I.o.u. why everyone owes everyone and no one can pay

"The author offers his perspective on why the financial crisis of the twenty-first century occurred in the United States, Europe, and around the world, discussing the proliferation of cheap credit, global banking and finance, subprime mortgages, and other factors, and identifying a group of people he believes responsible for the economic troubles."
"Lanchester's brilliant survey of the current financial crisis explains how the booming global economy collapsed seemingly overnight."
"For most people, the reasons for the sudden collapse of our economy still remain obscure. I.O.U. is the story of how we came to experience such a complete financial disaster, starting with the magical proliferation of credit that led to an explosion of lending on the global and local landscapes of banking and finance. Viewing the crisis through the lens of politics, culture, and contemporary history'from the invention and widespread misuse of financial instruments to the culpability of subprime mortgages'Lanchester deftly draws conclusions on the limitations of financial and governmental regulation, capitalism's deepest flaw, and most important, on the plain and simple facts of human nature where cash is concerned. With newly updated, superbly written reportage, Lanchester delivers a shrewd perspective and a digestible, comprehensive analysis that connects the dots for expert and casual reader alike. Part economic primer, part fiscal and historical analysis, I.O.U. is an eye-opener of a book."@en