The Coming Economic Collapse

How You Can Thrive When Oil Costs $200 a Barrel

By: Dr. Stephen Leeb, Glen Strathy

Narrated by: Brian Emerson

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

When Dr. Stephen Leeb speaks, smart investors take heed. In his previous books, Dr. Leeb predicted the great bull market of the 1990s and the collapse of technology shares in the new millennium. Now, in The Coming Economic Collapse, Dr. Leeb shows that the U.S. economy is standing on the brink of the biggest crisis in history.

As the fast-growing economies of China and India push global demand for oil beyond production capacity, Americans will experience a permanent energy shortfall far worse than the one in the 1970s. The result will be severe financial hardship for most people, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for investors to become incredibly rich.

This is an urgent call-to-arms to avert an all-but-certain catastrophe and a survival kit for an era that offers us only two financial choices: poverty or wealth.

©2006 Dr. Stephen Leeb (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Conflicts itself

The book spends the first 90% going through doomsday scenarios. It recaps the fall of past civilizations and energy shortages to try and scare the reader into believing what they say will occur to the world economy when oil runs out. It preaches full economic collapse, sending the US back to villages where individuals farm for their own food.

Then, when it starts discussing investment it somehow changes to be not so doom and gloom, but rather the writer believes the stock market will function, all sizes of companies will still exist, and alternative energies are all available who can meet much of the demand. It seems the writer is trying to scare people into taking the problem seriously by telling the worst case scenario (oil runs out overnight). However they seem to agree it will be gradual and at worst a depression when you consider their investment advice.

What I take from this is yes: I think oil will increase in cost. But no, there won't be the economic collapse predicted. The investment advice is probably sound for when the oil does increase in cost. However, I doubt the returns mentioned will be realized, as I think the market will continue to develop alternative fuels the more expensive oil becomes. It won't occur overnight--or even in this decade as the book claims--and therefore returns will be spread over a longer period of time.

The Coming Economic Collapse

Interesting overall review of oil and energy, however I would do my own homework. In Leeb's Personal Finance newsletter, he was still recommending Worldcom, Utilicorp, and Williams Co. in December of 2001. WCOM Rec 56 Now 0, Utilicorp 36 now Aquila at 4.5, Williams at about 35 now 25 with near banrupcy at 1. So he is not as good of a Prognosticatior as he would lead you to believe. Leaves out a lot of data and slants the presented info.

Clearly out of date

Definately does not reflect current state of the world. This book is clearly out of date as of this review (April 2008). If you haven't read it yet, don't.

Interesting but painful.

Never have a heard so much self praise and effort dedicated to making one's self look brilliant. While the notion of the book is interesting, the authors style is wretched. Information is repeated ad nauseum and many references ask for giant leeps in logic to follow. The only reason this book gets more than one star from me is because the information is somewhat viable and merits thought. If an executive summary exists, get that and save yourself the painful experience otherwise.

what does a psychologist know about economics?

While the book does give insight into how some things in the economy work, hindsight tells the tale. The book was published in '06. In it, the author said that a housing market bust wouldn't happen. 'Nuff said.