Booms and Busts: An Encyclopedia of Economic History from Tulipmania of the 1630's to the Global Financial Crisis of the 21 st Century [Hardcover]

James Ciment (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With more than 360 entries, this set covers the extremes of economic cycles, with emphasis placed on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Although geographic coverage is international, U.S.-related articles make up a large portion of entries. A “Topic Finder” in volume 1 organizes entries under 16 headings. Three headings with the largest number of articles are “Economists, Financiers, Policy Makers” (83 entries); “Economic Terms and Concepts” (50); and “Nations, Regions, Economic Blocs” (45 entries). Other categories include “Booms and Busts, Historical” (Asian financial crisis 1997); “Financial Instruments, Investments” (Collateralized debt obligations); “Government Institutions, U.S.” (Federal Reserve System); and “Theories, Models, Schools of Thought” (Keynesian business model). Entries are arranged alphabetically and range between 2 and 10 pages. Each entry is signed and includes see also headings and a further-reading list. Undergraduate students and general readers should find most articles easy to understand. For example, in the article Credit default swaps, terms such as collateralized mortgage obligations, collateralized debt obligations, and tranches are all defined. Numerous black-and-white illustrations, charts, and tables are provided. Besides a cumulative index, volume 3 includes a 9-page chronology, a 10-page glossary, and a 17-page selected bibliography organized into books and websites. The set opens with three introductory essays that review notable booms and busts as well as causes and consequences. There are more than 90 international academic contributors. In addition, editor Ciment (editor of numerous encyclopedias, including Encyclopedia of the Great Depression and New Deal, 2001) contributes more than 40 articles. Business Cycles and Depressions: An Encyclopedia (Garland, 1997) covers similar topics in 327 entries, is for more advanced users, but is not as up-to-date. Booms and Busts should prove useful in academic and public libraries. Also available on Sharpe Online Reference. --Stephen Fadel

Product Details

• Hardcover: 937 pages
• Publisher: M E Sharpe Reference; 3rd Revised edition edition (August 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765682249
• ISBN-13: 978-0765682246
• Product Dimensions: 14.5 x 9.4 x 3.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,383,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good source for those interested in writing a paper on the history of business cycles..., April 21, 2011

By 

R. Neil Scott "Writer, Professor & User Servi... (Murfreesboro, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Booms and Busts: An Encyclopedia of Economic History from Tulipmania of the 1630's to the Global Financial Crisis of the 21 st Century (Hardcover)

A three-volume set focusing on a narrow niche of economic history -- the economic cycle. Opens with three introductory essays on the history of economic booms and busts, then offers 361 entries written by 96 different contributors.

Entries are well-written and should be easily understood by undergraduate students. Ranging from one to ten pages, they cover profiles of banks and other financial institutions, biographies of noted bankers and economists, and offer detailed discussions of business cycle theory.

The set will be especially helpful for those seeking an understanding of the financial crisis and housing market meltdown of the last two decades of the 20th century in the United States. The narrative text is supplemented by a historical chronology, a glossary, an extensive bibliography of books sand websites and a detailed 59-page cumulative index.

"Booms and Busts" should prove to be a relatively inexpensive set that will see much use alongside the expensive new second edition set of "The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics" (2008) and the now-dated, but widely held "Business Cycles and Depressions: An Encyclopedia" (1997).

R. Neil Scott, MBA/MSLS

Middle Tennessee State University