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Audiobooks > Social Science >  Sociology > Maxed Out (Abridged): Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders
Maxed Out (Abridged): Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders Audiobook, by James D. Scurlock Play Audiobook Sample

Maxed Out (Abridged): Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders Audiobook

By: James D. Scurlock
Maxed Out (Abridged): Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders Audiobook, by James D. Scurlock Play Audiobook Sample
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Read By: James D. Scurlock Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 3.33 hours at 1.5x Speed 2.50 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: March 2007 Format: Abridged Audiobook ISBN: 9780743567459
3.13453608247423 out of 53.13453608247423 out of 53.13453608247423 out of 53.13453608247423 out of 53.13453608247423 out of 5 (3.13) - 194 listener ratings
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Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

5

Longest Chapter Length:

66:36 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

54:05 minutes

Average Chapter Length:

59:59 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

1

Publisher Description

Foreclosures are hitting record highs; Americans are declaring bankruptcy at rates ten times that during the Great Depression; more college students drop out because of debts than due to poor grades; reports of debtor suicides proliferate in the media. In other words, it's a great time to be in the banking business.

Maxed Out takes us on a road trip that is sometimes hysterical and often horrifying: from Las Vegas to the Bible Belt, from the backwoods to inner cities where the world's largest financial giants troll for their next victims. Welcome to a country populated by debt pirates, corporate predators, human credit card billboards, debt evangelists, mega-million dollar spec homes, and, of course, trillions of dollars of easy credit. Combining startling facts with even more startling examinations of individuals, institutions, the government, and modern religion, James Scurlock exposes very real, potentially disastrous systems and policies that are drowning millions of Americans in a flood of easy credit.

Expanding on his award-winning documentary of the same name, hailed as "scathing" and "unusually entertaining" by Newsweek and Variety, Maxed Out confirms that Scurlock is an author "as fiendishly clever as the banks and credit card companies he goes after" (Barbara Ehrenreich, bestselling author of Nickel and Dimed).

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"By now, everyone should know about the perils of easy credit and the promises that your home's value will always go up. But James Scurlock saw this coming before many of us did, and warned about it in his documentary and book. The book provides a brief but damning history of how credit came to dominate our lives, along with a ton of examples of how the financial giants screw us at every turn, including, of course, buying politicians who are more than willing to sell their votes to deregulate the industry. But the book's strength is its focus on the people behind the statistics. People like the army girl, now in the brig because she tried to save her marriage by charging things on her army plastic (standard issue, of course). People like the college kids who committed suicide after running up credit card debt, all because those credit card companies gave them a free t-shirt when pitching their wares on campus (I particularly felt the pain for those kids, having been too close to that myself). Maxed Out is a must read (or must see, for the DVD lovers out there) for anyone who thinks they're alone in the fight against their lenders, or frankly, just anyone who lives in our consumer-based society today."

— Brian (5 out of 5 stars)

Quotes

  • Scurlock is as fiendishly clever as the banks and credit card companies he goes after." -- Barbara Ehrenreich

    —

Maxed Out Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 3.85714285714286 out of 53.85714285714286 out of 53.85714285714286 out of 53.85714285714286 out of 53.85714285714286 out of 5 (3.86)
5 Stars: 8
4 Stars: 11
3 Stars: 6
2 Stars: 3
1 Stars: 0
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
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4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
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Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " America is messed up. "

    — Steve, 1/19/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Very interesting book. I was shocked to hear the basis of credit scores and how the lending/credit companies work. Eesh... The stories are heartbreaking, and being one who tried to fill a void in her life by using plastic, I know how easy it is to find yourself in that trap. "

    — Amy, 1/15/2014
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " It wasn't the greatest book ever, but if you into social issues and economics, you might like this one. It isn't a heavy read, but did add a few new insights that I hadn't heard before. "

    — Chris, 1/10/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Good expose of the evolution of credit/debt and the institutions who specialize in "lending" but for the sole purpose of profit for the banks, credit card, and collection entities. Illustrates tactics used to prey on the least educated and most vulnerable. Shows how consumer protection laws have been systematically eliminated and how these beheamouth institutions expect the Federal Gov't to bail them out. The ultimate in capitalist corruption; when the money runs out, just sell credit... Written in an engaging style, it's easy to read but the message is important. "

