'Too Big to Fail' by Andrew Ross Sorkin
[Cross posting last book summary I put out on LinkedIn.]
Too Big to Fail (http://www.amzn.com/0670021253) really is a remarkable work of journalism and just a great read as well. Though bracketed by a short introduction and a thoughtful epilogue, it is mostly a propulsive chronological account of the 2008 financial crisis starting on March 17th, the day after Bear Stearns was sold, and ending on October 13th, the day the nine remaining major banks agreed to accept the first TARP capital investments.
The author offers only the minimally necessary background on prior events and avoids editorializing in order to focus on his narrative. What Sorkin does provide, however, is a wealth of details and anecdotes about the events in question and a brisk, cross-cutting style of writing that accentuates the flow and drama of the story. It is as engrossing as a work of fiction and it's a pity it isn't given how much disruption and pain the facts have caused us all.
