Conquer the Crash: You Can Survive and Prosper in a Deflationary Depression (Hardcover)

by Robert R. Prechter Jr. (Author) "How many times over the past decade have you heard glowing reports about the "New Economy"?..." (more)
Key Phrases: deflationary crash, deflationary depression, leveraged derivatives, Elliott Wave International, Federal Reserve, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In Conquer the Crash, Robert Prechter explains why he thinks the boom times are behind us. Based on his interpretation of the Elliott Wave principle (an idea premised on the notion that mass investor psychology is what really drives markets), Prechter believes that the U.S. economy is about to enter into a deflationary depression that few investors are prepared to deal with. In making his case, Prechter assembles an impressive array of data that in essence suggests that the bill for the last 10 years of market excess is about to come due. The second half of the book shows how to avoid becoming "a zombie-eyed victim of the depression" and offers advice on protecting one's assets in a deflationary environment (cash is king). If there's any good news in the future that Prechter sees coming (other than how to avoid it), it's that all-out depressions don't last very long. Conquer the Crash should appeal to gloom-and-doom investors and to those desperately looking for a safe haven from the uncertainties of today's markets. --Harry C. Edwards

Review
"So why bother paying Prechter any mind at all?...he's more right than Wall Street's Establishment usually admits." -- BusinessWeek, July 22, 2002

"So why bother paying Prechter any mind at all?...he's more right than Wall Street's Establishment usually admits." (BusinessWeek, July 22, 2002)

"So why bother paying Prechter any mind at all?...he's more right than Wall Street's Establishment usually admits." -- BusinessWeek, July 22, 2002

So why bother paying Prechter any mind at all?...he's more right than Wall Street's Establishment usually admits. BusinessWeek, July 22, 2002 --BusinessWeek, July 22, 2002

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: New Classics Library; 1 edition (June 21, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470849827
• ISBN-13: 978-0470849828
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,365 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

207 of 222 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will cause you no financial harm if followed, August 27, 2002

By	T. Austin (Van Nuys, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Let me get this off my chest first: I read every single review here at Amazon before I bought this book and I must say that the negative reviews; or more accurately the nasty ones, lead me to believe that the reviewers did not read the book. I say that because even if Prichter is wrong, and there is no upcoming "Deflationary Depression" and this decade is all blue skies just like the late 1990's were, any subsequent readers who followed his advice to the exact letter of the verbage would NOT lose any of their assets whatsoever. Therefore, how could this book do harm? At worst it educates the reader as to how to handle uncertain times. There is no bad or harmful advice in this book.

His advice is basically to pay off your bills, put your money in rock solid banks. Don't rely on the government to protect you, buy some precious metals, and get ready to profit once we are at the rock bottom by way of investment strategies that take advantage of the subsequent inflation post a "Deflationary Depression." What's harmful about being in cash?

Now the review: Prichter is confident that there is going to be a deflationary depression. A period of great contraction in our economy that drives down any and all inflated value out of any goods or services such as the depression the United States suffered through in 1929.

He supports his premise with monetary statistics such as the 30 trillion dollar credit bubble that America now has, and numerous other statistics that aren't that pretty.

Prichter also bases his premise for a "Deflationary Depression" on a controversial charting method known as "The Elliot Wave Theory". It's controversial in that some stock market analysts think it is merely conjecture, while other analysts feel it is an absolute, social, "fractal". (A "Fractal" is defined as a geometric shape that self repeats over and over into a larger shape. This can especially be observed in nature.)

As a result, the Elliot Wave Theory is believed to be an accurate way of charting graphs whereas the viewer trained in this principle can predict where that statistic is going to go based on Elliot Wave analysis. Whether this is nonsense or not, every major brokerage firm has an Elliot Wave analyst.

Prichter teaches the basics of this technique and supports his findings with background statistics such as market volume and breath.

