Customer Reviews

Bubbles: And How to Survive Them

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book would be good for readers who are interested in macroeconomics and like blaming the Federal Reserve. It would very not be helpful to people who do not follow marcoeconomic debates. Even in this context, it does not provide anything new.

For a much better and more interesting take on bubbles, check out Frenzy by Carl Haacke. It's great! It provides compelling insights into how bubbles are created by 3 types of distortions - 1) psychological, 2) competition, 3)excess. Its a much better way to understand bubbles and is a perfect way to view today's real estate bubble. Moreover, it helps explain how to manage them better. For real estate, that would mean (dare I reveal the ending) wait for the crash and buy at firesale prices. But read it to learn more, its worth it.

Despite being published in 2004, this book could have been published today as essential reading for anyone wanting to know why the financial crisis happened. In a nutshell, everything Calverley presents as "what could happen" did happen.

The only reason I gave four stars rather than five is that this book is probably one for budding economists rather than budding investors or traders.

Tony Loton, author --
Stop Orders: A practical guide to using stop orders for traders and investors

Just finished reading what I consider one of the best timely books on our current financial crisis.
Having read several books on this topic... this one is a must read. Why?
It is written for us, the layperson... not the professional.
Check out the contents, the author writes with a simple, clear hand.
You will not find the usual economic jargon that can bog down the ease of reading and understanding. This a major achievement in itself.
He covers the first known bubble histories (1630's)up through 2008.
This is the updated version from the original 2004 version. (covering through 2008)
It interesting to read his comments what he thinks will happen in 2009-10.
He pretty good at reading the "tea leaves"
He does an excellent job of presenting different view points (his included) but leaving you to decide.
A good read.