My friend Rob Reid has his first novel coming out July 10th (and, when this is a movie in a couple of years, you can say you read about it first on Slope). Here's a teaser he just did for the book, which you can pre-order with this link.
Slope of Hope Blog Posts
Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.
Coming Apart Reviewed
I just finished reading the best-selling Coming Apart by Charles Murray. I confess to not having heard of the book until I saw it in the store, but the cover of a champagne glass and a crumbled beer can instantly suggested to me that I was going to enjoy this new examination of the United States and its sociological disintegration of the past half-century.
Boomerang Book Review
Since I rarely travel, I don't have much experience planning ahead for my trips. Such was the case last Sunday evening, because as I headed toward the entrance of the airplane, I realized I didn't have a single bit of reading material.
I don't do well without something to read. I'm not going to watch a movie, and God knows I'm not going to spend four hours reading the in-flight magazine. My panic subsided when I saw the "Wi-Fi On Board" sticker on the outside of the jet. I was saved by Go-Go Wireless.
When heading home the next evening, as I headed toward my gate, I stopped myself and turned around to go to the book shop, because I wanted to make sure I had something interesting to read if the plane didn't have WiFi (which, it turned out, it did not).
Most airport book stores are crammed with the very latest business books which promise to make you a better worker at whatever job you've got, guaranteeing you a much bigger salary. ("Good to Great", "Emotional Equations", "Entreleadership", "Switch", and a myriad of other worthless drivel). I was heartened to see Michael Lewis' Boomerang, which is something I knew would interest me. So that's what I bought.
Outstanding History Book
I just finished reading one of the best – if not the best – history book that I’ve ever enjoyed. Its name is Freedom Just Around the Corner, and it covers U.S. history from 1585 through 1828.
This book truly brought to life this huge span of American history for me. I learned a lot about the complex relationships between the original immigrants to America, Canada, the French, the native Americans, and Britain. It opened my eyes to the various legal documents that established our country as well as the balancing act between the Republicans and Federalists of early America. It helped me understand what an amazing achievement it was to traverse into the original North American wilderness and tame it.
This blog is obviously not about history, but the subject is a favorite of mine, and I just thought I’d share a strong recommendation for those of you who are into this kind of thing. It’s a terrific book.
I Heartily Recommend this Book
Over the past couple of weeks, I have had a marvelous time reading this book by James Rickards named Currency Wars. As you might guess, it is an analysis of how countries use their currencies for whatever self-interested intentions they may have (either good or bad). I love history, and the way this book weaves together history and economics makes it hard for me to put down. It also makes what's going on right now easier for me to grasp (and fear).
Here's a bit about the book:
In 1971, President Nixon imposed national price controls and took the United States off the gold standard, an extreme measure intended to end an ongoing currency war that had destroyed faith in the U.S. dollar. Today we are engaged in a new currency war, and this time the consequences will be far worse than those that confronted Nixon.
Currency wars are one of the most destructive and feared outcomes in international economics. At best, they offer the sorry spectacle of countries' stealing growth from their trading partners. At worst, they degenerate into sequential bouts of inflation, recession, retaliation, and sometimes actual violence. Left unchecked, the next currency war could lead to a crisis worse than the panic of 2008.
Currency wars have happened before-twice in the last century alone-and they always end badly. Time and again, paper currencies have collapsed, assets have been frozen, gold has been confiscated, and capital controls have been imposed. And the next crash is overdue. Recent headlines about the debasement of the dollar, bailouts in Greece and Ireland, and Chinese currency manipulation are all indicators of the growing conflict."
It's pretty unusual for me to make a post about any book (except for one I've written), but Currency Wars is an exception. You can get it by clicking here. If you're interested in a general list of books I suggest for traders, it's right here.
