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tintinintibet's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not sure if this book deserves all 5 stars or just 4. Usually I reserve 5 stars for those books that stick with you for a while, changing your perspective irrevocably or simply are so evocative that I can't help but give credit where credit is due.
Time will tell whether this book will do that -- but I suspect so. After reading lots of pulitzer-aspiring (and maybe winning, who knows) reviews of the financial crisis in book form or in the New Yorker and its ilk -- and even listening to lots of fascinating stories from the radio/podcast folks at This American Life and Planet Money, I still think this book provides a uniquely human angle AND a uniquely insightful technical commentary too.
There are a couple editing/repetitive/issues that are probably only noticeable if you read the book fairly quickly. Otherwise the repeating of definitions, actions, or thoughts could be probably helpful.
Time will tell whether this book will do that -- but I suspect so. After reading lots of pulitzer-aspiring (and maybe winning, who knows) reviews of the financial crisis in book form or in the New Yorker and its ilk -- and even listening to lots of fascinating stories from the radio/podcast folks at This American Life and Planet Money, I still think this book provides a uniquely human angle AND a uniquely insightful technical commentary too.
There are a couple editing/repetitive/issues that are probably only noticeable if you read the book fairly quickly. Otherwise the repeating of definitions, actions, or thoughts could be probably helpful.
thesauraz's review against another edition
4.0
It’s a dense subject matter, and at times I was left perplexed at heavy paragraphs detailing investment strategies and financial talk. That said, Lewis is a gifted storyteller, so even if I found it hard in places I still found enjoyment in the character development and sequence of events.
ptothelo's review against another edition
4.0
This was much easier to read and understand than Panic!: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity. And now I feel like I have a better handle on how it all unfolded. But this makes it that much more insane and depressing.
There are probably still some financial terms and trades that I don't fully understand, but what's not difficult to understand is how f'd up everything was on every level. And apparently people who predicted everything would collapse bet against the market and people who caused the collapse made a ton of money before and after the crisis, leaving everyone else in the cold. So it's unclear if any lessons were learned at the end of the day. Urgh.
There are probably still some financial terms and trades that I don't fully understand, but what's not difficult to understand is how f'd up everything was on every level. And apparently people who predicted everything would collapse bet against the market and people who caused the collapse made a ton of money before and after the crisis, leaving everyone else in the cold. So it's unclear if any lessons were learned at the end of the day. Urgh.
woofwoofwoof's review against another edition
challenging
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
freckleduck's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this but I did feel like the book jumped around from section to section and I wished it felt more fluid.
sarkynir's review against another edition
2.0
I honestly thought this book was going to be more interesting than it was. But yeah, corruption in our large corporations and a handful of people with enough brains to see what's going on.