Get Your Free Audiobook
Crashes and Crises: Lessons from a History of Financial Disasters
Non-member price: $48.69
People who bought this also bought...
-
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Edward F. Stuart PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
-
-
Inappropriately named
- By slaidlaw on 22-08-2019
-
The Science of Energy
- Resources and Power Explained
- By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To better put into perspective the various issues surrounding energy in the 21st century, you need to understand the essential science behind how energy works. And you need a reliable source whose focus is on giving you the facts you need to form your own educated opinions.
-
-
Immediatey relevant!
- By Robert Watkinson on 11-06-2017
-
Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making
- By: Randall Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Randall Bartlett
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Economic forces are everywhere around you. But that doesn't mean you need to passively accept whatever outcome those forces might press upon you. Instead, with these 12 fast-moving and crystal clear lectures, you can learn how to use a small handful of basic nuts-and-bolts principles to turn those same forces to your own advantage.
-
-
very informative, this is a good introduction to e
- By Anonymous User on 19-07-2019
-
University of Berkshire Hathaway
- 30 Years of Lessons Learned from Warren Buffett & Charlie Munger at the Annual Shareholders Meeting
- By: Daniel Pecaut, Corey Wrenn - contributor
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
University of Berkshire Hathaway is a remarkable retelling of the lessons, wisdom, and investment strategies handed down personally from Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger to shareholders during 30 years of their closed-door annual meetings. From this front row seat, you'll see one of the greatest wealth-building records in history unfold, year by year. If you're looking for dusty old investment theory, there are hundreds of other books waiting to cure you of insomnia. However, if you're looking for an investing book that's as personal as it is revelatory, look no further.
-
-
It was a good story of Berkshire Hathaway
- By Sitiveni on 12-06-2019
-
Aftermath
- By: James Rickards
- Narrated by: James Rickards
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his most practical book to date, financial expert and investment advisor James Rickards shows how and why our financial markets are being artificially inflated and what smart investors can do to protect their assets. What goes up must come down. As any student of financial history knows, the dizzying heights of the stock market can't continue indefinitely. In turbulent times, the elites are prepared but what should the average investor do? James Rickards lays out the true risks to our financial system and offers invaluable advice on how best to weather the storm.
-
-
A great book to read, not for listening though
- By Anonymous User on 19-08-2019
-
The Man Who Solved the Market
- By: Gregory Zuckerman
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jim Simons is the greatest moneymaker in modern financial history. His record bests those of legendary investors, including Warren Buffett, George Soros and Ray Dalio. Yet Simons and his strategies are shrouded in mystery. The financial industry has long craved a look inside Simons' secretive hedge fund, Renaissance Technologies, and veteran Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman delivers the goods. After a legendary career as a mathematician and a stint breaking Soviet codes, Simons set out to conquer financial markets with a radical approach.
-
-
Great book - amazing narration
- By Anju on 29-11-2019
-
Capitalism vs. Socialism: Comparing Economic Systems
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Edward F. Stuart PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since we produced our course Thinking About Capitalism, customers have expressed interest in a follow-up course that could help them understand socialism in the same way. After much consideration, we determined that it actually would be more beneficial to create a course that compares and contrasts the two major global economic theories, examining them in ways that move past the polemics many of us are used to and looking at these systems as they relate to one another and the world at large.
-
-
Inappropriately named
- By slaidlaw on 22-08-2019
-
The Science of Energy
- Resources and Power Explained
- By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To better put into perspective the various issues surrounding energy in the 21st century, you need to understand the essential science behind how energy works. And you need a reliable source whose focus is on giving you the facts you need to form your own educated opinions.
-
-
Immediatey relevant!
- By Robert Watkinson on 11-06-2017
-
Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making
- By: Randall Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Randall Bartlett
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Economic forces are everywhere around you. But that doesn't mean you need to passively accept whatever outcome those forces might press upon you. Instead, with these 12 fast-moving and crystal clear lectures, you can learn how to use a small handful of basic nuts-and-bolts principles to turn those same forces to your own advantage.
