Home > Store > Finance & Investing > Investing

larger cover

Add To My Wish List

Financial Shock (Updated Edition), (Paperback): Global Panic and Government Bailouts--How We Got Here and What Must Be Done to Fix It

  • By Mark Zandi
  • Published Apr 15, 2009 by FT Press.
    • Copyright 2009
    • Dimensions: 6 X 9
    • Pages: 304
    • Edition: 1st
    • Book
    • ISBN-10: 0-13-701663-8
    • ISBN-13: 978-0-13-701663-1

Register your product to gain access to bonus material or receive a coupon.

  • Description
  • Reviews
  • Sample Content

Product Author Bios

Dr. Mark Zandi is chief economist and cofounder of Moody’s Economy.com, an independent subsidiary of Moody’s that provides economic research and consulting services to businesses, governments, and other institutions. His recent research has included studying determinants of mortgage foreclosure and personal bankruptcy; analyzing economic impacts of tax and government spending policies; and assessing policy responses to bubbles in asset markets. He has appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, NBC News, CBS News, CNN, CNBC, and has served as an economic advisor to John McCain’s presidential campaign and the Obama administration. Zandi holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania where he did research with Gerard Adams and Nobel Laureate Lawrence Klein.

"In Financial Shock, Mr. Zandi provides a concise and lucid account of the economic, political, and regulatory forces behind this binge."

The Wall Street Journal

 

“The obvious place to start is the financial crisis, and the clearest guide to it that I’ve read is Financial Shock by Mark Zandi....It is an impressively lucid guide to the big issues.”

David Leonhardt, The New York Times

 

“If you wonder how it could be possible for a subprime mortgage loan to bring the global financial system and the U.S. economy to its knees, you should read this book. No one is better qualified to provide this insight and advice than Mark Zandi.”

Larry Kudlow, Host, CNBC’s Kudlow & Company

 

“Mark Zandi provides insightful analysis, thoughtful recommendations, and a comprehensible explanation of the financial crisis that is accessible to the general public and extremely useful to those who specialize in the area.”

Barney Frank, Chairman, House Financial Services Committee

  

The Definitive Financial Meltdown Exposé:

Now completely updated to include discussions of the Obama administration’s many policy initiatives and proposed solutions.

•Includes expanded coverage of the market meltdown, the bailout bill and stimulus plans, the bank rescue plan, and the foreclosure mitigation plan

• Sifting the wreckage, fixing the blame: the roles of mortgage lenders, investment bankers, speculators, the real estate industry, regulators, the Fed, and homebuyers

• Tomorrow’s emerging financial shocks—and how to prevent them

Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Accessible book, May 5, 2009
By 
Hans G. Despain (Longmeadow, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Financial Shock (Updated Edition), (Paperback): Global Panic and Government Bailouts--How We Got Here and What Must Be Done to Fix It (Paperback)
This is an impressive little book. It is both a comprehensive and accessible analysis of the 2007-9 financial crisis. If you are interested in understanding the genesis of the financial crisis and its structural causation, this is the book to begin with. Zandi's book is the best of its kind.

Zandi does not shy away from describing the structural causes behind the current crisis. This is important, because popular versions attempt to place blame on bad decision making of individuals. Zandi certainly does not deny that speculation fed the unsustainable real estate boom. Speculation, however, was a minor culprit generating the frenzy and structural dynamic of the real estate boom.

Too many homebuyers facing foreclosure internalize their fate. Zandi's book convincing suggests this is an emotional mistake. Numerous forces made homebuyers highly vulnerable. The majority of federal agents (e.g., elective officials, regulators, etc.), quasi-federal agents... Read more
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars OK, but repetitious, September 6, 2012
By 
Paul Benoit (Farmington, AR United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This book reviews the origins and evolution of the financial crisis of 2005 to the present. It is certainly worth reading for those interested in financial markets. On the plus side, the author presents a fairly balanced analysis and doesn't just heap all the blame for the crisis on the banks, or the government. The author has a fluid writing style and is careful to explain financial concepts and acronyms that are outside the realm of most people.

On the negative side, there is a lot of repetition in the content, with some concepts being re-explained multiple times. The author's approach is more subject-oriented than time-oriented, so the reader has to follow numerous jumps back and forth in time. The author also does not delve into details or present new interview material on major figures in the crisis. Thus, for example, virtually none of the major banks involved or their leaders are mentioned by name. This is perhaps safer for the author, given that the events... Read more
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars easy to read, October 27, 2009
By 
Thamanjimmy (Jacksonville, Florida) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Financial Shock (Updated Edition), (Paperback): Global Panic and Government Bailouts--How We Got Here and What Must Be Done to Fix It (Paperback)
This is a great book for an overview of the housing bubble and its effects.

It is short and very easy to read. My only problem with it, besides his weak recommendations to avoid another bubble, is that the book is basically the first twenty pages repeated over and over again.

It is worth the read, however.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


Share your thoughts with other customers:
 See all 12 customer reviews...

Online Sample Chapter

Financial Shock: Subprime Précis

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments . . . viii

About the Author . . . ix

Introduction . . . 1

Chapter 1: Subprime Précis . . . 9

Chapter 2: Sizing Up Subprime . . . 33

Chapter 3: Everyone Should Own a Home . . . 49

Chapter 4: Chairman Greenspan Counts on Housing . . . 67

Chapter 5: Global Money Men Want a Piece . . . 81

Chapter 6: Bad Lenders Drive Out the Good . . . 97

Chapter 7: Financial Engineers and Their Creations . . . 113

Chapter 8: Home Builders Run Aground . . . 131

Chapter 9: As the Regulatory Cycle Turns . . . 145

Chapter 10: Boom, Bubble, Bust, and Crash . . . 161

Chapter 11: Credit Crunch . . . 175

Chapter 12: Timid Policymakers Turn Bold . . . 193

Chapter 13: Economic Fallout . . . 233

Chapter 14: Back to the Future . . . 251

Endnotes . . . 273

Index . . . 285

Sample Pages

Download the sample pages (includes Chapter 1 and Index)

 
Best Value

Book + eBook Bundle  $39.98  $22.99

Book Price $15.99
eBook Price $7.00
eBook formats included

Buy

This book includes free shipping!

Buy

Book  $19.99  $15.99

Usually ships in 24 hours.

This book includes free shipping!

Buy

eBook (Watermarked)  $19.99  $15.99

Includes EPUB, MOBI, and PDF
About eBook Formats

This eBook includes the following formats, accessible from your Account page after purchase:

ePubEPUBThe open industry format known for its reflowable content and usability on supported mobile devices.

MOBIMOBIThe eBook format compatible with the Amazon Kindle and Amazon Kindle applications.

Adobe ReaderPDFThe popular standard, used most often with the free Adobe® Reader® software.

This eBook requires no passwords or activation to read. We customize your eBook by discretely watermarking it with your name, making it uniquely yours.

Purchase Reward: One Month Free Subscription
By completing any purchase on FT Press, you become eligible for an unlimited access one-month subscription to Safari Books Online.

Get access to thousands of books and training videos about technology, professional development and digital media from more than 40 leading publishers, including Addison-Wesley, Prentice Hall, Cisco Press, IBM Press, O'Reilly Media, Wrox, Apress, and many more. If you continue your subscription after your 30-day trial, you can receive 30% off a monthly subscription to the Safari Library for up to 12 months. That's a total savings of $199.