A realistic look at an increasing crisis.
346799
Jodi Picoult has attacked a very painful and difficult subject, school shootings/bullying, in a very, non-hysterical, "everyday people" way.  It is eye opening, un-sentimental and "can't-put-it-down" riviting.
942862
Normal life has become a confusing saturation of information which is dificult to understand and cope with.

Rushkoff makes a clear analysis of this new reality to guide us and help us to adapt without loosing our peace of mind.
3319337
A fictional view on a real-life problem gives this book credibility and a great storyline. It gives the reader something to think about.
2423164
Amazon describes it as such: "Neil Irwins The Alchemists is a gripping account of the most intense exercise in economic crisis management weve ever seen, a poker game in which the stakes have run into the trillions of dollars."
And I'd say that's pretty accurate. It's a great read of how the crisis actually unfolded in the eyes of policymakers, how they viewed their responses, and, importantly for us now, how the environment changed afterwards. One of the greatest parts of the book, in my view, is during the legislative battle for Dodd-Frank, one of the more accurate depictions of how Congress actually works. I also learned a lot about how the EU works (and doesn't, and whether it will continue to). In addition, to my relief, Irwin doesn't leave out too many of the other players; he devotes, for example, an entire chapter to China.

Full review here: [...]
256728
The author shows the scary side of the financial panic of 2008-09.  America focused on selling financial products to the rest of the world, and those obligations were not as stellar as they should have been.  With the current financial meltdown, much of the rest of the world along with the United States if facing the prospects of a global recession/depression as the trillions of dollars of these obligations are sorted out.  Meanwhile Wall Street has made its millions and passed the debt to future generations.

The author also talks about peak oil, dynasic politics, and financial and marketplace corruption.  When one looks at one's debt along with the government's obligations, one wonders whether the United States has ever gotten smarter following the Great Depression.

This is a scary book about the bad choices America made as a nation.  Hopefully all Phillips has said does not come to pass.  If it does, America will be in a bad position.  A good read.
3466483
In this day and age, this was a frightening story ...... but something to consider.  A story for our times.
4797240
This book features an assessment of the causes of the recent "great recession" and of the efforts that have been made by governments and central bankers to rekindle the growth (and inflation) that western governments have relied upon in the past to make their fiscal projections look as though they might work.  Mr. King goes into some detail to explain in terms fairly comprehensible to non-economists how things haven't really changed, it's just our past mistakes, profligacy and welfare "mission creep" catching up with us.  He also demonstrates how so much of the efforts of governments and central bankers have been ineffective at best and counterproductive at worst as they struggle to boost growth and prevent the kind of deflationary trap which has bound Japan for the past two decades.
  Of particular interest are his historical analyses of past fiscal crises around the world and how they were solved or exacerbated by government action.  He offers several scenarios in which he explores the social consequences of creditors to governments turning off the lending taps, forcing debtor governments to suddenly renege on the promises they have made to pensioners and the poor.  He concludes by offering some counterintuitive solutions which seem unlikely to be adopted by governments and central bankers still locked into the mindset that inflation is an evil which must be tamed at all costs.
  What I didn't like about this book is that it makes no mention of the fact that, as a result of information technology and automation,  the growth and employment game really seems to have changed.  A return to growth, if it can be engineered, no longer guarantees a robust employment market with well-paying jobs for the mass of people.  Owners of businesses which can be automated will be sorely tempted to add server computers and robots rather than workers who misbehave, call in sick and engender payroll taxes and insurance costs.  What I fear the most is the day when people realize that, not only are things not going to get any better for most of us in the future, but that, for most of us, living standards are going to have to drop as we compete with Indian, Chinese and Brazilian workers abroad and automation at home.  I heard a joke the other day.  The factory of the future will have only two permanent, on-site employees: a man and a dog.  The man is there to feed and clean up after the dog.  The dog is there to bite the man or anyone else who tries to touch the robots.
2959740
End this Depression Now contains Paul Krugman's analysis and prescriptions for the crisis that has gripped America and the world since 2008. The book is very readable and accessible; Krugman is skilled at using descriptive narrative and analogies while avoiding technical jargon.

The most important aspect of the book is its focus on the on-going jobs crisis. Krugman clearly understands that, as far as most average people are concerned, access to a good job and decent wages are the most important gauge of prosperity. The book does a great job of highlighting the devastating human costs of the current unemployment crisis, especially for younger people who are just entering the job market and are unfortunately likely to feel the impact not just in the short term, but throughout their entire careers.

Krugman shows how a lack of demand for products and services is keeping us in the current depression and may ultimately cost us at least $5 Trillion (and perhaps much more) in lost productive output and earnings. He also explains the "saltwater v. freshwater" rivalry in economics and suggests that conservative economists who argue against action to revive the economy are ignoring reality and relying on a "quasi-religious" faith in markets. Next he looks at how soaring income inequality resulted in policies such as excessive deregulation of the financial industry that directly led to the crisis. There's also a section on the problems in Europe and the role a common currency has played.

Krugman argues effectively that the stimulus was insufficient and that we need more spending on infrastructure as well as more action by the Fed and revised rules to make it easier for homeowners to take advantage of low mortgage rates. As he points out, getting the economy growing and improving the job market should be our TOP PRIORITY. The best way to avoid a long term debt crisis is through economic growth. Austerity is going to make things worse, not better. (Evidence of this is already obvious in the UK economy after stringent austerity measures).