-
-
very informative, this is a good introduction to e
- By Anonymous User on 19-07-2019
-
University of Berkshire Hathaway
- 30 Years of Lessons Learned from Warren Buffett & Charlie Munger at the Annual Shareholders Meeting
- By: Daniel Pecaut, Corey Wrenn - contributor
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
University of Berkshire Hathaway is a remarkable retelling of the lessons, wisdom, and investment strategies handed down personally from Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger to shareholders during 30 years of their closed-door annual meetings. From this front row seat, you'll see one of the greatest wealth-building records in history unfold, year by year. If you're looking for dusty old investment theory, there are hundreds of other books waiting to cure you of insomnia. However, if you're looking for an investing book that's as personal as it is revelatory, look no further.
-
-
It was a good story of Berkshire Hathaway
- By Sitiveni on 12-06-2019
-
Aftermath
- By: James Rickards
- Narrated by: James Rickards
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his most practical book to date, financial expert and investment advisor James Rickards shows how and why our financial markets are being artificially inflated and what smart investors can do to protect their assets. What goes up must come down. As any student of financial history knows, the dizzying heights of the stock market can't continue indefinitely. In turbulent times, the elites are prepared but what should the average investor do? James Rickards lays out the true risks to our financial system and offers invaluable advice on how best to weather the storm.
-
-
A great book to read, not for listening though
- By Anonymous User on 19-08-2019
-
The Man Who Solved the Market
- By: Gregory Zuckerman
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jim Simons is the greatest moneymaker in modern financial history. His record bests those of legendary investors, including Warren Buffett, George Soros and Ray Dalio. Yet Simons and his strategies are shrouded in mystery. The financial industry has long craved a look inside Simons' secretive hedge fund, Renaissance Technologies, and veteran Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman delivers the goods. After a legendary career as a mathematician and a stint breaking Soviet codes, Simons set out to conquer financial markets with a radical approach.
-
-
Great book - amazing narration
- By Anju on 29-11-2019
-
Collusion
- How Central Bankers Rigged the World
- By: Nomi Prins
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this searing exposé, former Wall Street insider Nomi Prins shows how the 2007-2008 financial crisis turbo-boosted the influence of central bankers and triggered a massive shift in the world order. Packed with tantalizing details about the elite players orchestrating the world economy, Collusion takes the listener inside the most discreet conversations at exclusive retreats like Jackson Hole and Davos. A work of meticulous reporting and bracing analysis, Collusion will change the way we understand the new world of international finance.
-
-
Great piece of work, Nomi Prins
- By Mark on 20-09-2018
-
Mindf*ck
- Inside Cambridge Analytica’s Plot to Break the World
- By: Christopher Wylie
- Narrated by: Graham Halstead
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2016, an obscure British military contractor turned the world upside down. Funded by a billionaire on a crusade to start his own far-right insurgency, Cambridge Analytica combined psychological research with private Facebook data to make an invisible weapon with the power to change what voters perceived as real. The firm was created to launch the then unknown Steve Bannon's ideological assault on America. But as it honed its dark arts in elections from Trinidad to Nigeria, 24-year-old research director Christopher Wylie began to see what he and his colleagues were unleashing.
-
-
What a revelation
- By Brenton cullen on 19-11-2019
-
How the Earth Works
- By: Michael E. Wysession, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael E. Wysession
- Length: 24 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.
-
Why You Are Who You Are
- Investigations into Human Personality
- By: Mark Leary, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Mark Leary
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To understand the roots of personality is to understand motivations and influences that shape behavior, which in turn reflect how you deal with the opportunities and challenges of everyday life. That's the focus of these exciting 24 lectures, in which you examine the differences in people's personalities, where these differences come from, and how they shape our lives. Drawing on information gleaned from psychology, neuroscience, and genetics, Professor Leary opens the door to understanding how personality works and why.
