Beyond the Crash

Overcoming the First Crisis of Globalization

De: Gordon Brown

Narrado por: Gordon Brown

The international financial crisis that has held our global economy in its grip for too long still seems to be in full stride. Former British Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown believes the crisis can be reversed, but that the world’s leaders must work together if we are to avoid a decade of lost jobs and low growth.

Brown speaks both as someone who was in the room driving discussions that led to some crucial decisions and as an expert renowned for his remarkable financial acumen. No one who had Brown’s access has written about the crisis yet, and no one has written so convincingly about what the global community must do next in order to climb out of this abyss. Brown outlines the shocking recklessness and irresponsibility of the banks that he believes contributed to the depth and breadth of the crisis. As he sees it, the crisis was brought on not simply by technical failings, but by ethical failings too. Brown argues that markets need morals and suggests that the only way to truly ensure that the world economy does not flounder so badly again is to institute a banking constitution and a global growth plan for jobs and justice.

Beyond the Crash puts forth not just an explanation for what happened, but a directive for how to prevent future financial disasters. Long admired for his grasp of economic issues, Brown describes the individual events that he believes led to the crisis unfolding as it did. He synthesizes the many historical precedents leading to the current status, from the 1933 London conference of world leaders that failed to resolve the Great Depression to the more recent crash in the Asian housing market. Brown’s analysis is of paramount importance during these uncertain financial times.

As Brown himself said of his ideas for the future, “We now live in a world of global trade, global financial flows, global movements of people, and instant global communications. Our economies are connected as never before, and I believe that global economic problems require global solutions and global institutions. In writing my analysis of the financial crisis, I wanted to help explain how we got here, but more important, to offer some recommendations as to how the next stage of globalization can be managed so that the economy works for people and not the other way around.”

The British View

This is the inside story of Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's involvement in the global economic crisis. It is one dire read for sure. Just his reminder of the run on London banks causes pause. Beyond that, Brown outlines what he believes has been learned and what can be done to allieviate other such problems. This is a work in progress and this is Brown's first run at this issue. No doubt he will follow up as he refines his thinking. I certainly hope so. This is not a memoir, but the reader benefits from his political insight which is readily available. This book is a welcome respite from the work of academic economist though their work is highly informative. Mr. Brown reads his well written book. You may or may not agree with his perspective, but Gordon Brown is thinking about the global economy and sharing his ideas with everyone. That is good.

Read Blair's book instead

Ironic that Gordon Brown didn't write regular memoirs, as he didn't serve as PM for long enough to fill a book. It would have been interesting to hear Brown's side of the story after having read Blair's book.

Its no secret that Brown is far left of Blair and this book is clear evidence of that. Nothing but mindless liberal rants.