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Boomerang

The Meltdown Tour

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Boomerang

By: Michael Lewis
Narrated by: Dylan Baker
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In this hilarious, fascinating, timely must-read, Michael Lewis reveals the true natures of the countries caught up in - and exacerbating - our boomerang economies, showing how the financial meltdown hit us all in the face. Right now, Europe is in serious financial chaos. In Greece, infrastructure costs mean it would be cheaper to transport all Greek rail passengers by taxi, and hairdressing is classified as arduous for tax avoidance purposes. In Iceland, Range Rovers frequently explode as owners collect the insurance to pay for them. Ireland saw the entire country put up for sale - to itself, while the Germans expected the whole world to behave like them. But the whole world didn't.

'A highly enjoyable exercise in financial disaster tourism... politically incorrect, often very funny, and shot through with genuine insight' Robert Harris, The Times

'Chock-full of extraordinary characters, amusing anecdotes and shocking insights' Observer

'A tour de force... All those questions you've half-asked yourself: nowhere else will you find them answered with such incisive wit or terrifying clarity' Mail on Sunday

© Michael Lewis 2011 (P) Penguin Audio 2011

 21st Century Economic History Economics Europe International Modern Banking Global Financial Crisis Taxation Socialism Capitalism
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Critic reviews

Lewis is the finest storyteller of our generation. (Malcolm Gladwell)
He is so good everyone else may as well pack up
Fascinating...the book could not be more timely...a sharp-edged narrative that leaves readers with a visceral understanding of the fiscal recklessness that lies behind today's headlines (Michiko Kakutani)
Michael Lewis's bravura journey through Europe's economic underbelly brilliantly charts the consequences of a world plagued by debt...highly enjoyable...nicely politically incorrect, often very funny, and shot through with genuine insight (Robert Harris)
Michael Lewis meets some extraordinary characters in his excursion through the barely controlled madness that is modern finance ... lucid, entertaining (Tony Barber)
All stars
Most relevant
Really enjoyed this book with it’s tales and the effect around the world and after effects. The author voice is very easy to listen too. Happy to recommend.

Punchy book about the financial crash and more

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Describing and offering explanations (not always plausible) of the various manifestations of the financial crisis in Iceland, Ireland, Greece, Germany and California Lewis is entertaining and informative: excellent.

Enthralling and informative

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It is hard to describe Boomerang. Essentially it is a piece of light entertainment. That's tough sledding when it's subject is the on-going collapse of the global financial system.



It is less technical than Lewis's other works on the subject and examines the way differences in national character led countries down differing paths to a common disaster. One that has perhaps only just started.



It's hard to see the funny side of the calamitous level of sovereign debt that much of the western world has accumulated in the past 10-years but Lewis puts in a pretty successful attempt.



The narration by Dylan Barker is pretty decent but nothing special.

Each to their own, many paths, one calamitous end.

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This is the first Michael Lewis book and book on finance I've ever listened to or read, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This an entertaining take on the fallout of the financial crisis in Iceland, Ireland, Greece, Germany and California. There's a degree of stereotyping in the book, but it's never belittling or nasty. I found the book humourous and informative and highlights the mistakes each nation/state made before the crash.
I'll definitely be reading more by the author.

Who new finance could be such fun

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hearing the stories behind some of the big recent events was actually much more interesting and engaging than I thought it would be, and the performance was equally engaging. This easily maintained my interested. I'd happy been happy if the book was twice as long.

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did

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