-
-
Really interesting topic, well told
- By Daniel on 26-09-2018
-
Debt - Updated and Expanded
- The First 5,000 Years
- By: David Graeber
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here, anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom: He shows that before there was money, there was debt. For more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods - that is, long before the invention of coins or cash. It is in this era, Graeber argues, that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors.
-
-
some interesting bits but too long and opinionated
- By Reuben Schwarz on 01-11-2018
-
Understanding Complexity
- By: Scott E. Page, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Scott E. Page
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Recent years have seen the introduction of concepts from the new and exciting field of complexity science that have captivated the attention of economists, sociologists, engineers, businesspeople, and many others. These include tipping points, the wisdom of crowds, six degrees of separation (or Kevin Bacon), and emergence. Complexity science can shed light on why businesses or economies succeed and fail, how epidemics spread and can be stopped, and what causes ecological systems to rebalance themselves after a disaster.
-
-
Maybe interesting for a 5th grader
- By V Krein on 08-11-2019
-
Thermodynamics: Four Laws That Move the Universe
- By: Jeffrey C. Grossman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jeffrey C. Grossman
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nothing has had a more profound impact on the development of modern civilization than thermodynamics. Thermodynamic processes are at the heart of everything that involves heat, energy, and work, making an understanding of the subject indispensable for careers in engineering, physical science, biology, meteorology, and even nutrition and culinary arts. Get an in-depth tour of this vital and fascinating science in 24 enthralling lectures suitable for everyone from science novices to experts who wish to review elementary concepts and formulas.
-
-
Cheat...
- By LG on 12-03-2019
-
Language Families of the World
- By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University takes you back through time and around the world, following the linguistic trails left by generations of humans that lead back to the beginnings of language. Utilizing historical theories and cutting-edge research, these 34 astonishing lectures will introduce you to the major language families of the world and their many offspring, including a variety of languages that are no longer spoken but provide vital links between past and present.
-
-
Awesome
- By Anonymous User on 15-03-2019
-
The Ascent of Money
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Hugh Ross
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot: Call it what you like, it matters. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it's the sinews of war. To revolutionaries, it's the chains of labour. But in The Ascent of Money, Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress. What's more, he reveals financial history as the essential back-story behind all history.
-
-
Worth every minute
- By Jarrad on 11-02-2019
-
FAKE
- Fake Money, Fake Teachers, Fake Assets: How Lies Are Making the Poor and Middle Class Poorer
- By: Robert T. Kiyosaki
- Narrated by: William LeRoy
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Kiyosaki - author of the #1 personal finance book of all time - has built a legacy around simplifying complex and often-confusing subjects like money and investing. He continues to challenge conventional wisdom and asks the questions that will help listeners sift through today's information overload to uncover ways to assess what's real... and what isn't. And use truth and facts as a foundation for taking control of their financial lives. In this new book, Robert fights what’s "fake" and helps listeners differentiate between what’s real...and what isn’t.
-
-
A lot of repeating within the book
- By Anonymous User on 22-08-2019
-
The Science of Information: From Language to Black Holes
- By: Benjamin Schumacher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Benjamin Schumacher
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Science of Information: From Language to Black Holes covers the exciting concepts, history, and applications of information theory in 24 challenging and eye-opening half-hour lectures taught by Professor Benjamin Schumacher of Kenyon College. A prominent physicist and award-winning educator at one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, Professor Schumacher is also a pioneer in the field of quantum information, which is the latest exciting development in this dynamic scientific field.
-
-
Good but a bit too theory based
- By Nickm on 26-05-2019
-
Why the Rich Are Getting Richer
- By: Robert T. Kiyosaki, Tom Wheelwright
- Narrated by: Scott Merriman
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s Robert Kiyosaki’s position that, “It is our educational system that causes the gap between the rich and everyone else.” He laid the foundation for many of his messages in the international best seller Rich Dad Poor Dad, the number one personal finance book of all time, and in Why the Rich Are Getting Richer, he makes his case.