The book is divided into two sections: Why a "Deflationary Depression" is going to happen, and the second part of the book covering how to profit and protect yourself when it does. At the very least this book is an educational exercise as to what to do if a "Deflationary Depression" or bear market occurs.

To repeat, his advice would do no harm if followed even if he is wrong. Challenge any reviewer who says otherwise.

Tony

78 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Provocative Viewpoint on the Market and the Economy, August 18, 2002

By	L. Masonson (Monroe, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Robert Prechter Jr. is well-known in stock market circles for his Elliott Wave predictions over the years have had their success and failures. This is Prechters third and latest book (At the Crest of the Tidal Wave (1995) and The Elliott Wave Principle (1978)). His current book is really two books in one printed on different colored paper! Even if you do not agree with Prechters view of the world, you should certainly understand his arguments and make your own decisions.

Part I (135 pp.) focuses on why he believes a stock market crash will occur in the near term, as well why deflation and economic depression are high probability scenarios. Although deflation and depression are rare occurrences, Prechter believes that they are at the brink. His goal is writing the book is to provide insight into defining both events and make you believe that they can happen, and eventually make you believe that they are likely to happen.

Prechter compares the period 1942-1966 (called Wave III) with the economic expansion of 1974-2000 (Wave V). He points out that the most recent period had much weaker economic fundamentals and performance than the prior period, although by stock market standards Wave V had an increase of 1930% on the DJIA compared to 971% during Wave III. In his analysis he provides comprehensive statistics on GDP, Industrial Production, Capacity Utilization, Unemployment rate, households liquid assets, federal and consumer debt, prime rate, federal budget deficit, personal savings among others. Prechter then defines depression and its relationship to the stock market. One of his key observations is that major stock market declines lead directly to depressions.

Prechter depicts the five waves evident in the stock market using four charts. He points out that the five-wave pattern occurs even taking into account major news events such as Hitlers rise to power and the end of the Vietnam war. Prechter provides four signs of a market top and explains the Elliott Wave characteristics of each of the five waves.

Prechter presents his case for the existing stock market precarious situation (as of March 2002) by covering Wave V in great detail. He spends considerable time examining the fifth wave from 1974 to 2000 compared to previous waves. The case for the historically high stock evaluation is made by focusing on the low dividend yield, outrageously high book value, and high P/E ratio. Prechter then covers how psychology plays a major role in a stock market advance and decline. He reviews the psychology of he economists, brokerage strategists, money managers, public, and the media.

Prechter believes that the upcoming bear market will be the most devastating since the great depression and perhaps since 1720-1784. If this occurs, he indicates that the U.S. will experience another depression. He forecasts that the DJI will plummet to 777, the August 1982 low, if that average follows the pattern of the prior manias (e.g., Nikkei; DJI 1929-32; Gouda tulip bulbs (1634-1722); and the South Sea Company (1719-1722)). Lastly, he makes the case for deflation, and discusses the Fed and banking system.

Book Two provided Prechters advice for protecting yourself and profiting from the upcoming depression. His recommendations include:
1. Have safety of principal by being in cash or high-quality short-term U.S. Government treasuries (T-bills) or money market mutual funds that invest in these types of instruments.
2. Sell your home (if you have a large mortgage) and rent instead.
3. Find a safe bank (using Weiss Ratings, Inc., for example) and keep your money there.
4. Do not own or invest in stocks, options or futures.
5. Consider buying inverse mutual funds (such as Rydex Tempest that double short the S&P 500) and Rydex Venture (double short NASDAQ 100). ProFunds also offers bear funds. To invest in any of these funds, Prechter cautions that you must be a short-term timer to be successful.
6. Buy physical gold and silver metals.
7. Cash out your whole life insurance policies and convert to term insurance from the safest firms (based on Weiss Ratings, Inc., for example)

Prechter provides a very sobering view of the future that few individuals will heed because of its negative and extreme consequences. But if this book makes you think about the safety of your financial nest eggs, retirement funds, insurance policies, etc; then at least you can decide to take some steps to protect yourself. If the stock market can manage to rally 20-40% from the lows of July 2002, then perhaps you should consider cashing in your remaining equity and mutual funds positions before the real bear market takes hold as Prechter envisions. I know I will be doing that and then using my charts and technical indicators to tell me when to get back in. Its shame that Prechter did not publish this book in March 2000 when the market was at its peak. He would have saved most investors, who believed his work, a great deal of money if they had followed his recommendations.

