From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Big Short, Liar’s Poker and The Blind Side!
The tsunami of cheap credit that rolled across the planet between 2002 and 2008 was more than a simple financial phenomenon: it was temptation, offering entire societies the chance to reveal aspects of their characters they could not normally afford to indulge.
The Greeks wanted to turn their country into a piñata stuffed with cash and allow as many citizens as possible to take a whack at it. The Germans wanted to be even more German; the Irish wanted to stop being Irish.
The trademark of Michael Lewis’s bestsellers is to tell an important and complex story through characters so outsized and outrageously weird that you’d think they have to be invented. (You’d be wrong.) In Boomerang, we meet a brilliant monk who has figured out how to game Greek capitalism to save his failing monastery; a cod fisherman who, with three days’ training, becomes a currency trader for an Icelandic bank; and an Irish real estate developer so outraged by the collapse of his business that he drives across the country to attack the Irish Parliament with his earth-moving equipment.
Lewis’s investigation of bubbles beyond our shores is so brilliantly, sadly hilarious that it leads the American listener to a comfortable complacency: Oh, those foolish foreigners. But when Lewis turns a merciless eye on California and Washington DC, we see that the narrative is a trap baited with humor, and we understand the reckoning that awaits the greatest and greediest of debtor nations.
“No one writes with more narrative panache about money and finance than Lewis.”
—Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
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"This is a great book for anyone who wants to understand what behaviors caused the debt crises in various nations but does not have a background in finance or economics. It's not a very technical book. It studies several countries or other places that were and still are key to the debt crises in Europe and America, and concludes that in these places--Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Germany, and California--the horrible financial decisions that led to unsustainable debt and to recession (except in Germany, which is not loaded with debt but financed excessive spending in other countries with easy credit, and will now probably be on the hook for bailing Europe out). were influenced by flaws peculiar to their national or regional character. It's fascinating, particularly Lewis's analysis of the German national character (which, be warned, is disgusting in some respects)."
— Don (4 out of 5 stars)
“Michael Lewis possesses the rare storyteller’s ability to make virtually any subject both lucid and compelling. In his new book, Boomerang, he actually makes topics like European sovereign debt, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank not only comprehensible but also fascinating.”
— New York Times“Lewis has a wonderful talent for distilling complicated stories, whether bond trading in New York (Liar’s Poker) or a baseball-analysis revolution in Oakland (Moneyball), in simple terms and with telling detail. Boomerang…doesn’t disappoint on this score.”
— Washington Post“Essentially an offbeat travelogue, Lewis’s latest examines the recent global financial crisis by visiting the locales that have faltered beyond reasonable expectation… Easily devoured in one sitting, Lewis manages to gracefully explain what happened with a unique regard for both the strengths and weaknesses of humankind.”
— Publishers Weekly“Lewis’s books are always excellent and always best sellers, so this should be at the top of your list.”
— Library Journal" Fantastic insight into the global economic crisis written in classic Michael Lewis style --humorous anecdotes punctuated with economic lessons. He makes you forget you are learning something about the way the world works. "
— Lindsey, 2/18/2014" Interesting and well written, though it's obvious that it was original a series of magazine articles. "
— Ian, 2/15/2014" Interesting read about the recent global financial meltdown. Lewis not only explains the crisis in relatively straightforward language but also has several meaningful insights into the cultures of the nations that he profiled that help illustrate the whys as well as the hows of the various financial issues. "
— Stash, 2/6/2014" Such a clear discussion of the sovereign debt crisis, explaining how Iceland, Greece, Germany, and the U.S went wrong. As you'd expect from Lewis, he focuses on real people to explain the problems we face. I wish every American would read this book. "
— Maryann, 2/5/2014" I liked "The Big Short", but in "Boomerang" Michael Lewis comes across as an arrogant, bemusedly condescending gringo, with all the depth of a bubble gum commercial. He weaves a competent story, or series of stories, really, each based in a different country hit hard by the financial meltdown of 08. But each story comes off as glib and over-simplified, and the author himself as really just a big cock. "
