What is the best book written on the current financial crisis and its origins?

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a.began Posted: Tue, Dec 6 2011 5:18 PM

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Is Meltdown by Tom Woods any good? Are there any other ones worth reading?

Disclaimer: I'm not an economist.

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Wheylous replied on Tue, Dec 6 2011 5:40 PM

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It's wonderful as an intro, yes. I find the beginning a bit too "popular" for me (as in it sounds like what a mainstream person would say "right wing nutjob"), but when he gets to discussing ABCT it's good :)

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John James replied on Tue, Dec 6 2011 7:03 PM

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Yes, Meltdown is excellent.  Others would be...

Financial Fiasco by Johan Norberg  (and the film based on it)
Crash Proof 2.0 by Peter Schiff

In fact, David Gorden actually gave a lecture titled "Five Best Books on the Current Crisis" at a Mises Circle in 2009. (It's also here.  I don't think there is any difference between those two links though. For easy download, see the resources page.

I also posted a rundown of things here.

"The Bailout Reader" offers a nice collection of sources
"Austrian Predictions" offers a collection of writings about busts before they occurred.
 

For specifics on booms and busts, see here.  The comments at that link include other recommendations.

Definitely be on the lookout for The Panic of 2008 film.

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skylien replied on Wed, Dec 7 2011 5:48 AM

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From a different perspective (From Hedge Fund managers) it is told in The Big Short.

It's a great read, and contains some nice facts. Though this is not from an Austrian perspective or any other economic school. Yet I think the things it told me confirmed my views in economics. Though of course this might be pure bias, I only want to say that it makes perfect sense from a libertarian view point and I am aware that a Keynesian might argue the same..