Barbarians of Wealth
Protecting Yourself from Today's Financial Attilas
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Barbarians of Wealth
Buy for $21.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Jo Anna Perrin
About this listen
How the actions of a few in Europe destroyed the prosperity of the many (and how it happened again in America).
After the fall of the Roman Empire, vicious barbaric tribes including the Hunds lead by Atilla, the Mongols, Charlemagne, and the Vikings invaded Europe, plundering property and destroying homes. But, they didn't just steal and destroy property in the villages; they also stole and destroyed any prosperity the villagers had previously enjoyed. What's worse is the barbarians of the Dark Ages did all of this not out of any deeply held religious or political belief, but rather for the oldest reason in the book: their own personal financial gain. Some things never change.
Barbarians of Wealth examines how the greedy, self-serving decisions of a select group of politicians and financial institutions negatively impacts the economy, and ultimately, destroys America's prosperity and the American way of life.
Compelling and engaging, the audiobook:
- Details how Goldman Sachs peddled mortgage-backed securities up and down Wall Street while secretly betting against their demise.
- Discusses how Sanford Weill, founder of Citigroup spent $100 million lobbying for the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act that prevented the merger of commercial and investment banks and got his way.
- Examines Christopher Dodd, head of the US Senate Banking Committee, has enriched himself while driving down the prosperity of his constituents.
- Offers up examples of other modern barbarians, including the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, Hank Paulson, and Timothy Geithner.
- Highlights greed driven tactics of Wall Street corporations including JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, and Salomon Brothers.
Barbarians of Wealth is a must-listen for hard-working Americans concerned with their prosperity, as well as for those fascinated with the inner workings of Washington and Wall Street.
©2011 Sandy Franks and Sara Nunnally (P)2012 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Borrowed Time
- Two Centuries of Booms, Busts, and Bailouts at Citi
- By: James Freeman, Vern McKinley
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
To save the economy and keep Citi afloat in 2008, the government provided huge infusions of cash through multiple bailouts that frustrated and angered the American public. But, as Wall Street Journal writer James Freeman and financial expert Vern McKinley reveal, the 2008 crisis was just one of many disasters Citi has experienced since its founding more than 200 years ago. In Borrowed Time they reveal Citi’s disturbing history of instability and government support. It’s a story that neither Citi nor Washington wants told.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Biased
- By CF on 08-09-19
By: James Freeman, and others
-
The Ascent of Money
- A Financial History of the World
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,345
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,178
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,167
Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance. Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: 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 labor. Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A mostly successful and interesting history
- By A reader on 02-24-09
By: Niall Ferguson
-
Currency Wars
- The Making of the Next Global Crises
- By: James Rickards
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,772
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,504
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,510
In 1971, President Nixon imposed national price controls and took the United States off the gold standard, an extreme measure intended to end an ongoing currency war that had destroyed faith in the U.S. dollar. Today we are engaged in a new currency war, and this time the consequences will be far worse than those that confronted Nixon. Currency wars are one of the most destructive and feared outcomes in international economics.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
don't be misled
- By peter on 04-01-12
By: James Rickards
-
The Road to Ruin
- The Global Elites' Secret Plan for the Next Financial Crisis
- By: James Rickards
- Narrated by: James Rickards
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,302
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,160
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,152
Since 2014, international monetary agencies have been issuing warnings to a small group of finance ministers, banks, and private equity funds: The US government's cowardly choices not to prosecute J.P. Morgan and its ilk and to bloat the economy with a $4 trillion injection of easy credit are driving us headlong toward a cliff. As Rickards shows in this frightening, meticulously researched book, governments around the world have no compunction about conspiring against their citizens.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Same story he's written twice before
- By Richard on 01-17-17
By: James Rickards
-
All the Devils Are Here
- The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis
- By: Bethany McLean, Joe Nocera
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,236
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 887
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 882
As soon as the financial crisis erupted, the finger-pointing began. Should the blame fall on Wall Street, Main Street, or Pennsylvania Avenue? On greedy traders, misguided regulators, sleazy subprime companies, cowardly legislators, or clueless home buyers? According to Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera, two of America's most acclaimed business journalists, the real answer is all of the above-and more. Many devils helped bring hell to the economy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent!
