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tvrandhavane's review against another edition
5.0
What drama! If only it hadn't already happened, I wouldn't have believed that it did. Lewis tells the story of outsiders who foresaw the biggest calamity and tried to tell everyone what was going on. But nobody trusted them, so they bet against the system and when the system eventually fell, they were left with huge piles of money. Lewis tells this story for people who aren't familiar with the Wall St jargon and makes it easy to understand. The writing style is good and I liked how he organized the story and timeline. You are intrigued even if you know what was going to happen in the end. I would definitely give this book 5 stars.
mring42's review against another edition
5.0
"I can understand why Goldman Sachs would want to be included in the conversation about what to do about Wall Street. What I can't understand is why anyone would listen to them." -Steve Eisman, who read the signs and bet against subprime loans and (nearly) every big US investment bank, plus some overseas.
Find yourself a copy of this book, and read it. You might not be able to explain what a Credit Default Swap or Collateralized Debt Obligation are once you are done, but you'll understand enough to be really, really pissed off. Michael Lewis is one of the best non-fiction writers out there, and he weaves together a fascinating story of some people who did read the markets, and made really big bets against subprime loans, and spent years wondering why nobody else could see what they were seeing.
Find yourself a copy of this book, and read it. You might not be able to explain what a Credit Default Swap or Collateralized Debt Obligation are once you are done, but you'll understand enough to be really, really pissed off. Michael Lewis is one of the best non-fiction writers out there, and he weaves together a fascinating story of some people who did read the markets, and made really big bets against subprime loans, and spent years wondering why nobody else could see what they were seeing.
the_vvorst's review against another edition
4.0
Before I read this book, I though that the big stupid financial crisis was the result of stuff I'd never understand, but which I assumed was mainly greed and stupidity. Now I know it happened because of staggering greed and apocalyptic stupidity, and the lack of accountability makes me want to be sick. While I enjoyed the read - Michael Lewis is always an excellent hand at explaining the arcane to the layperson, and there are some truly memorable characters to give the telling a nice narrative thread - I can't remember feeling as dissatisfied at the end of a book. This isn't because the book was bad - it was great! - it's because there is no nice, neat ending. The situation sucks, and there doesn't seem to be an end to the sucking after you close the book. So thanks Mr. Lewis, I guess, for teaching me about Wall Street and also totally bumming me out. Jerk.
ericthec's review against another edition
4.0
I have enjoyed every Michael Lewis book I've read (Liar's Poker, Moneyball) . They give you an inside look, in this case from outsiders. You don't need to be a financial master to read this. I come away gaining a strong mistrust of the big financial institutions who control information, debate, and the huge volumes. This may be different than their services for everyman investors but it makes you doubt. I also like how the book end and its epilogue having a more reflective tone and giving a where are they now update and a tie back to Liar's Poker.
I listened to the audiobook and sometimes it's hard to follow which character they are following (too many they's and he).
I listened to the audiobook and sometimes it's hard to follow which character they are following (too many they's and he).
iceberg0's review against another edition
4.0
Only Lewis can delve into something quite as byzantine and complex as the credit default swap market and come up with a readable narrative and clear understanding.