Reviews
"The Road from Ruinwill be remembered as a serious, highly readable book, of the broadest intellectual scope. Its insights will help all of us reshape the future and enable both citizen and policy maker alike to separate real reform from the grandstanding bluster so prevalent today."--Robert J. Shiller, Arthur M.Okun Professor of Economics, Yale University, author ofIrrational Exuberanceand coauthor ofAnimal Spirits, "As the smoke begins to clear after the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green have some persuasive suggestions about where we go from here. As befits anEconomistwriter, Bishop has not lost his faith in American capitalism. But the authors argue trenchantly that some root-and-branch reform will be needed to prevent it vitality from being sapped by ill-designed regulation and political cronyism." Niall Ferguson, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard University, author ofThe Ascent of Money "Bishop and Green have written an uncommonly lucid, unfailingly gripping analysis of the financial crisis that has placed the nation and much of the world in profound economic jeopardy. A particular value of the book is the rich historical, global, and intellectual context in which the authors situate the crisis. Their diagnosis of the causes of the crisis, which emphasizes psychological factors, will be controversial, as will a number of the measures they propose to prevent similar crises from arising in the future. But they have provided rich food for thought. Let the debate begin." The Honorable Richard A. Posner, author ofA Failure of Capitalism "In The Road From Ruin, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green show why companies must respond to this crisis with long term vision and a renewed emphasis on values. An essential read for anyone who wants to learn why a corporate focus on sustainability and building a better society is the key to the long-lasting productivity growth and job creation that are needed now more than ever. John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco "Drawing not only on their keen understanding of current economic events, but also on a depth of knowledge of financial history, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green have written a lucid and lively account of the underlying factors that brought the world economy to the brink of collapse." Liaquat Ahamed, author ofThe Lords of Finance "Everyone - from the CEOs of the world's biggest companies to the consumers of their products and services - seems to asking whether capitalism as we know it will survive as our economic system. Through a unique blend of historical insights into past crises and pragmatic reforms, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green provide the ideas and action steps for renewing prosperity and preventing another meltdown." Ram Charan, coauthor ofExecution "The Road from Ruinis a masterpiece. Matthew Bishop and Michael Green combine truly luminous writing with simple, clear, unprejudiced scholarship and a keen journalistic awareness of how to extract lessons from the financial crisis to begin forming an agenda for a badly-needed reform of capitalism." Robert A.G. Monks,shareholder activist, founder of the Corporate Library and the author ofCorpocracy. "The Road from Ruinwill be remembered as a serious, highly readable book, of the broadest intellectual scope. Its insights will help all of us reshape the future and enable both citizen and policy maker alike to separate real reform from the grandstanding bluster so prevalent today." Robert J. Shiller, Arthur M.Okun Professor of Economics, Yale University, author ofIrrational Exuberanceand coauthor ofAnimal Spirits "The title suggests a map for a new, improved capitalism to follow - and that's exactly what Matthew Bishop and Michael Green provide. A steely analysis of the structural and human frailty that led to the implosion of 2008 becomes their foundation for specific future reform. Alternative remedies are scrupulously examined; some discarded; others seized upon and improved. In its clarity of both thought and expression, this is a book that leaves you feeling cautiously be, "Well-written, challenging, uplifting -- Bishop and Green bring incisive insight and timely analysis to some of our biggest economic and social topics. The Road from Ruinis an intelligent and stimulating contribution to a vitally important conversation." Jim Collins, author ofGood to GreatandHow the Mighty Fall "As the smoke begins to clear after the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green have some persuasive suggestions about where we go from here. As befits anEconomistwriter, Bishop has not lost his faith in American capitalism. But the authors argue trenchantly that some root-and-branch reform will be needed to prevent it vitality from being sapped by ill-designed regulation and political cronyism." Niall Ferguson, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard University, author ofThe Ascent of Money "Bishop and Green have written an