Whether you agree with Prechters view of the world, you will certainly agree with this quote:
To be successful in life, or at least learn something along the way, you have to think for yourself.

152 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book While There's Still Time!, July 1, 2002

By	Timothy L. Bost (Sarasota, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"How much time is left?"
That's the question that kept ringing through my mind as I finished reading Bob Prechter's new book, Conquer the Crash.
"How much time is left? And how fast can I take appropriate action?"
There's definitely a sense of urgency created in this insightful and wonderfully readable book. While it's not specifically about equities trading or financial astrology, the topics that provide the usual focus for Financial Cycles, it's required reading for market astrologers, active traders, and anyone else who wants to enhance his or her prospects for economic survival in the years ahead.
Prechter, the world's preeminent authority on Elliott Wave theory, makes an extremely convincing argument, not only that we are headed for a major market crash and a widespread depression much bigger than the one 70 years ago, but also that we will experience severe deflation, halting and reversing the inflationary trend that has been a bedrock assumption in virtually all financial planning throughout our lives. He examines market history, social psychology, and the prevailing money myths to create a startlingly clear vision of some pretty scary situations that demand serious attention.
Along the way, he illuminates the workings of the Federal Reserve, assesses the impact of increasing terrorism, examines the outlook for government, and makes suggestions for employers, collectors, and prospective retirees. And while he isn't writing about financial astrology, he does provide vital insights into the workings of economic and social cycles-not only Elliott Wave, but the Kondratieff long wave as well.
That's not to say that this is a technical book written only for seasoned analysts or would-be experts. In fact, the opposite is true. It contains some of the clearest, easiest-to-understand material I've ever read on Elliott Wave. But more importantly, its real charm, and its usefulness, comes from the fact that Bob Prechter is writing for average folks who probably haven't really given much thought to what might happen to the economy in the years ahead. And while some of the insights in Conquer the Crash are scary enough, this isn't really a doom-and-gloom piece. It's chock full of practical tips for specific actions you can and should take right now. You'll find valuable guidance here, not only on how to handle the stock market ("The opportunity to make money on the downside in a deflationary crash can hardly be overstated"), but also on real estate, bonds, insurance, banking, annuities, and precious metals. And the actions Prechter suggests aren't vague generalities-you'll find easy-to-read check lists of the particular things you can do in various situations, plus specific names of financial and research institutions that can provide additional help, along with toll-free phone numbers, URLs, and other contact information.
All at once, Conquer the Crash manages to be gripping, thought-provoking reading, a handy reference book, and a stirring call to personal action. As Prechter notes, he certainly gets into "concerns that most investment counselors view as little different from paranoia. As the old saying goes, I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean there isn't someone following me. In the final analysis, it is better to be safe and wrong than exposed and wrong."
Robert Prechter deserves a lot of respect for the outstanding work he has done over the years in his analysis of social and economic trends. He never hesitates to define his point of view clearly, and he's never afraid to risk taking a stand. As a result he is one of those truly rare commodities in today's hype-filled age: a genuinely original thinker. Conquer the Crash is a delightful case in point.
If Bob Prechter is right, the only question is how much time is left for you to take appropriate action. And if it turns out that he's wrong, taking the actions he suggests won't endanger your financial security or severely impact your current lifestyle in any negative way. So what have you got to lose? I strongly suggest that you get your hands on a copy of this book, read it, and pay very close attention to what it says.
-Tim Bost, editor, "FinancialCyclesWeekly.com"