— Damian, 2/5/2014" Four five-star chapters about the financial situation in Europe with an extraneous piece on California tacked on the end. "
— Craig, 1/28/2014" A surgical look at a financial world gone mad. "
— Les, 1/14/2014" Interesting and humorous read. I'd already read about half of the chapters as articles in Vanity Fair. "
— Dre, 1/3/2014" Much better observations than the Big Short and an interesting perspective on the European debt crisis that's truly fun to read. "
— Matt, 12/23/2013" One more time Lewis writes clearly about a total mess and makes it understandable. "
— Pat, 12/23/2013" As always, Michael Lewis transforms the complex and boring into a page turner. "
— Mark, 12/14/2013" interesting book. gave some good insights into the current economic crisis "
— Rafi, 11/21/2013" Lewis just gets better and better. I have enjoyed everything of his that I have gotten my hands on. Currently reading "Liar's Poker" and since it is his oldest, it actually is the weakest of the bunch so far. This figures since he was younger and less world-weary back then. "
— Dan, 8/16/2013" As he does with sports, Michael Lewis makes global financial collapse interesting and even fun. "
— Gina, 3/9/2013" Very insightful view of how Europe got to be a financial mess they are in. Learned more about Greeks, Irish, Italian and Germans then I ever knew. Lewis finds the root causes in their history, culture, politics and macro economic events. Recommend! "
— David, 8/26/2012" Hard to believe a book explaining the collapse of world financial markets could be written to make the whoe thing so understandable and still at times, a downright funny read. "
— Dan, 7/31/2012" Didn't expect to like this book and I found it utterly fascinating -- good way for us non-economists to understand the basics of what is happening in our world today. Won't soon forget the stories about Ireland, Greece, Germany and most particularly, Iceland. Who knew? Not me! "
— Sandy, 7/29/2012" Not as good as "The Big Short" but still entertaining and enlightening. "
— Marc, 7/1/2012" Just a great talent for finding the right characters to highlight the bigger economic story. A gloomy plot, to be sure, but leaves you with a hint of optimism. "
— Derek, 5/27/2012" An interesting book that does not paint a hopeful picture for economic recovery--mainly because there isn't going to be one. "
— Gsmalz, 5/26/2012" This is essentially a collection of his 5 or 6 essays from Vanity Fair, 2 of which I had read. Enlightening and I like his writing style. "
— Dan, 11/8/2011" Lewis continues to excel at illuminating inherently complex and esoteric topics for the average reader. This is as much of a "page-turner" as a book about the global debt epidemic can be. "
— Clark, 11/7/2011" disappointingly shallow and a far cry from the Big Short. "
— Diana, 11/6/2011" This was an interesting book if for no other reason than it displayed to me how much I don't know about a functioning financial system let alone how a dysfunctional system worked. "
— Kyle, 11/6/2011" Damn shame that people don't read this and start to act more responsibly. "
— Ray, 11/5/2011" great insights for the layman as to the causes of the international financial turmoil. primarily the Euro Zone countries. National character and culture has much to do with the current problems that the IMF has to deal with. Very, very interesting, a quick read. "
— John, 11/4/2011" Great until the last 3 pages. Otherwise would have been 5 stars. Lewis again captures interesting stories and weaves them into a compelling narrative. "
— Tom, 11/4/2011" Don't read this book if you are depressed. Or if you are in a good mood. Very well written and fascinating subject. However, not much good news. "
— Will, 11/2/2011Michael Lewis is the New York Times bestselling author of several books. His global bestselling books lift the lid on the biggest stories of our time. They include Flash Boys, an exposé of high-speed scamming; The Big Short, which was made into a Oscar-winning film; Liar’s Poker, the book that defined the excesses of the 1980s; The Fifth Risk, revealing what happens when democracy unravels, and The Premonition, one of the first books to take account of the coronavirus pandemic. He was educated at Princeton University and the London School of Economics.
Dylan Baker is an American stage, screen, and television actor. He attended Georgetown Prep and William and Mary College before earning his BFA at Southern Methodist University, where his passion for acting was ignited with numerous stage roles. Later refining his talents at Yale’s School of Drama, Baker turned professional with big screen roles in movies like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Delirious, and Love Potion No. 9. His audiobook narration has won him eleven AudioFile Earphones Awards.