uncommonly lucid, unfailingly gripping analysis of the financial crisis that has placed the nation and much of the world in profound economic jeopardy. A particular value of the book is the rich historical, global, and intellectual context in which the authors situate the crisis. Their diagnosis of the causes of the crisis, which emphasizes psychological factors, will be controversial, as will a number of the measures they propose to prevent similar crises from arising in the future. But they have provided rich food for thought. Let the debate begin." The Honorable Richard A. Posner, author ofA Failure of Capitalism "In The Road From Ruin, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green show why companies must respond to this crisis with long term vision and a renewed emphasis on values. An essential read for anyone who wants to learn why a corporate focus on sustainability and building a better society is the key to the long-lasting productivity growth and job creation that are needed now more than ever. John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco "Drawing not only on their keen understanding of current economic events, but also on a depth of knowledge of financial history, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green have written a lucid and lively account of the underlying factors that brought the world economy to the brink of collapse." Liaquat Ahamed, author ofThe Lords of Finance "Everyone - from the CEOs of the world's biggest companies to the consumers of their products and services - seems to asking whether capitalism as we know it will survive as our economic system. Through a unique blend of historical insights into past crises and pragmatic reforms, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green provide the ideas and action steps for renewing prosperity and preventing another meltdown." Ram Charan, coauthor ofExecution "The Road from Ruinis a masterpiece. Matthew Bishop and Michael Green combine truly luminous writing with simple, clear, unprejudiced scholarship and a keen journalistic awareness of how to extract lessons from the financial crisis to begin forming an agenda for a badly-needed reform of capitalism." Robert A.G. Monks,shareholder activist, founder of the Corporate Library and the author ofCorpocracy. "The Road from Ruinwill be remembered as a serious, highly readable book, of the broadest intellectual scope. Its insights will help all of us reshape the future and enable both citizen and policy maker alike to separate real reform from the grandstanding bluster so prevalent today." Robert J. Shiller, Arthur M.Okun Professor of Economics, Yale University, author ofIrrational Exuberanceand coauthor ofAnimal Spirits "The title suggests a map for a new, improved capitalism to follow - and that's exactly what Matthew, "The Road from Ruinwill be remembered asa serious, highly readable book, of the broadest intellectual scope. Its insights will help all of us reshape the future and enable both citizen and policy maker alike to separate real reform from the grandstanding bluster so prevalent today." Robert J. Shiller,Arthur M.Okun Professor of Economics, Yale University, author ofIrrational Exuberanceand coauthor ofAnimal Spirits "Everyone - from the CEOs of the world's biggest companies to the consumers of their products and services - seems to asking whether capitalism as we know it will survive as our economic system. Througha unique blend of historical insights into past crises and pragmatic reforms, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green provide the ideas and action steps for renewing prosperity and preventing another meltdown." Ram Charan,coauthor ofExecution "The Road from Ruinis a masterpiece. Matthew Bishop and Michael Green combine truly luminous writing with simple, clear, unprejudiced scholarship and a keen journalistic awareness of how to extract lessons from the financial crisis to begin forming an agenda for a badly-needed reform of capitalism." Robert A.G. Monks,shareholder activist, founder of the Corporate Library and the author ofCorpocracy. "The title suggests a map for a new, improved capitalism to follow - and that's exactly what Matthew Bishop and Michael Green provide.A steely analysis of thestructural and human frailty that led to the implosion of 2008becomes their foundation for specific future reform. Alternative remedies are scrupulously examined; some discarded; others seized upon and improved.In its clarity of both thought and expression, this is a book that leaves you feeling cautiously better about the potential of capitalism and so cautiously better about its prospects. Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP "Drawing not only on their keen understanding of current economic events, but also on a depth of knowledge of financial history, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green have writtena lucid and livelyaccount of the underlying factors that brought the world economy to the brink of collapse." Liaquat Ahamed, author ofThe Lords of Finance