Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You've Been Told about the Economy Is Wrong

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, many commonly held beliefs have emerged to explain its cause. Conventional wisdom blames Wall Street and the mortgage industry for using low down payments, teaser rates, and other predatory tactics to seduce unsuspecting home owners into assuming mortgages they couldn't afford. It blames average Americans for borrowing recklessly and spending too much. And it blames the tax policies and deregulatory environment of the Reagan and Bush administrations for encouraging reckless risk taking by wealthy individuals and financial institutions. But according to Unintended Consequences, the conventional wisdom masks the real causes of our economic disruption and puts us at risk of a slew of unintended-and potentially dangerous-consequences.

Unintended Consequences is not a book that takes a couple of insights and expands them into three hundred pages; rather, it covers the entire scope of the economy. It's a fascinating and contrarian case for how the economy really works, what went wrong over the past decade, and what steps we can take to start growing again. Whether you agree with the book's provocative and counterintuitive conclusions or not, Unintended Consequences will reward you with a sophisticated understanding of the contemporary economy-one no other book has yet provided.

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Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You've Been Told about the Economy Is Wrong

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, many commonly held beliefs have emerged to explain its cause. Conventional wisdom blames Wall Street and the mortgage industry for using low down payments, teaser rates, and other predatory tactics to seduce unsuspecting home owners into assuming mortgages they couldn't afford. It blames average Americans for borrowing recklessly and spending too much. And it blames the tax policies and deregulatory environment of the Reagan and Bush administrations for encouraging reckless risk taking by wealthy individuals and financial institutions. But according to Unintended Consequences, the conventional wisdom masks the real causes of our economic disruption and puts us at risk of a slew of unintended-and potentially dangerous-consequences.

Unintended Consequences is not a book that takes a couple of insights and expands them into three hundred pages; rather, it covers the entire scope of the economy. It's a fascinating and contrarian case for how the economy really works, what went wrong over the past decade, and what steps we can take to start growing again. Whether you agree with the book's provocative and counterintuitive conclusions or not, Unintended Consequences will reward you with a sophisticated understanding of the contemporary economy-one no other book has yet provided.

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Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You've Been Told about the Economy Is Wrong

Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You've Been Told about the Economy Is Wrong

by Edward Conard

Narrated by Malcolm Hillgartner

Unabridged — 9 hours, 56 minutes

Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You've Been Told about the Economy Is Wrong

Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You've Been Told about the Economy Is Wrong

by Edward Conard

Narrated by Malcolm Hillgartner

Unabridged — 9 hours, 56 minutes

Audiobook (Digital)

$20.95
(Not eligible for purchase using B&N Audiobooks Subscription credits)

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Overview

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, many commonly held beliefs have emerged to explain its cause. Conventional wisdom blames Wall Street and the mortgage industry for using low down payments, teaser rates, and other predatory tactics to seduce unsuspecting home owners into assuming mortgages they couldn't afford. It blames average Americans for borrowing recklessly and spending too much. And it blames the tax policies and deregulatory environment of the Reagan and Bush administrations for encouraging reckless risk taking by wealthy individuals and financial institutions. But according to Unintended Consequences, the conventional wisdom masks the real causes of our economic disruption and puts us at risk of a slew of unintended-and potentially dangerous-consequences.

Unintended Consequences is not a book that takes a couple of insights and expands them into three hundred pages; rather, it covers the entire scope of the economy. It's a fascinating and contrarian case for how the economy really works, what went wrong over the past decade, and what steps we can take to start growing again. Whether you agree with the book's provocative and counterintuitive conclusions or not, Unintended Consequences will reward you with a sophisticated understanding of the contemporary economy-one no other book has yet provided.


Editorial Reviews

chairman of Roubini Global Economics Nouriel Roubini

Ed Conard provides a provocative interpretation of the causes of the global financial crisis and the policies needed to return to rapid growth. Whether you agree or not, this analysis is well worth reading.”

Kevin Hassett

Unintended Consequences will be the most talked-about economics book in 2012.”

coauthor of the New York Times bestselle Steven Levitt

There are an amazing number of good ideas and interesting points made in this book.”

Andrei Shleifer

Ed Conard’s book presents the most cogent and persuasive analysis of the financial crisis to date.”

William A. Sahlman

Ed Conard has written a provocative and important book about the economy that challenges conventional wisdom about the financial crisis, the trade deficit, government policy, and the path to prosperity.”

Glen Hubbard

"Edward Conard's keen business insight and sharp eye on economic forces explain structural strengths and weaknesses of the American economy. While some of his proposed solutions are controversial, the U.S. economy can recover its mojo if policy makers understand Conard's diagnosis."
--GLENN HUBBARD, Dean, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University; Former Chairman, President's Council of Economic Advisers

Steven Levitt

"There are an amazing number of good ideas and interesting points made in this book. The thinking underlying it, and the obvious depth of understanding of the author, are very impressive."
--STEVEN LEVITT, Coauthor of Freakonomics; 2004 John Bates Clark Medal Winner

John C. Whitehead

"This is a wonderful book, filled with wisdom by a guy who really knows what he's talking about. It is must reading for both businessmen and politicians.
--JOHN C. WHITEHEAD, Former Chairman, Goldman Sachs & Co.; Former Deputy Secretary of State

Nouriel Roubini

"Edward Conard provides a provocative interpretation of the causes of the global financial crisis and the policies needed to return to rapid growth. Whether you agree or not, this analysis is well worth reading."
--NOURIEL ROUBINI, Chairman, Roubini Global Economics

Product Details

BN ID: 2940169865615
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date: 06/07/2012
Edition description: Unabridged
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