Really stupid book. I know - all the book reviewers rave over it. In a nutshell - here is the whole book -- different countries misused cheap credit and had different reactions to the bust. That's it. Show's over. Just read the reviews and book summaries and you'll have read the whole book. Don't waste your $25. Get it from the library -- or (like me) just read a few chapters in the book store. It will be at garage sales for 25cents within a couple of years.