Money Mania: Booms, Panics, and Busts from Ancient Rome to the Great Meltdown - Hardcover

Swarup, Bob

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1608198413 ISBN 13: 9781608198412

Publisher: Bloomsbury Press, 2014

Synopsis

Money Mania is a sweeping account of financial speculation and its consequences, from ancient Rome to the Meltdown of 2008. Acclaimed journalist and investor Bob Swarup tracks the history of speculative fevers caused by the appearance of new profitable investment opportunities; the new assets created and the increasing self-congratulatory euphoria that drives them to unsustainable highs, all fed by an illusion of insight and newly minted experts; the unexpected catalysts that eventually lead to panic; the inevitable crash as investors scramble to withdraw their funds from the original market and any other that might resemble it; and finally, the brevity of financial memory that allows us to repeat the cycle without ever critically evaluating the drivers of this endless cycle.
In short, it is the story of what makes us human.

About this title

Review:

Swarup's book is a rich, anecdote-driven account . It's a much needed dose of common sense and old-school philosophy. a great romp through the history of financial crises...a strikingly original writer. (Bethany McLean Bookforum)

Money Mania presents a rigorously researched history packed with great stories and insights. Swarup takes the reader through a fascinating and thought provoking analysis of emotional biases, money, credit and social complexity. Financial manias and panics are a rhythmic feature of the collective human experience, with societal consequences correlated to the degree of economic integration and financialization. The vexing question for every serious investor today is whether our uniquely complex modern society is at risk of another systemic crisis. Money Mania is a timely, well written reminder that this question should be given renewed priority. (Paul Tudor Jones, founder of the Tudor Investment Corporation and the Robin Hood Foundation)

London-based cosmologist, investment manager, and journalist Swarup takes a very long view of the economic cycles that define both modern and ancient societies. He traces the same foibles of human nature that caused financial disaster in the Roman Empire to those that contributed to the most recent global economic woes. While it may seem that Swarup's training as a physicist gives him a deeper understanding of cosmic cycles than traditionally trained economists, it's his analysis of the human elements that make his work so compelling and comprehensible, as he expertly surfs the crests and troughs of the economy and examines the behavior that contributes to the bumpy ride. VERDICT If Swarup's analysis didn't hit so close to home, this title would be a cozier read. His analysis points out that ordinary citizens are often as much to blame for financial crises as inanimate financial forces or regulatory mismanagement. But the book is well worth reading for its engaging and long-reaching investigation of what fuels money mania and why it matters. (Carol Elsen Library Journal)

Book Description:

Five centuries of financial bubbles and investment manias, told with rich historical detail and an insider's financial acumen, for fans of Michael Lewis, Liaquat Ahamed, and brilliant business writing.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1608198413
• ISBN 13: 9781608198412
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320