Vince Cable's book The Storm is worth reading for a real insight into the causes and consequences of the financial crisis

The Storm: The World Economic Crisis and What it Means is a breathtaking tour of economic policy that amply demonstrates why Vince Cable has eclipsed all other politicians with his response to the financial and economic crises of the last two years.
He puts our current problems in an historical and political context that helps the reader understand how we came so close to financial meltdown during the autumn of 2008. His almost effortless grasp of economic theory and policy can almost dazzle the reader at times and there isn't a page in this book that doesn't impart a fresh insight into the issues. Perhaps his greatest achievement is to pack so much in and yet always keep it accessible to the interested layperson, even if you do occasionally find yourself having to re-read a couple of pages because you haven't quite kept up with his relentless analysis.
True to form, he doesn't offer any glib, easy conclusions but lays out the challenges intelligently with emphasis on global action to tackle systemic risk while ensuring we do not fall into the trap of narrow economic nationalism or don the straitjacket of state capitalism.

14 Jul 2009