Why Going Against the Grain Pays.

Bestselling author Bill Bonner has long been a maverick observer of the financial and political world, sharpening his sardonic wit, in particular, on the vagaries of the investing public. Market booms and busts, tulip manias and dotcom bubbles, venture capitalists and vulture funds, he lets you know, are best explained not by dry statistics and obscure theories but by the metaphors and analogies of literature.

Now, in Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets, Bonner and freelance journalist Lila Rajiva use literary economics to offer broader insights into mass behavior and its devastating effects on society. Why is it, they ask, that perfectly sane and responsible individuals can get together, and by some bizarre alchemy turn into an irrational mob? What makes them trust charlatans and demagogues who manipulate their worst instincts? Why do they abandon good sense, good behavior and good taste when an empty slogan is waved in front of them. Why is the road to hell paved with so many sterling intentions? Why is there a  fool on every corner and a knave in every public office?

In attempting an answer, the authors weave a light-hearted journey through history, politics and finance to show group think at work in an improbable array of instances, from medieval crusades to the architectural follies of hedge-fund managers. Their journey takes them ultimately to the desk of the chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank and to a cautionary tale of the current bubble economy. They warn that the gush of credit let loose by Alan Greenspan and multiplied by the sophisticated number games of Wall Street whizzes is fraught with perils for the unwary. Boom without end, pronounces The Street.  But Bonner and Rajiva are more cynical. When the higher math and the greater greed come together, watch out below!

Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets ends by giving concrete advice on how readers can avoid what the authors call the public spectacle of modern finance,  and become, instead, private investors -  knowing their own mind and following their own intuitions. The authors have no gimmicks to offer here -   but instead give a better understanding of the dynamics of market behavior, allowing prudent investors to protect themselves from the fads and follies of the investment markets.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 87 Ratings

Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets - 2009-01-06
Reviewer Rating:
I am only about one third through the book; however I am enjoying it immensely. It is clearly and well-written, loaded with contemporary issues and bon mots. It does a fine job of stripping away a lot of facades. I recommend this book to all American patriots out there who think our elected representatives should be putting their country first.

Exposing financial and political Groupthink - 2009-10-09
Reviewer Rating:
George Carlin once said that he could always talk rationally to anyone one on one, but as soon as it turned into a group of three rational thinking seemed to disappear from those he engaged in conversation. Why is it that people become stupid and irrational in groups of three or more? This book sheds light on this sociological phenomenon. This book is invaluable to help you make better financial decisions by not falling into the collectivist trappings. The authors have a great wit, and you will probably find yourself laughing all throughout the book. Congress is nothing more than coercive groupthink writ large, as their policies adversely effect the entire populace. Read this book and you'll realize what a bad idea gov't is and why nothing they do ever works.

Satisfied Customer - 2009-08-23
Reviewer Rating:
The book arrived promptly and in the condition advertised. I would do business with this vendor again.

My favorite book - 2009-05-05
Reviewer Rating:
Put simply, this is my favorite book. With Bonner's usual wit, he makes summations and observations that, if observed carefully, show an Austrian leaning. He exceptional writing skills puts world events in a unique and humorous light. It has certainly changed the way I view the world.

Mobs, Messiahs and Markets. - 2008-11-03
Reviewer Rating:
A very entertaining book but unfortunately very true. The crowd goes for a supremely confident demagogue who, when everything comes crashing down, is unable to recognize his culpability. Obama anyone?

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