- By Euri on 11-19-10
By: Bethany McLean, and others
-
Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver
- Protect Your Financial Future
- By: Michael Maloney, Robert Kiyosaki - foreword
- Narrated by: Michael Maloney
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 809
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 682
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 679
This is an updated version of the book that accurately predicted the global stock market crash of 2008, the bursting of the real estate bubble, and Ben Bernanke's unprecedented overreaction via quantitative easing programs. First published in 2008, the book quickly became a best seller not just for its timely insight into precious metals investment but for its amazingly accurate prediction of a "roller-coaster crash"—the manipulated whipsaw between inflation, deflation, and back again.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing book well detailed
- By Sachin Dedha on 10-18-17
By: Michael Maloney, and others
-
Borrowed Time
- Two Centuries of Booms, Busts, and Bailouts at Citi
- By: James Freeman, Vern McKinley
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
To save the economy and keep Citi afloat in 2008, the government provided huge infusions of cash through multiple bailouts that frustrated and angered the American public. But, as Wall Street Journal writer James Freeman and financial expert Vern McKinley reveal, the 2008 crisis was just one of many disasters Citi has experienced since its founding more than 200 years ago. In Borrowed Time they reveal Citi’s disturbing history of instability and government support. It’s a story that neither Citi nor Washington wants told.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Biased
- By CF on 08-09-19
By: James Freeman, and others
-
The Ascent of Money
- A Financial History of the World
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,345
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,178
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,167
Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance. Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: 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 labor. Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A mostly successful and interesting history
- By A reader on 02-24-09
By: Niall Ferguson
-
Currency Wars
- The Making of the Next Global Crises
- By: James Rickards
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,772
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,504
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,510
In 1971, President Nixon imposed national price controls and took the United States off the gold standard, an extreme measure intended to end an ongoing currency war that had destroyed faith in the U.S. dollar. Today we are engaged in a new currency war, and this time the consequences will be far worse than those that confronted Nixon. Currency wars are one of the most destructive and feared outcomes in international economics.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
don't be misled
- By peter on 04-01-12
By: James Rickards
-
The Road to Ruin
- The Global Elites' Secret Plan for the Next Financial Crisis
- By: James Rickards
- Narrated by: James Rickards
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,302
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,160
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,152
Since 2014, international monetary agencies have been issuing warnings to a small group of finance ministers, banks, and private equity funds: The US government's cowardly choices not to prosecute J.P. Morgan and its ilk and to bloat the economy with a $4 trillion injection of easy credit are driving us headlong toward a cliff. As Rickards shows in this frightening, meticulously researched book, governments around the world have no compunction about conspiring against their citizens.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Same story he's written twice before
- By Richard on 01-17-17
By: James Rickards
-
All the Devils Are Here
- The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis
- By: Bethany McLean, Joe Nocera
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,236
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 887
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 882
As soon as the financial crisis erupted, the finger-pointing began. Should the blame fall on Wall Street, Main Street, or Pennsylvania Avenue? On greedy traders, misguided regulators, sleazy subprime companies, cowardly legislators, or clueless home buyers? According to Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera, two of America's most acclaimed business journalists, the real answer is all of the above-and more. Many devils helped bring hell to the economy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent!
