Hard Times presents a comprehensive account of economic depressions in America, from colonial times to the "great recession" that began in 2008. Written in crisp prose for a general audience, the book synthesizes a narrative account-presenting the known facts about how particular depressions started, the effects upon people in different walks of life, the policy debates about what (if anything) to do in order to ameliorate the situation, and how these...

"Why do stock and housing markets sometimes experience amazing booms followed by massive busts and why is this happening more and more frequently? In order to answer these questions, William Quinn and John D. Turner take us on a riveting ride through the history of financial bubbles, visiting, among other places, Paris and London in 1720, Latin America in the 1820s, Melbourne in the 1880s, New York in the 1920s, Tokyo in the 1980s, Silicon Valley...

Bubbles-from hot stocks in the 1920s to hot stocks in the 1990s-are much-lamented features of contemporary economic life. Time and again, American investors, seduced by the lures of quick money, new technologies, and excessive optimism, have shown a tendency to get carried away. Time and again, they have appeared foolish when the bubble burst. The history of finance is filled with tragic tales of shattered dreams, bankruptcies, and bitter recriminations. But...

Applied Austrian economics doesn't get better than this. Murray N. Rothbard's America's Great Depression is a staple of modern economic literature and crucial for understanding a pivotal event in American and world history. The Great Depression was not a crisis for capitalism but merely an example of the downturn part of the business cycle, which was generated by government intervention in the economy. Had the book appeared in the 1940s, it might...

"The accessible roadmap to navigating an unpredictable economic earthquake. People are worried about their financial future. The workforce is aging, meaning slower economic growth. Debt is going through the roof, both public and private. Automation and technological revolution are putting people out of work, leading to ever-growing inequality and social breakdown. Add the existential threat of climate change to the list of economic stresses. Then...