Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Financial Crisis, Part One

by Tom Gorman
Alpha Books
Digital Format, $4.99
76 pages
ASIN: B0023EF9PC



Book Review by Kam Williams

“Since early 2008, the United States has been undergoing its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s… The story of this economic crisis is complex in its characters, settings, events, plotlines, and potential endings—and it is far from over. This guide… will explain the roots, players, dynamics, and other key aspects of the crisis in plain English. It will also leave out the political agendas, finger-pointing and sales messages that characterize most sources of information on this subject. And it will provide coverage, commentary, advice, and recommendations as the crisis continues to unfold.”
 Excerpted from the Introduction (pages 1-2)

This informative how-to tome is the first, original e-book from Alpha/Penguin, the publisher of the popular “Complete Idiot’s” line of guides. This means it is available only in digital format to be read electronically via computer or a Kindle. Like Wiley’s “for Dummies” imprint, “Complete Idiot’s” offerings are designed with beginners in mind, and break down each title’s subject-matter into readily-digestible layman’s terms.
Such is certainly the case with this guide to the financial crisis, which is likely to be of value to anyone who has been under a rock or on a deserted island for the past year. So, if you have just returned to civilization and want to get a handle on the issues surrounding the state of the economy, this brief primer fits the bill. However, if you’re already aware of the basics, this is apt to strike you as an infuriatingly-boring exercise in obviousness.
Besides this edition, author MBA Tom Gorman, promises to make timely updates of the material available on line, at additional cost. Because the book is true to its billing, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Financial Crisis can honestly only be recommended by this critic for… (How can I put this politely?) idiots!

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