- By Euri on 11-19-10
By: Bethany McLean, and others
-
Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver
- Protect Your Financial Future
- By: Michael Maloney, Robert Kiyosaki - foreword
- Narrated by: Michael Maloney
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 809
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 682
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 679
This is an updated version of the book that accurately predicted the global stock market crash of 2008, the bursting of the real estate bubble, and Ben Bernanke's unprecedented overreaction via quantitative easing programs. First published in 2008, the book quickly became a best seller not just for its timely insight into precious metals investment but for its amazingly accurate prediction of a "roller-coaster crash"—the manipulated whipsaw between inflation, deflation, and back again.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing book well detailed
- By Sachin Dedha on 10-18-17
By: Michael Maloney, and others
-
Griftopia
- Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America
- By: Matt Taibbi
- Narrated by: Patrick Egan
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,011
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 739
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 728
The dramatic story behind the most audacious power grab in American history. The financial crisis that exploded in 2008 isn’t past but prologue. The stunning rise, fall, and rescue of Wall Street in the bubble-and-bailout era was the coming-out party for the network of looters who sit at the nexus of American political and economic power. The grifter class - made up of the largest players in the financial industry and the politicians who do their bidding - has been growing in power for a generation, transferring wealth upward through increasingly complex financial mechanisms.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Razor-sharp wit cuts through the clutter
- By Mike on 11-07-10
By: Matt Taibbi
-
Wall Street
- A History, Updated Edition
- By: Charles R. Geisst
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 27 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 120
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 107
Wall Street is an unending source of legend - and nightmares. It is a universal symbol of both the highest aspirations of economic prosperity and the basest impulses of greed and deception. Charles R. Geisst's Wall Street is at once a chronicle of the street itself - from the days when the wall was merely a defensive barricade built by Peter Stuyvesant - and an engaging economic history of the United States, a tale of profits and losses, enterprising spirits, and key figures that transformed America into the most powerful economy in the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Many books in one; best linking of stories, eras
- By Philo on 03-23-14
-
The Money Bubble
- By: James Turk, John Rubino
- Narrated by: Larry Wayne
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 204
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 169
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 168
Turk and Rubino are back to say that history is about to repeat. Instead of addressing the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, the world's governments have continued along the same path, accumulating even more debt and inflating even bigger financial bubbles. So another - even bigger - crisis is coming.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best book explaining the present financial chaos.
- By james wiitala on 02-09-15
By: James Turk, and others
-
Why Wall Street Matters
- By: William D. Cohan
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 50
William D. Cohan is no knee-jerk advocate for Wall Street and the big banks. He's one of America's most respected financial journalists and the progressive best-selling author of House of Cards. He has long been critical of the bad behavior that plagued much of Wall Street in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, and because he spent 17 years as an investment banker on Wall Street, he is an expert on its inner workings as well.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
An Inch Deep and A Mile Wide
- By Doug Sheridan on 04-26-17
By: William D. Cohan
-
Secret Weapon
- How Economic Terrorism Brought Down the U.S. Stock Market and Why It Can Happen Again
- By: Kevin Freeman
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 36
Who’s really to blame for America’s catastrophic financial meltdown and devastating national recession? Contrary to what the “Occupy Movement” might tell you, it’s not greedy Wall Street executives. No, as one of America’s top financial professionals reveals in this shocking book, the real culprit is economic warfare, with our foreign enemies exploiting our lurking financial weaknesses. In Secret Weapon, Kevin Freeman unveils how all the evidence - including motive, means, and opportunity - points to America’s foreign enemies deliberately pushing our economy over the brink.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Eye Popping
- By Carl on 04-21-18
By: Kevin Freeman
-
A History of the United States in Five Crashes
- Stock Market Meltdowns That Defined a Nation
- By: Scott Nations
- Narrated by: Christopher Grove
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 910
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 778
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 773
In this absorbing, smart, and accessible blend of economic and cultural history in the vein of the works of Michael Lewis and Andrew Ross Sorkin, a financial executive and CNBC contributor examines the five most significant stock market crashes in the United States over the past century, revealing how they have defined the nation today.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A solid telling of crucial history
- By Philo on 06-17-17
By: Scott Nations
-
The Little Book of Economics
- By: Greg Ip
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 144
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 104
After the global financial panic and recession of 2007–2009, you don’t have to be president or a hedge fund manager to know that “It’s the economy, stupid.” Yet while the economy dominates the headlines, how it works and who influences it remain a mystery to most people. In The Little Book of Economics, Greg Ip, an award-winning journalist renowned for making complex economics easy to understand, walks you through how the economy really works.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great as an audiobook!
