From Publishers Weekly
In this companion to his documentary film of the same name, Scurlock takes a provocative though scattershot tour of "debt hell," exploring Americans' use and misuse of credit. He introduces us to upbeat debt collectors, downbeat academics, motivational speakers who insist that we can get out of debt by refinancing our homes and "skipping the a.m. latte," and "average Americans who are swimming in debt." Scurlock's villains are Visa, Citibank, credit bureaus, legislators who do the financial industry's bidding and a system of credit that "has mutated into a relentlessly efficient and voracious machine." We learn that most consumers who teeter on the brink of bankruptcy aren't bad people—they've just taken all those no-credit-buy-anyway ads at face value. It's all pretty involving, though as with most documentarians, Scurlock is only as good as his sources—and in print, anecdotes and testimonials aren't necessarily the best way to convey complex information or make an airtight case. The author also oversimplifies issues ("banking is about selling a single product: debt"), avoids engaging anyone who might challenge his banks-are-evil argument and turns occasional tangents into full-fledged digressions. But Scurlock deserves credit (no pun intended) for opening more eyes to this dire issue.
(Feb.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From AudioFile
If youÕre going to pay for this audiobook with a credit card, you might want to think twice--you could be contributing to a tsunami of debt thatÕs about to submerge our economy. Completed before the mortgage industry began its nosedive, this audiobook lays out some sobering statistics (more people will declare bankruptcy this year than get divorced) and provides some sad case studies about predatory lenders, frantic borrowers, and a greedy, unregulated industry. The audiobook is based on the popular documentary of the same name, and Scurlock narrates with authority and conviction. Unfortunately, because much of the material is derived directly from the film, those whoÕve watched the movie, may find it a cross between outtakes and DVD extras. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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