©Justin Hoch
Books by Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis is an American writer of nonfiction, especially well-known for writing about finance in a way that is not only accessible to the layperson, but entertaining and in some cases even gripping. Several of his books have been turned into movies. His first book, Liar’s Poker, is a very funny account of how, after graduating from university, he worked at Salomon Brothers in the 1980s, in the heyday of bond trading.
Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
by Michael Lewis
Going Infinite is by Michael Lewis, one of the best writers about finance out there. In this book, he takes on the story of Sam Bankman-Fried (aka SBF), who became a multi-billionaire as the founder of FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange. FTX went bankrupt late in 2022 and SBF was arrested on multiple criminal charges. According to the book blurb, Lewis got to know Bankman-Fried during the years of his rise. Lewis's books tend to be entertaining and as well as informative and, hopefully, this one will lift the lid not only on SBF but the world of cryptocurrency, too.
“Moneyball was published right before I wrote Mindset and it showed that the fixed mindset was alive and well in the world of sports. You would think that the relationship between training and skill would be utterly obvious in sports, but apparently it isn’t. Many of the baseball scouts described in the book really thought they could look at superficial physical features of baseball players and know who had the potential to be a superstar. It’s the sports version of craniometry.” Read more...
The best books on Mindset and Success
Carol Dweck, Psychologist
“What Michael Lewis points out very forcefully is that they were deliberately created by Wall Street banks in order to produce non-transparent securities that could not be adequately evaluated by the rating agencies, which then could be sold to less sophisticated investors, who would buy the idea that this junk debt actually had triple A ratings. So what this book does quite brilliantly is show that there was actually a high degree of intentionality in creating the crisis. “ Read more...
Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis
Francis Fukuyama, Political Scientist
You may have already seen the excellent movie adaptation of The Big Short, but the book is even better and worth reading, too. The story John Carreyou tells in Bad Blood is incomplete without the context of the 2008 financial crisis. In one way, Silicon Valley was hermetically sealed off from the worst of it; the tech industry there underwent a massive boom in 2010. But in another, even though it didn’t hit until four years after Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford to found Theranos, those who would have benefited most from the dream the company hyped as reality—full-scale blood testing with the simple prick of a finger, at home and your local drugstore—were those who were hit hardest by the collapse.Â
From our article Books like Bad Blood
“It’s still a wonderfully entertaining book: An absolutely hilarious, very, very dark, vivid account of how Michael Lewis came out of Princeton and, with basically no qualifications, got a job in the bond trading department of Salomon Brothers” Read more...
The best books on Understanding High Finance
John Lanchester, Journalist
Interviews where books by Michael Lewis were recommended
The best books on Understanding High Finance, recommended by John Lanchester
Understanding finance is key to understanding how the world works, but many people know very little about it. Journalist John Lanchester picks five accessible books to bring the layperson up to speed.
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1
This Time Is Different
by Carmen Reinhart & Kenneth Rogoff -
2
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
by Michael Lewis -
3
Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten The World Economy
by Raghuram G Rajan -
4
13 Bankers
by Simon Johnson & Simon Johnson and James Kwak -
5
The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report
by FCIC
Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis
Francis Fukuyama recommends the best books on the The Financial Crisis
The author of “The End of History” says the financial crisis revealed a great deal about the nature of America’s political and economic system. The shame, he says, is that opportunities to change it are now being ignored.
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1
Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Economics
by Eric D. Beinhocker -
2
Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters
by Richard Rumelt -
3
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
by Michael Lewis -
4
Guns, Germs and Steel
by Jared Diamond -
5
The Wealth and Poverty of Nations
by David S Landes
The best books on Economics in the Real World, recommended by John Kay
The best books on Economics in the Real World, recommended by John Kay
Most people completing degrees in economics won’t have read these books, but they should, says British economist John Kay.
Unexpected Economics Books, recommended by Tim Harford
You can find economics lessons in the most unlikely places, including the virtual world of computer games, says Tim Harford, author of a number of economics books aimed at the general public. He recommends five books that you wouldn’t necessarily expect on a list of popular economics books, but nonetheless contain important lessons.
The best books on Causes of the Financial Crisis, recommended by Barry Ritholtz
Wall Street money manager Barry Ritholtz diagnoses the ills of America’s political and economic system in a fizzing, irreverent analysis (with promised f-bombs thrown in). He recommends the best books on the causes of the financial crisis.
The best books on Economic History, recommended by David J Lynch
The author of When the Luck of the Irish Ran Out says the villains were reckless banks that binged on cheap capital to fuel a housing and credit bubble that was larger even than that in the US
The best books on Mindset and Success, recommended by Carol Dweck
If you’ve stepped inside a school recently, you’ve probably heard teachers talking about the importance of a ‘growth mindset.’ Here psychologist Carol Dweck, who pioneered research into this key concept, explains what it’s all about and recommends books—other than her own—that shed light on it.
Books that Show Economics is Fun, recommended by Daniel Hamermesh
According to Keynes, to be a good economist you have to be good at maths but not too good, good at history but not too good, and good at philosophy but not too good. Economics is also a lot of fun, argues economist Daniel Hamermesh. He chooses five books to make his case.
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1
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
by Siddhartha Mukherjee -
2
Thunderstruck
by Erik Larson -
3
Moneyball
by Michael Lewis -
4
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean -
5
Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation
by Dan Fagin
The best books on Radiation, recommended by Timothy J. Jorgensen
The best books on Radiation, recommended by Timothy J. Jorgensen
Public understanding of radiation needs to improve if people are to properly assess its benefits and risks argues author and academic, Timothy Jorgensen. From the discovery of radio to a cancer cluster in New Jersey, he chooses highly readable books illuminating different aspects of radiation.
The best books on Philosophy and Sport, recommended by David Papineau
Sport can offer insights into philosophy and life in general, argues the philosophy professor and sports enthusiast David Papineau. He chooses the best books on philosophy and sport.
Ed Smith on My Life and Luck
The former international cricketer, author of a book on luck, and England’s national selector tells us about the chance happenings that have helped shape his life, for better or worse
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1
Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age
by Tom Holland -
2
Vergil: The Poet's Life
by Sarah Ruden -
3
Ian Fleming: The Complete Man
by Nicholas Shakespeare -
4
The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Global History of Mathematics & its Unsung Trailblazers
by Kate Kitagawa & Timothy Revell -
5
The Chile Project: The Story of the Chicago Boys and the Downfall of Neoliberalism
by Sebastian Edwards
Notable Nonfiction of Fall 2023, recommended by Sophie Roell
Notable Nonfiction of Fall 2023, recommended by Sophie Roell
As summer collapses into fall across the northern hemisphere, Five Books editor Sophie Roell takes a look at the nonfiction books that have been published over the last three months. Reading serious nonfiction books remains the easiest way to get up to speed on not only things you’re already interested in, but lots of things you didn’t know you didn’t know.