The Big Short tells the story of four outsiders who saw the housing and credit bubbles forming and decided to take on Wall Street. Michael Lewis’ deft telling makes for one hell of a readāand an essential history lesson about how we got where we are today.
For who is this book for ?
The Big Short is ultimately for anybody who wants to understand the financial crisis. Lewis does an excellent job of breaking down complex topics and making them easy to understand for the average person.
Pros :
- The story is well written and provides a great overview of the housing crisis.
- Michael Lewis is a fantastic author, and this book is no exception.
- It’s an important read for anyone interested in finance or economics.
Cons :
- Lewis does not provide a lot of background about the housing market and credit crisis for those who are not familiar with it.
- The book is long and dense, which could turn some people off.
- It can be depressing to read about all of the greed and foolishness that led to the financial crash.
Learn more about the author
Michael Lewis is the author of The New York Times bestsellers Liar’s Poker, Moneyball, and The Blind Side. He was also a contributing editor to Vanity Fair for many years.
Reader Reviews
“Michael Lewis is one of the best non-fiction writers in the country. The Big Short displays all his skills – he’s able to take complex financial concepts and make them understandable, while at the same time painting a broad picture of what was happening in the housing market.”
“This book is fantastic. It’s a great explanation of the housing and credit bubbles, and how flawed incentive structures on Wall Street caused them. I also liked Lewis’ portrayal of the four protagonistsāthey were all very engaging characters.”
“Extraordinarily readable . . .”
“This book is phenomenal. It’s a page-turner while also being an educational and insightful look into the world of finance.”
