing to China.

The book is relevant and insightful as to what is going on in our the world and how it all relates back to our own country.

Thanks Michael Lewis...