Crash and Beyond: Causes and Consequences of the Global Financial Crisis
“Andrew Farlow has written a most entertaining book on the Financial Crash, (Before, During and Beyond), that hides considerable scholarship (a 20 page bibliography of academic papers) behind a lively tale of the human frailties revealed. If I had to recommend a single volume on what happened to the inquisitive non-expert, this would be it.” Charles Goodhart, Emeritus Professor, Banking and Finance, London School of Economics“Andrew Farlow has added his strong voice to [the] gathering discussion…compelling reading…a fine addition to the crisis/recession discourse…a fine start on banking reform...Does Farlow point the way to the definitive text on the crisis…?” Joel Campbell, International Affairs“[Farlow] does not simplify his analysis to reach quick fixes…Farlow does it with the flair of a novelist or a journalist. Indeed, his book is a bridge between an academic treatise and a journalistic account. While doing this, he does not sacrifice the nuances of financial analysis or the rigours of an economist…His chapters on the crash and rescue (4 to 6) provide original material…The most interesting account relates to the collapse of Lehman Brothers…Farlow is clinical in his analysis...The present reviewer has not come across a similar account of Lehman collapse in any other study...[Farlow] has gone deep into the bail-out attempts...Similarly, his discussions on quantitative easing (QE) are balanced and incisive…[A] scholarly book which enriches our understanding of the crisis…[Farlow] says he would be happy if the book serves as a collective memory of the crash and its bitter aftertaste and acts as guidance or warning to handle future crises. Indeed, he has succeeded.” K. Subramanian, The HINDU“Andrew Farlow’s book is rare in showing how [the] various factors interacted to create the gravest situation faced by the global economy since the Great Depression that followed the crash of 1929…Farlow’s focus on the importance of income inequality and deficiency of demand is refreshingly Keynesian in flavour…If we are to search for a single underlying cause of the crisis, it is in fact here...Crash and Beyond does much more than simply consider the causes of the crisis; it also looks to the policy response. It considers what policymakers have got right, who will bear the costs and what needs to be changed. At this point, Farlow sounds alarm bells, arguing that many of the policies that have helped in the short term (such as aiding the banks and the policy of quantitative easing) have created new risks.”  Victoria Bateman, Times Higher Education“In 2004-05, [Farlow] wrote about how, after the equity bubble in the late 1990s, money was flowing into debt, especially mortgage finance, and how this could lead to another crisis. The theoretical possibility he thought of materialised soon...The crisis gave Farlow a reputation as an economic astrologer, and brought him many invitations to speak and attest. While this book deals with the crisis, it has a broader subject...This is not a dry and dusty book in economics; much drama has gone into it. Farlow covers the theoretical debates; but he also goes deep into the events and sequences, the errors and consequences.” Ashok V Desai, Businessworld“Very, very compelling research…refreshing…fascinating the way [Farlow] writes about it, the way [he] describes it, and the research [he] brings...in a very readable fashion…dealing with extremely sophisticated systems and to boil it down to where the average person can start to really comprehend what took place so that they can better understand how to react in the future…It is very, very important we look back and understand better what took place and make more informed decisions when it comes to our own finances or how we vote…Absolutely fascinating.” Bill Kearney, Financial Spectrum, WKXL Concord News Radio"Instead of a blow-by-blow account of the numerous bank rescue programmes, [Farlow’s] book uses an economics lens to dissect the logic of each category of rescue measure to make them more digestible for the lay reader…Half the book is devoted to the numerous policy struggles after the crash. Written before, during and in the years immediately after the crash, the book is a lively chronicle and engaging analysis of the events and thinking of these years and of the economic and political constraints that shaped responses…a timely analysis…a scholarly, yet highly accessible, account that will appeal to a wide audience and contribute to the public debate about the lessons to be learnt and future policy options.” India Business Review“A name to watch...A lively narrative, scholarly but with lay appeal, too.” Oxford Today