-
-
Parts of this Book Made Me Weep
- By Joshua on 08-12-2019
Publisher's Summary
Professor Connel Fullenkamp of Duke University guides listeners through four centuries of economic disasters - from tulip mania in the 1600s to the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Each of his 24 lectures covers a notable incident of financial misfortune or folly that is worthy of a Hollywood thriller. You hear how Charles Ponzi conducted the moneymaking scam that bears his name; how mining companies in the Old West sprang up like Internet start-ups, with a similar imbalance of winners and losers; how hyperinflation destroyed Germany’s economy at the beginning of 1920s and how its resulting stock market crash nearly sank America’s stock market.
You also hear how the Great Depression deepened through a wave of bank panics; how, in more recent times, the US savings and loan industry went belly-up; how Orange County in California went bankrupt, how Japan’s hard-charging economy came to a screeching halt; how currency crises swept the globe; how subprime mortgages nearly sparked a second Great Depression; and much more. You also learn how technology has transformed stock trading, how cryptocurrencies work, and why we live in an era of financial instability.
As well as entertaining you with riveting stories, Professor Fullenkamp inoculates you against the gullibility, overconfidence, and herd mentality that have trapped even Wall Street professionals in misguided investments that lost billions. You won’t have any trouble staying awake through these stimulating lectures. And, armed with the knowledge of how to stay out of harm’s way, you may even sleep better at night.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
-
5 Stars20
-
4 Stars5
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Performance
-
-
5 Stars18
-
4 Stars3
-
3 Stars0
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Story
-
-
5 Stars17
-
4 Stars2
-
3 Stars1
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ben
- 13-01-2019
Good listen
Easy to listen and very informative
Recommend this book for anyone who invests or studying financial matkets
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Philo
- 22-09-2018
BEST explainer out there hits a new high level
When a professor has really done his/her homework, really reached comprehension and then carefully crafted descriptions, and is gifted to begin with, things of astonishing complexity can be explained with great clarity. Such is the case here, non-stop, end to end. Are you curious about John Law's innovations and misadventures crashing the French economy circa 1720? The South Sea Bubble? The US banking system, into and including the genesis of the Fed? On and on it goes, marching right into the present, with not a word out of place. I have read, heard and seen accounts of all these things, and none has come close to this crystal clear, yet complete, yet compact, delivery. My lesson has been, in the world of financial books, often a story (probably because of the economics of book publishing, or mediocre editing) is stretched into the format of a 250-page book which can make the story less clear than it needed to be. Prof. Fullenkamp explains each segment better than many of these books, in a concise way that makes it even more understandable than the big tomes do. I could have saved myself a lot of time and money had I gone straight to this one. But it is a tremendous refresher, meanwhile surpassing the earlier accounts I have seen, or pulling each of the stories together neatly. I was a fan of Fullenkamp already, having never been disappointed by him. But he surprised me, on the upside, here. That is a high bar to start with. (Let me be clear where some raving reviewers aren't: I have no affiliation with Great Courses or this Professor, and have never met him, etc.)
Something that works great here is the very good mix between colorful stories and little tutorials, where needed, at a basic level but crystal-clear, on the nuts and bolts of the deals and financial innovations involved. These are among the best basic explanations I have heard. Learn (with very simple math that does not need video or graphics, the voice works great), the workings (and sometime misfires) of swaps, puts, VAR, convergence trades, actions of rogue traders, etc. A pattern I notice that makes the explanation crystal clear is that the good professor almost always boils everything down (in the course of the story) to its simplest possible view: if Situation A happened the trader would make money, but if Situation B happened the losses would explode -- in ways very readily understood. We see that the crash side of things comes into play most often when some sort of large one-way bet has been made, whether by a single trader or by a whole industry or sector of the economy.