- By Cori on 04-15-12
By: Greg Ip
-
Bankruptcy of Our Nation
- Revised and Expanded
- By: Jerry Robinson
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92
It's no secret that the U.S. national debt is in the tens of trillions. But did you know that America also has future unfunded obligations of over $118 trillion? Unfortunately, America's politicians have no plan to solve our mounting fiscal and monetary crisis. But you don't have to watch this unfold in fear of your financial future. The time for debate is over... It's time to prepare!
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
THE COMPLEX MADE SIMPLE - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
- By Theo Tsourdalakis on 06-16-15
By: Jerry Robinson
-
The Lords of Easy Money
- How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy
- By: Christopher Leonard
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 902
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 780
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 782
If you asked most people what forces led to today’s unprecedented income inequality and financial crashes, no one would say the Federal Reserve. For most of its history, the Fed has enjoyed the fawning adoration of the press. When the economy grew, it was credited to the Fed. When the economy imploded in 2008, the Fed got credit for rescuing us.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Pointless book
- By Darrin on 02-23-22
-
The Coming Bond Market Collapse
- How to Survive the Demise of the U.S. Debt Market
- By: Michael G. Pento
- Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
A book that is certain to spark controversy within the financial media and throughout the halls of government, The Coming Bond Market Collapse sounds a clarion call to investors, business leaders, and policymakers. Author Michael Pento, a noted adherent of the Austrian school of economics theories, compellingly argues that the United States is fast approaching the end stage of the biggest asset bubble in history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Legit
- By Gilbert Hernandez on 02-06-21
By: Michael G. Pento
-
Shaky Ground
- The Strange Saga of the US Mortgage Giants
- By: Bethany McLean
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 100
In 2008 the US Treasury put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into a life-support state known as "conservatorship" to prevent their failure - and worldwide economic chaos. The two companies, which were always controversial, have become a battleground. Today, Fannie and Freddie are profitable again but still in conservatorship. Their profits are being redirected toward reducing the federal deficit, which leaves them with no buffer should they suffer losses again.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Details on the Culture and History of the GSEs
- By Jose on 10-15-15
By: Bethany McLean
-
After the Music Stopped
- The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead
- By: Alan S. Blinder
- Narrated by: Graham Vick
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 169
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 149
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 148
Alan S. Blinder - esteemed Princeton professor, Wall Street Journal columnist, and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board under Alan Greenspan - is one of our wisest and most clear-eyed economic thinkers. In After the Music Stopped, he delivers a masterful narrative of how the worst economic crisis in postwar American history happened, what the government did to fight it, and what we must do to recover from it.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Irresponsible, corrupt, and confused book
- By Thomas on 12-22-14
By: Alan S. Blinder
Related to this topic
-
Borrowed Time
- Two Centuries of Booms, Busts, and Bailouts at Citi
- By: James Freeman, Vern McKinley
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
To save the economy and keep Citi afloat in 2008, the government provided huge infusions of cash through multiple bailouts that frustrated and angered the American public. But, as Wall Street Journal writer James Freeman and financial expert Vern McKinley reveal, the 2008 crisis was just one of many disasters Citi has experienced since its founding more than 200 years ago. In Borrowed Time they reveal Citi’s disturbing history of instability and government support. It’s a story that neither Citi nor Washington wants told.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Biased
- By CF on 08-09-19
By: James Freeman, and others
-
Wall Street
- A History, Updated Edition
- By: Charles R. Geisst
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 27 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 120
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 107
