So there I was, minding my own business, watching Bill Maher and hoping to find ways to laugh about the demise of democracy…then Andrew Ross Sorkin came on…and I wondered, where do I know that name from? When I realized he was the author of 2009’s Too Big To Fail, which scared the crap out of many readers, and that he has a new book out, I was curious. 1929 (subtitled “Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History–and How It Shattered a Nation”) is being hailed as more than a history of the biggest financial mess in U.S. history, just as Too Big To fail was more than just a history of the 2008 financial upheaval. 

Known for his work as a New York Times financial columnist (as well as CNBC’s “Squawk Box” and the DealBook news site), in 1929 Sorkin does a deep dive into the battle between Wall Street and Washington, the personalities most involved in the disaster (as well as being the ones who saw the crash coming but ignored it until it was too late), and relates how the cycles of speculation and warning signs have always been there, but are frequently ignored in favor of accumulating more wealth. 

The thing I enjoyed perhaps most about this book is that although he has deep knowledge of financial history, Working doesn’t preach…in fact, he doesn’t even try to show how the events of 1929 parallel present day events. He gives us the facts and leaves it to the reader to draw their own conclusion. 

And finally, it is SO readable! It could be a dry as dust tome – but it isn’t. I am not sure “enjoy” is the right word for how I felt about this book. Perhaps “appreciate” is closer to my experience. Truly a worthwhile read. Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. Five stars. 

And BTW, he is a great interview subject. Even Bill Maher’s segment with him was terrific.