We examine the historical record of the financial crises that have often accompanied surges of globalization in the past. The issue of contagion, the spread of financial turbulence from the crisis center to its trading partners, is confronted with historical and statistical evidence on the...

Saints and sinners -- Embracing Shylock -- Protestants, war, and capitalism -- The great experiment -- The new debt revolution -- Something old, something new -- Islam, interest, and microlending -- The consumer debt revolution -- Early interest rate tables and calculations

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 Saints and Sinners -- Chapter 2 Embracing Shylock -- Chapter 3 Protestants, War, and Capitalism -- Chapter 4 The Great Experiment -- Chapter 5 The New Debt Revolution -- Chapter 6 Something Old, Something New -- Chapter 7...

"Collateral damaged" explains how America had turned from a nation of savers into a nation of consumers addicted to debt. Wall Street then used that addiction to create "toxic securities" that threaten to bring about the collapse of the global economy. How can America get its fiscal house in...

This paper examines the historical record of the financial crises that have often accompanied surges of globalization in the past. The issue of contagion, the spread of financial turbulence from the crisis center to its trading partners, is confronted with historical and statistical evidence on...