Now, if audible would release Great Courses / Fullenkamp's "Understanding Investments," we could almost call it a day.
75 of 78 people found this review helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Donald
- 28-10-2018
Great but very modern
This was a terrific and interesting series. It does a fantastic job covering the economic stumbles of the late 20th and early 21st century.
I have one complaint and then one warning.
My complaint is that this great course advertises itself as a series on economic pitfalls since 1600. Really the vast majority of it takes place in what I consider very moder times. It's still really good so I give it high praise, but I wish I came away knowing more about things like the economic recession of the late 1840s.
My warning is that, especially in the later lectures, I really wish I was watching this lecture, not listening to it. He goes into detail talking about graphs and charts a few times and I wish I could see them. Again, still really enjoyable and informative, but I just might have gotten 10% more out of this had I seen him on screen.
66 of 69 people found this review helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Brent Nyitray
- 18-11-2018
Entertaining read about financial follies
Entertaining description of the history of financial bubbles. The author is an academic and regulator, so he is very sympathetic of the government, who's only fault is that they sometimes get too cozy with those shysters in the private sector. He quickly brushes past any discussion of how governmental social engineering via the asset markets played a part in the real estate bubble. Too-easy monetary policy is brought up several times, but the cause of that - Congress's dual mandate that requires the Fed to minimize unemployment subject to managing CPI inflation is never mentioned.
If you are a free-market type, you'll roll your eyes at some of his takes, but still it is a very entertaining and well-thought out book.
25 of 26 people found this review helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael
- 06-12-2018
Very Well Done
The author is very easy to listen to. It started slow because he starts so far back in history, but as he got to more recent events it really picked up. By the second half I was enthralled and hanging on every word. Highly recommended. I will get his other books.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- BF Palo Alto
- 04-12-2018
Good substance but very dry
The professor is quite knowledgeable. Many of the vignettes are interesting. Overall, his delivery is quite dry.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- M. T.
- 28-09-2018
A fine narrative of several "financial disasters"
Professor Fullenkamp strays into "econ-geek" from time to time... for example, relying on a verbal description of a bivariate graphic instead of just explaining his point... so, for someone not fully conversant in the tools, the presentation will be a bit illusive sometimes...
Granted that, he does a fine job of providing a series of narrative histories of financial disasters... interesting and useful -- and he ranges widely making the course more valuable as a result.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Janez
- 19-11-2018
Very interesting listening, lot of of insights!!!
Very interesting listening, lot of of insights!!! Highly reccomended listening for financiral experts, as for eceryvidy involved in business activities anyhow.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- V. Taras
- 30-11-2018
informational and entertaining if a bit superficia
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. very educational, great narrator. perhaps a bit too superficial but I don't think the goal was to go much deeper anyway
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Perception
- 04-11-2019
Good
got a little to wonky at some points but overall considering subject the presentation was good.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 26-10-2019
Fantastic
Probably the most thrilling and informative audio file on financial crises. I loved it and will listen again.
-
Overall

- PC
- 14-11-2018
Great listen if you enjoy finance
Really good material, greatly enjoyed it. Great explanations from clearly a knowledgeable author. Easily worth using a token and great for the journey to and from work.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall

- RC
- 07-11-2019
Awesome course minus one star 🌟 for saying we cannot regulate more.
Fantastic course. I found the disclaimer fairly amusing "for goodness sake don't use this course to invest" after each lecture. I was going to easily give this five stars. Minus one for arguing we can't regulate because IT complicated and peer to peer lending. People can pick, cut and smash locks that's not an argument not to have locks. That is a ridiculous argument. We can't laws or regulations because people can break them. Apart from that this is an excellent course.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Midnight Chance
- 27-09-2019
fascinating and insightful
I learned a lot from this book. I highly recommend the Great Courses for gaining further insight into a subject that interests you.