7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book, December 9, 2009
This review is from: From Boom to Bust and Beyond (Paperback)
This book is really really good. I would heartily recommend it as it gives a good review of what led to the crisis without getting mired in minutae. It is an excellent big picture overview of both the economic crisis that befell our country, the boom period that preceded it, and sound logical conclusions about the coming economic winter. It is an excellent motivator for looking into the financial future in terms of preparation and general direction. It seems to be written in a way that is above and outside all the noise that comes from the typical analysts out there. It is a bit short on more specific information on what to do to preapare and act for the coming financial winter, but in a way that is good...a dose of humility from the author.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must read for everyone with assets - seeking Truth!, December 17, 2009
This review is from: From Boom to Bust and Beyond (Paperback)
If you ever got the feeling that their may be more to what's going on in the market/economy than what the pundits are saying - this book is for you. Jerry Tuma has a common sense way of explaining 1. Where we've been 2. Where we are now & 3. Where we're heading. It will finally come together for you. You must have the correct frame of reference to make wise investment choices - this book gives you that. Mr. Tuma helps you distinguish between the hype coming out of Washington/Wall Street and reality. (Based on facts) We all know that the sea of money printed by our illustrious leaders will come back to haunt us, our children, and our country is off track. It is refreshing to gain the knowledge needed to help make wise decisions during Deflation and to get ready for Inflationary time. Of course, if you are still willing to hang your investments on this advice "Hold on for the long term and everything will be OK" don't waste your time. But if you want to finally get informed THIS IS A MUST READ! One more thing - this book is a entertaining/flowing/interesting read not all facts and figures.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Read, Excellent Advice, Some Minor Issues with Tuma's Argument, November 30, 2010
This review is from: From Boom to Bust and Beyond (Paperback)
First, let me say that after reading Jerry Tuma's book
From Boom to Bust and Beyond, I came away with a bit more optimistic view of where the US is heading and the choices we need to make ... even though Mr. Tuma plainly lays out the rather discouraging demographic trends facing the US (and western Europe). Ultimately, in my opinion, that's the mark of a good advice book - being upfront and realistic about the problems, and then offering sound advice to help surmount (or at least minimize) the challenges.
So why did I give it 4 rather than 5 stars? There are two reasons:
1. Chapters One and Twelve present more of Mr. Tuma's personal opinion / spin than the rest of the book. In the rest of the book, he lets the facts speak rather plainly for themselves. As a result, these two chapters take away from the strength of the book and detract a bit from its credibility as one is left wondering, "Now, is he only providing the facts to support his viewpoint - or is he taking his viewpoint from all the facts?"
2. His argument that a growing young population is needed to facilitate a growing economy is good (and makes a lot of sense), but I'm uncertain if this is entirely supported by all the facts. Not once in the book are the continents of Africa or Latin America mentioned, nor is the Mideast mentioned, and those areas have huge (and rapidly) growing young populations. However, it is possible his omission of these 3 large areas of the globe are explained by Mr. Tuma's core argument: for good economic growth one needs to couple young population growth with expansive civil liberties; the problem is, Mr. Tuma never articulates that...and thus weakens his argument.
Therefore, I took his explanations for why the US and Europe are facing the economic challenges of the 2010's with a bit of salt; his explanations sound reasonable albeit with some minor gaps or holes, but still, overall, pretty plausible.
So with that sense of caution, Mr. Tuma's advice throughout the book is excellent. For instance, he suggests getting engaged in the political process in a pragmatic and progressive manner (rather than today's dogmatic conservative v. liberal which, as is rather clear from reading this book, isn't helping). He then uses the big picture demographic trends to help figure out personal investments to make over the next decade.
That type of practical advice is why I emerged from reading this book with a bit more optimism than when I went into it.
Also, Mr. Tuma's insights into immigration - and the types of immigration we need coupled with the types of immigration policies we need - are not only excellent, but completely backed up by the historical record (see Amy Chua's superb
Day of Empire: How Hyperpowers Rise to Global Dominance--and Why They Fall for a clear-eyed, no-nonsense explanation with a lot of "here's the point at which this empire failed and why" stories that will be painfully reminiscent of current US arguments about immigration).
Tuma's
From Boom to Bust and Beyond is full of big picture insights and personal advice that should be read by anyone who's interested in the future of the US, the future of Europe, or the future their kids will inherent over the next decade. And thankfully, you'll walk away with things you can do - rather than just things about which you can worry.
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