The real story of the crash began in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn't shine and the SEC doesn't dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lower--and middle--class Americans who can't pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren't talking. Michael Lewis creates a fresh, character-driven narrative brimming with indignation and dark humor, a fitting sequel to his #1 bestseller Liar's Poker. Out of a handful of unlikely--really unlikely--heroes, Lewis fashions a story as compelling and unusual as any of his earlier bestsellers, proving yet again that he is the finest and funniest chronicler of our time.

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No additional testing, grading or certificate fees
No prerequisites
Course level: Basic
Instructional Method: Self-Study

In Too Big To Fail, award-winning New York Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin delivers the first definitive blow-by-blow account of the financial crisis on Wall Street and in Washington - from the machinations inside Lehman Brothers' plush offices to the corridors of power in Washington to secret meetings in Moscow. Through unprecedented access to the players involved, Andrew Ross Sorkin re-creates all the drama and turmoil of these turbulent days, revealing never-before-disclosed details and explaining how decisions made on Wall Street and in Washington over the past ten years helped sow the seeds of the decade.

Too Big To Fail is one of the most gripping financial narratives in decades and a cautionary tale for decades to come.

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No additional testing, grading or certificate fees
No prerequisites
Course level: Basic
Instructional Method: Self-Study

Merrill Lynch was an icon. Its sudden decline, collapse, and sale to Bank of America was a shock. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what does this story of greed, hubris, and incompetence tell us about the culture of Wall Street that continues to this day even though it came close to destroying the American economy? A culture in which the CEO of a firm losing $28 billion pushes hard to be paid a $25 million bonus. A culture in which two Merrill Lynch executives are guaranteed bonuses of $30 million and $40 million for four months’ work, even while the firm is struggling to reduce its losses by firing thousands of employees. Crash of the Titans is a financial thriller that puts you in the theater as the historic events of the financial crisis unfold and people responsible for billion of dollars of other people’s money gamble recklessly to enhance their power and their paychecks or to save their own skins. Its wealth of never-before-revealed information and focus on two icons of corporate America make it the book that puts together all the pieces of the Wall Street disaster.

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No prerequisites
Course level: Basic
Instructional Method: Self-Study

Company of One is a refreshingly new approach centered on staying small and avoiding growth, for any size business. Not as a freelancer who only gets paid on a per piece basis, and not as an entrepreneurial start-up that wants to scale as soon as possible, but as a small business that is deliberately committed to staying that way. By staying small, one can have freedom to pursue more meaningful pleasures in life, and avoid the headaches that result from dealing with employees, long meetings, or worrying about expansion. Company of One introduces this unique business strategy and explains how to make it work for you, including how to generate cash flow on an ongoing basis.

All course materials provided 
No additional testing, grading or certificate fees
No prerequisites
Course level: Basic
Instructional Method: Self-Study