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MarketPinch offers reviews and short commentary on books and articles on economics, market trends and stocks.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Fool's Gold: How the Bold Dream of a Small Tribe at J.P. Morgan Was Corrupted by Wall Street Greed and Unleashed a Catastrophe by Gillian Tett

This book revolves around the story of how Credit Default Swaps (CDS) went from an obscure innovation to a phenomenon that became the leading instrument in managing risk. It looks at how banks were reckless in their use of derivatives and touches on the theme of un-regulated use of financial innovation in the hands of the greedy. For me reading this was experiencing the building of a house of cards and watching how it fell apart. At some point I felt my stomach feel the sensation I would liken to being on a roller coaster. I would recommend it to anyone who wanted an easy to follow guide on how the world of derivatives brought the financial world to its' knees.

3 comments:

  1. Sounds interesting. Is it heavy on jargon, i mean will a non-finance person like me get it?

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  2. it is quiet simple actually. Gillian Tett writes for the Financial Times, so the language is very British, and the piecing together is beautiful.

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  3. Interesting.. However, those who have broader awareness in economics/finance understand better..! :(

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