The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine - Michael Lewis - B-

I haven't read everything that Michael Lewis has written.  Liar's Poker is in the pile o' books, trying to make it to the top, but it just hasn't made it yet.  I loved Moneyball and greatly enjoyed The Blind Side (despite some rather obvious factual football history mistakes).  Having achieved some level of "reader's block," I looked to The Big Short to get my reading going again.

I liked The Big Short, but I didn't love it.  I SORT OF understood the subprime crisis and CDOs and their large part in the financial collapse.  I didn't understand (like those "experts" responsible for losing billions upon billions of dollars betting on this market) the specific trading failures that led to the historic losses.  And I still don't.  Yes, I understand a little better, but I can sum up this book as follows (without spoiling anything):

"Blah blah blah CDOs blah blah blah crappy sub prime loans blah blah blah teaser rates blah blah defaults blah blah blah stupid traders blah blah blah here are some smart guys who made $$ blah blah these guys good blah blah blah these guys bad blah blah blah BOOM! blah blah Wall Street is and has been bad."

If you like Michael Lewis, The Big Short is worth reading.  He does attempt to boil down this large part of the financial crisis, and as usual, he tells a good story.  I have been told that this book is a better one to provide information and background on the financial crisis, and it is on my list.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the light on for you.

Dear (Book) Diary,

I'm sorry that I haven't been writing in you as often as I used to.  There's been a lot going on.  And, let's be honest, we're the only ones here anyway.  That's why this "book blog" is more of a "book diary" in which I can pour my heart regarding all books I read, great and small.

As for what I've been up to, click here.  Let's just say that this effort has taken some serious time out of my former reading time--to the tune of about 5 hours a week.  Please don't think I'm neglecting you, oh book diary.

I'm also struggling, big time, with book selection.  I have my Night Table Pile O' Books, but I find none of them appealing right now.  Something light?  Fiction?  Non-fiction?  Heavy and thought-provoking?  I just don't know.  I have picked up five books in just the last week and continue, instead, to read a team profile in this.

Speaking of baseball, my annual rite of spring, baseball reading time, has begun.  A new biography on Willie Mays is already out, and biographies of Hank Aaron, Mike Schmidt, Stan Musial, Roger Maris, Al Kaline and Reggie Jackson are not far behind.  Which will be good books, oh dear diary?  All of the subjects interest me, but which to buy, which to borrow and which to avoid?

More soon.  Stick with me.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll keep the light on for you.