High Browse Online

Dear Readers,

All of us have been watching and reading the dizzying convulsions of the financial markets, particularly in the US, with a mixture of shock and awe. In the space of weeks, or even days, companies we thought we knew well have disappeared, been sold, merged or simply collapsed. The scale and speed of developments have left observers a little shell shocked, amidst a rising tide of concern. And by the looks of it, it has yet to run its course fully.

No one really knows how things will finally pan out; hopefully, new equilibriums will be reached, and calmer heads will prevail.

But developments such as recently witnessed do not simply materialise; they have a long gestation period, building strength and power. In the years to come, there will doubtless be an outpouring of articles, reports and books on who’s to blame for this sorry spectacle. In the meanwhile, for readers who might be interested, here are some titles that chronicle the development of the markets, and the powerful combinations of psychology and market forces that can trigger such seismic events.

A demon of our own design : markets, hedge funds, and the perils of financial innovation
by Richard Bookstaber
Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley, c2007.
332.64524 BOO -[BIZ]

 The trillion dollar meltdown : easy money, high rollers, and the great credit crash
by Charles R. Morris.
New York : PublicAffairs, c2008.
332.04150973 MOR -[BIZ]

The black swan : the impact of the highly improbable
by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
London : Allen Lane, 2007.
003.54 TAL

Bad money : reckless finance, failed politics, and the global crisis of American capitalism
by Kevin Phillips
New York : Viking, 2008.
330.973 PHI -[BIZ]

When genius failed : the rise and fall of Long-Term Capital Management
by Roger Lowenstein.
New York : Random House, c2000
332.6 LOW -[BIZ]
 

For location and availability of titles, please visit http://vistaweb.nlb.gov.sg.

Have you read these books? Do you have something else to recommend?
Post your comments, or send a longer book review to HBeditor@nlb.gov.sg