"Yalman Onaran unravels the common thread that runs through most of our recent financial debacles—big banks with a great deal of leverage that take on crazy risks. And when these banks fail, politicians and regulators consistently prefer to find ways to keep them going as "zombies" that slow recovery and create further crisis waves around the world. Read this book if you would like to understand why the road back to full employment will be so long and difficult. A brilliant and timely contribution; disturbing in every detail."—SIMON JOHNSON, Author, 13 Bankers, and professor, MIT Sloan School of Management
"If you don't believe that zombie banks-big banks that should have been left for dead, but instead escaped the grim financial reaper through extensive world-wide government backing-can't cause further global economic destruction, you need the truth. Read Yalman Onaran's razor-sharp, bone-chilling, exceedingly well-documented book, and be afraid. Be very afraid."—NOMI PRINS, Author of It Takes a Pillage
"Zombie Banks is a good read, and that's hard to do when you are explaining what we must do to save our largest banks from themselves. I wish Zombie Banks had been in print during the debate on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. It is an essential tool for regulators and policymakers engaged in avoiding another financial crisis."—TED KAUFMAN, former U.S. Senator
"Good banking was one of the reasons the West was able to grow faster than the rest of the world in the past two centuries. This book shows how bad banking has helped put all that at risk."—JOHN BRUTON, former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister)
Foreword ix
Preface xi
Cast of Characters xv
Chapter 1 Zombies in Our Midst 1
Chapter 2 Lessons Not Learned 15
Chapter 3 Europe’s Sovereign Blues 23
Chapter 4 Germany’s Untouchable Zombies 35
Chapter 5 Ireland’s Zombies Bring the House Down 51
Chapter 6 The Reincarnation of Iceland’s Banks 67
Chapter 7 U.S. Zombies on IV Drip 81
Chapter 8 The Fight to Rein in the Banks 97
Chapter 9 To Foreclose or Not to Foreclose? 113
Chapter 10 Bigger Banks, More Derivatives, Higher Risk 125
Chapter 11 Killing Zombies and Preventing Their Return 137
Epilogue 149
Notes 157
About the Author 175
Index 177
Anonymous
Posted February 3, 2012
I am not that into financial and banking stuff, but I bought this book because Yalman is a friend. However, the book turned out to be a quick and easy read. Yalman made it easy to understand the subject matter. In particular, the chapter "To Foreclose or Not to Foreclose?" helped me understand why if borrowers and lenders both share the losses, the housing market can recover faster.
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Overview
"Yalman Onaran unravels the common thread that runs through most of our recent financial debacles—big banks with a great deal of leverage that take on crazy risks. And when these banks fail, politicians and regulators consistently prefer to find ways to keep them going as "zombies" that slow recovery and create further crisis waves around the world. Read this book if you would like to understand why the road back to full employment will be so long and difficult. A brilliant and timely contribution; disturbing in every detail."—SIMON JOHNSON,