    — Anita, 12/31/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " This was really good look into the history of credit cards and how they can ruin your life. It is funny to think that relatively speaking they are not that old, but they have been around for my lifetime. It now has become the way of life. "

    — Audra, 12/31/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Scurlock was right...unfortunately. "

    — Jonny99, 12/26/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Difficult for me to read, made me infuriated how much the credit and finance industry gets away with. "

    — Jessica, 12/13/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Prescient, given that it was written just before the big 2008 crash. And chilling, because he's pointing out how bad things were, back when we thought they were basically good. He's the Michael Moore of personal finance, it seems. "

    — Kate, 12/11/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Both this and the film are excellent primers on the dangers of easy credit and predatory lending. "

    — Jenn, 11/9/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Everyone in America should read this book. "

    — Adrienne, 9/16/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Listened to the audio book and it was fantastic! "

    — Jennifer, 7/27/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " This was truly an eye-opening book. If you want to know what in the world is going on with our financial system today...what went wrong and why...then this is an excellent place to start. "

    — Tina, 5/27/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Very good book for everybody who uses credit. "

    — Jen, 4/18/2013
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Saw the movie too. "

    — Cate, 3/11/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Good book - it scared me actually. One of the things I've noticed since moving to the US, is that it seems so easy to fall into the debt trap and so difficult to get out (you can get loans that you'd never in a million years get in NZ). Big incentive to pay off the credit card and cut it up. "

    — Ngaire, 2/1/2013
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Not too bad for a screaming Republican ass, but didn't really learn anything new. "

    — Falbs, 12/18/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Why has the cost of living skyrocketed while wages have stayed the same? Two words: easy credit. It's driven the cost of everything up while driving the world into debt. This cannot go on much longer. Something's gonna give. "

    — Melissa, 7/19/2011
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Published in early 2007, this story of the credit/mortgage meltdown in the US would not be so poignant if it had not been written before the event. Until the paradigm of US citizens gets off consumerism, we're in for a world of hurt and it could bring all of us down. "

    — Nonie, 5/23/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " far superior to the movie. probably not a lot of new, surprising info but all accessible and in one place. "

    — Shannon, 3/29/2011
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " After reading this book you will understand the deceptive, tragic, and even illegal methods banks use to take your hard earned money. "

    — Eboni, 12/27/2010
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " This was really good look into the history of credit cards and how they can ruin your life. It is funny to think that relatively speaking they are not that old, but they have been around for my lifetime. It now has become the way of life. "

    — Audra, 7/16/2010
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Difficult for me to read, made me infuriated how much the credit and finance industry gets away with. "

    — Jessica, 3/22/2010
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Very interesting book. I was shocked to hear the basis of credit scores and how the lending/credit companies work. Eesh... The stories are heartbreaking, and being one who tried to fill a void in her life by using plastic, I know how easy it is to find yourself in that trap. "

    — Amy, 3/18/2010
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Not too bad for a screaming Republican ass, but didn't really learn anything new. "

    — Falbs, 6/27/2009
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Published in early 2007, this story of the credit/mortgage meltdown in the US would not be so poignant if it had not been written before the event. Until the paradigm of US citizens gets off consumerism, we're in for a world of hurt and it could bring all of us down. "

    — Nonie, 3/20/2009
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Listened to the audio book and it was fantastic! "

    — Jennifer, 7/2/2008
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " After reading this book you will understand the deceptive, tragic, and even illegal methods banks use to take your hard earned money. "

    — Eboni, 5/24/2008
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Very good book for everybody who uses credit. "

    — Jen, 3/28/2008

About James D. Scurlock

James D. Scurlock studied at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania before dropping out to pursue an entrepreneurial venture and later a documentary film career. His first film, Parents of the Year, won numerous awards and was an official selection of more than twenty-five film festivals. His first feature-length documentary, Maxed Out, explored our culture of debt and won the Special Jury Prize at South by Southwest. His first book, a companion to the award-winning documentary, was nominated for the National MS Society’s Books for a Better Life Award. He has written, primarily about the impending (and now realized) financial crisis, for Slate, Newsweek, the Huffington Post, and AARP Magazine, among others. He has also appeared on numerous programs, including Nightline, The Today Show, and CNBC’s Power Lunch. He lives in Santa Monica, California.