Wall Street is an unending source of legend - and nightmares. It is a universal symbol of both the highest aspirations of economic prosperity and the basest impulses of greed and deception. Charles R. Geisst's Wall Street is at once a chronicle of the street itself - from the days when the wall was merely a defensive barricade built by Peter Stuyvesant - and an engaging economic history of the United States, a tale of profits and losses, enterprising spirits, and key figures that transformed America into the most powerful economy in the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Many books in one; best linking of stories, eras
- By Philo on 03-23-14
-
The Ascent of Money
- A Financial History of the World
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,345
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,178
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,167
Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance. Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: 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 labor. Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A mostly successful and interesting history
- By A reader on 02-24-09
By: Niall Ferguson
-
13 Bankers
- The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown
- By: Simon Johnson, James Kwak
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 255
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 100
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 102
Even after the ruinous financial crisis of 2008, America is still beset by the depredations of an oligarchy that is now bigger, more profitable, and more resistant to regulation than ever. Anchored by six megabanks, which together control assets amounting to more than 60 percent of the country's gross domestic product, these financial institutions (now more emphatically "too big to fail") continue to hold the global economy hostage.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Easy to Understand and Comprehend
- By Kyle on 04-11-10
By: Simon Johnson, and others
-
Why Wall Street Matters
- By: William D. Cohan
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 50
William D. Cohan is no knee-jerk advocate for Wall Street and the big banks. He's one of America's most respected financial journalists and the progressive best-selling author of House of Cards. He has long been critical of the bad behavior that plagued much of Wall Street in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, and because he spent 17 years as an investment banker on Wall Street, he is an expert on its inner workings as well.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
An Inch Deep and A Mile Wide
- By Doug Sheridan on 04-26-17
By: William D. Cohan
-
A History of the United States in Five Crashes
- Stock Market Meltdowns That Defined a Nation
- By: Scott Nations
- Narrated by: Christopher Grove
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 910
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 778
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 773
In this absorbing, smart, and accessible blend of economic and cultural history in the vein of the works of Michael Lewis and Andrew Ross Sorkin, a financial executive and CNBC contributor examines the five most significant stock market crashes in the United States over the past century, revealing how they have defined the nation today.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A solid telling of crucial history
- By Philo on 06-17-17
By: Scott Nations
-
Borrowed Time
- Two Centuries of Booms, Busts, and Bailouts at Citi
- By: James Freeman, Vern McKinley
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
To save the economy and keep Citi afloat in 2008, the government provided huge infusions of cash through multiple bailouts that frustrated and angered the American public. But, as Wall Street Journal writer James Freeman and financial expert Vern McKinley reveal, the 2008 crisis was just one of many disasters Citi has experienced since its founding more than 200 years ago. In Borrowed Time they reveal Citi’s disturbing history of instability and government support. It’s a story that neither Citi nor Washington wants told.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Biased
- By CF on 08-09-19
By: James Freeman, and others
-
Wall Street
- A History, Updated Edition
- By: Charles R. Geisst
- Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
- Length: 27 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 120
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 107
Wall Street is an unending source of legend - and nightmares. It is a universal symbol of both the highest aspirations of economic prosperity and the basest impulses of greed and deception. Charles R. Geisst's Wall Street is at once a chronicle of the street itself - from the days when the wall was merely a defensive barricade built by Peter Stuyvesant - and an engaging economic history of the United States, a tale of profits and losses, enterprising spirits, and key figures that transformed America into the most powerful economy in the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Many books in one; best linking of stories, eras
- By Philo on 03-23-14
-
The Ascent of Money
- A Financial History of the World
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,345
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,178