The one thing that I dislike about the book is Krugman's willingness to sweep aside any discussion of structural, technological issues in the job market. There is no doubt that today's technology is having an impact, and not just for low skilled workers. That impact will only become more important in the future.

Liberals are often very quick to dismiss any talk of structural employment issues because they believe (probably with justification) that conservatives will grasp onto that issue and use it as an excuse to do nothing. However, that does not have to be the case; it should be possible to have an active policy response and still incorporate an awareness of the changes occurring because of rapidly advancing technology.

Nonetheless, the cyclical issues that Krugman talks about are certainly the most important immediate term consideration, and everyone would do well to read and understand this book. This crisis does not have to continue ruining lives and destroying the prospects for our young people. We can do something about it if we have the political will.
301026
In difficult times, it's important to know that change is possible.
2006858
This is a very honest and frank review of the last financial crisis. The author is a very smart decision maker who had to battle the gladiators world of the financial dinosaurs! It explains that there was no other choices in a globalized new world. It also shows how political decision makers can make thinks worse by delaying actions.

It is, however, unfortunate that to days the progress made to fix the financial system is very slow and seem to be resisted and even blocked by the financial industry. Bad behavior in the financial institutions is still taking place and tougher regulations are necessary to avoid similar problems in the future. But even with appropriate regulations, the efficient supervision and the monitoring of implementation of the rules is the most important issue. The truth is that financial crisis cannot be predicted, but can be made moderate and better managed.
2894740
I found this book to be well-written and informative.  It made me think about what's going on in the country and where it's headed.  It's not all doom and gloom; also included are ideas in which we as individuals can try to help prevent the collapse.  This book would be great to pass along to people who just have a minimum of what's going on in this country and the world.  It will open their eyes to the scope of the problem and the real threats to this country.

The book is well documented with the resources that were used to come to his conclusions.  Also included are additional resources for the reader to continue to educate themselves and others.  Thank you Mr. Hall for sounding the alert while giving us ways to help prevent the collapse.
4403985
A good read for the young adult. The author has presented an interesting scenario of a family trying to cope with their internal problems in the midst of a natural disturbance coupled with political upheaval.
1829932
The author hits on the truth with this book, even though the timing is a bit early. He tells the truth about what is happening in Western Civilization, although it's not a pretty picture. He has the courage to step away from the beaten path and announce to his audience that things are not the same as they once were. Subsequent events have demonstrated that the United States is careening towards collapse. I've been following the financials in reference to this country, and everything is pointing to a great financial catastrophe that's going to make the Great Depression pale in comparison. I think that the most intelligent thing to do being faced with this situation is to expect the best, but to prepare for the worst. I'd like to believe that America is as strong as ever, but with record budgetary and trade deficits, waging expensive wars around the world while D.C. burns, the export of virtually the entire manufacturing sector, the record number of bankruptcies, the reliance of new home buyers on adjustable rate mortgages in this interest rate environment, etc., all portends for future financial ruin for the average American. Just because we haven't seen the evidence of the collapse yet doesn't mean that it isn't going to happen. The fundamental elements of the American economy are not pretty, even with the contrived, highly optimistic official statistics. I'm not a doomsayer, but someone who does his homework. The book is a great one, and I believe that it would be of immense benefit for everyone to read this book.
3598458
Interesting perspective on the current state of medicine.
247890
An excellent and well written realistic fiction read, we should hope leaders make take these threats into account when deciding policy.
3683665
This is a very well done summary of the current situation in a country of tremendous importance to the United States. Mr. Lippmann brings an insider's view of the the many forces that are currently at play, and the pressures to change in a system that has been resistant to cultural change.  The topics covered range from economics, religion, the role of women, history of the current leadership, and the effect of an influx of large numbers of temporary workers. It is apparent the the future of this part of the Middle East is about to undergo a major shift, and the book provides considerable insight to what we might expect in the next few years.
2799477
For me the Introduction alone was worth the price of the book. (although I didn't purchase the book but received it through the Amazon Vine Program) Jonathan Tepperman gives a very accurate and thoughtful look at the political and economical problems facing our world today. He starts with all the bad news of what is happening in our world today, but that must happen, for as he states, "Understanding the problems in depth is also the first step toward understanding their solutions."

So, the introduction deals with the problems. It deals with what is wrong in our world through looking at what he calls "The Terrible Ten," which are the ten things that countries need to address and solve if they are to move on. These ten are;
1) Inequality
2) Immigration
3) Islamic Extremism
4) Civil War
5) Corruption
6) The Resource Curse
7) Energy
8) The Middle-Income Trap
9) Gridlock I
10) Gridlock II

He concludes the Introduction with the comment, "Abandoning Hope certainly is tempting--especially at a moment when so many things seem to be going wrong with the world." But he encourages us to not abandon hope. The rest of the book will give looks at countries who have realized that there are solutions to the issues they face and that in putting those solutions to work they will overcome the Terrible Ten and actually turn their economies and countries around.

He will look at Brazil, Canada, Rwanda, Indonesia and South Korea just to name a few of the countries detailed in their own chapters. But the encouraging part is to see how these countries have faced certain aspects of the Terrible Ten and turned them around in their country and started the long road back to recovery.

This is a MUST READ for anyone who is loosing heart in our worlds economic crisis.

I'll look forward to hearing from others what they thought of Tepperman's work.