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,167
Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance. Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: 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 labor. Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A mostly successful and interesting history
- By A reader on 02-24-09
By: Niall Ferguson
-
13 Bankers
- The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown
- By: Simon Johnson, James Kwak
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 255
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 100
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 102
Even after the ruinous financial crisis of 2008, America is still beset by the depredations of an oligarchy that is now bigger, more profitable, and more resistant to regulation than ever. Anchored by six megabanks, which together control assets amounting to more than 60 percent of the country's gross domestic product, these financial institutions (now more emphatically "too big to fail") continue to hold the global economy hostage.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Easy to Understand and Comprehend
- By Kyle on 04-11-10
By: Simon Johnson, and others
-
Why Wall Street Matters
- By: William D. Cohan
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 55
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 50
William D. Cohan is no knee-jerk advocate for Wall Street and the big banks. He's one of America's most respected financial journalists and the progressive best-selling author of House of Cards. He has long been critical of the bad behavior that plagued much of Wall Street in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, and because he spent 17 years as an investment banker on Wall Street, he is an expert on its inner workings as well.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
An Inch Deep and A Mile Wide
- By Doug Sheridan on 04-26-17
By: William D. Cohan
-
A History of the United States in Five Crashes
- Stock Market Meltdowns That Defined a Nation
- By: Scott Nations
- Narrated by: Christopher Grove
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 910
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 778
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 773
In this absorbing, smart, and accessible blend of economic and cultural history in the vein of the works of Michael Lewis and Andrew Ross Sorkin, a financial executive and CNBC contributor examines the five most significant stock market crashes in the United States over the past century, revealing how they have defined the nation today.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A solid telling of crucial history
- By Philo on 06-17-17
By: Scott Nations
-
Shaky Ground
- The Strange Saga of the US Mortgage Giants
- By: Bethany McLean
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 100
In 2008 the US Treasury put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into a life-support state known as "conservatorship" to prevent their failure - and worldwide economic chaos. The two companies, which were always controversial, have become a battleground. Today, Fannie and Freddie are profitable again but still in conservatorship. Their profits are being redirected toward reducing the federal deficit, which leaves them with no buffer should they suffer losses again.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Details on the Culture and History of the GSEs
- By Jose on 10-15-15
By: Bethany McLean
-
After the Music Stopped
- The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead
- By: Alan S. Blinder
- Narrated by: Graham Vick
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 169
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 149
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 148
Alan S. Blinder - esteemed Princeton professor, Wall Street Journal columnist, and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board under Alan Greenspan - is one of our wisest and most clear-eyed economic thinkers. In After the Music Stopped, he delivers a masterful narrative of how the worst economic crisis in postwar American history happened, what the government did to fight it, and what we must do to recover from it.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Irresponsible, corrupt, and confused book
- By Thomas on 12-22-14
By: Alan S. Blinder
-
Naked Money
- A Revealing Look at What It Is and Why It Matters
- By: Charles Wheelan
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 596
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 528
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 525
Consider the $20 bill. It has no more value, as a simple slip of paper, than Monopoly money. Yet even children recognize that tearing one into small pieces is an act of inconceivable stupidity. What makes a $20 bill actually worth $20? In the third volume of his best-selling Naked series, Charles Wheelan uses this seemingly simple question to open the door to the surprisingly colorful world of money and banking.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This is a beautiful audiobook, and well-narrated.
- By Thirsty Mind on 11-10-18
By: Charles Wheelan
-
Reckless Endangerment
- How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Led to Economic Armageddon
- By: Gretchen Morgenson, Joshua Rosner
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 155
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 130
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 130
In Reckless Endangerment, Gretchen Morgenson, the star business columnist of The New York Times, exposes how the watchdogs who were supposed to protect the country from financial harm were actually complicit in the actions that finally blew up the American economy.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Required reading
- By David on 10-24-11
By: Gretchen Morgenson, and others
-
The Death of Money
- The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System
- By: James Rickards
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,091
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 933
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 930
The international monetary system has collapsed three times in the past hundred years, in 1914, 1939, and 1971. Each collapse was followed by a period of tumult: War, civil unrest, or significant damage to the stability of the global economy. Now James Rickards, the acclaimed author of Currency Wars, shows why another collapse is rapidly approaching - and why this time, nothing less than the institution of money itself is at risk.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A good review of the global financial system
- By Jean on 04-22-14
By: James Rickards
-
Currency Wars
- The Making of the Next Global Crises
- By: James Rickards
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,772
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,504
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,510
In 1971, President Nixon imposed national price controls and took the United States off the gold standard, an extreme measure intended to end an ongoing currency war that had destroyed faith in the U.S. dollar. Today we are engaged in a new currency war, and this time the consequences will be far worse than those that confronted Nixon. Currency wars are one of the most destructive and feared outcomes in international economics.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
don't be misled
- By peter on 04-01-12
By: James Rickards
-
All the Presidents' Bankers
- The Hidden Alliances That Drive American Power
- By: Nomi Prins
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 19 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 178
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 179
Nomi Prins ushers us into the intimate world of exclusive clubs, vacation spots, and Ivy League universities that binds presidents and financiers. She unravels the multi-generational blood, intermarriage, and protégé relationships that have confined national influence to a privileged cluster of people. This unprecedented history of American power illuminates how financiers have retained their authoritative position through history, swaying presidents regardless of party affiliation.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
You better like history about the elite and rich
- By Victor on 01-12-15
By: Nomi Prins
-
How the Other Half Banks
- Exclusion, Exploitation, and the Threat to Democracy
- By: Mehrsa Baradaran
- Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 286
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 252
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 247
The United States has two separate banking systems today - one serving the well-to-do and another exploiting everyone else. How the Other Half Banks contributes to the growing conversation on American inequality by highlighting one of its prime causes: unequal credit. Mehrsa Baradaran examines how a significant portion of the population, deserted by banks, is forced to wander through a Wild West of payday lenders and check-cashing services to cover emergency expenses and pay for necessities - all thanks to deregulation that began in the 1970s.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Borrowers at the Fringe
- By Darwin8u on 09-13-16
By: Mehrsa Baradaran
-
The Great American Stick Up
- Greedy Bankers and the Politicians Who Love Them
- By: Robert Scheer
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 28
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
Instead of going where other journalists have gone in search of this story - the board rooms and trading floors of the big Wall Street firms - Scheer goes back to Washington, D.C., a veritable crime scene, beginning in the 1980s, where the captains of the finance industry, their lobbyists and allies among leading politicians destroyed an American regulatory system that had been functioning effectively since the era of the New Deal.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A great telling of an unfortunate part of history
- By Trace on 10-27-20
By: Robert Scheer
-
Bought and Paid For
- The Unholy Alliance Between Barack Obama and Wall Street
- By: Charles Gasparino
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
According to business reporter Charles Gasparino, President Obama is faking his outrage at Wall Street, and his calls for new policies to rein in banks that are "too big to fail" are just pabulum. In reality, Obama has climbed into bed with Wall Street CEOs, giving them what they want so they will support his liberal, big-government agenda.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Revealing and Convincing
- By Walter on 10-24-11
-
A History of Money and Banking in the United States: The Colonial Era to World War II
- By: Murray N. Rothbard
- Narrated by: Matthew Mezinskis
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 183
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 164
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 167
In what is sure to become the standard account, Rothbard traces inflations, banking panics, and money meltdowns from the colonial period through the mid-20th century to show how government's systematic war on sound money is the hidden force behind nearly all major economic calamities in American history. Never has the story of money and banking been told with such rhetorical power and theoretical vigor. You will treasure this volume.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great facts (if selective); ideological rigidity
- By Philo on 02-04-16
-
The Fine Print
- How Big Companies Use 'Plain English' to Rob You Blind
- By: David Cay Johnston
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 61
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
David Cay Johnston has made a name for himself as the defender of the common man, calling out the rich and powerful for cheating the system at the expense of everyone else. Whether he's exposing unjust loopholes in the tax code that help the rich get richer or pointing out how powerful corporations pocket government subsidies at excessive taxpayer expense, Johnston is an eloquent town crier for justice and equality.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must listen if you love or hate Trump
- By Rob D on 04-19-17