Borrow
The American Way of Debt
Published on 24. January 2012
200 pages
978-0-307-74490-6 (ISBN)
Description
In this lively history of consumer debt in America, economic historian Louis Hyman demonstrates that today's problems are not as new as we think. Borrow examines how the rise of consumer borrowing--virtually unknown before the twentieth century--has altered our culture and economy. Starting in the years before the Great Depression, increased access to money raised living standards but also introduced unforeseen risks. As lending grew more and more profitable, it displaced funds available for business borrowing, setting our economy on an unsustainable course. Told through the vivid stories of individuals and institutions affected by these changes, Borrow charts the collision of commerce and culture in twentieth-century America, giving an historical perspective on what is new--and what is not--in today's economic turmoil. A Paperback Original
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01/2012
Random House USA Inc
€16.60
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Person
Louis Hyman attended Columbia University, where he received a BA in history and mathematics. A former Fulbright scholar and a consultant at McKinsey & Co., he received his PhD in American history in 2007 from Harvard University. He is currently an assistant professor in Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where he teaches history.
Content
- Intro
- About the Author
- Other Books by This Author
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction : Everything Old Is New Again
- Chapter One : When Personal Debt Was Really Business Debt (2000 B.C.-A.D. 1920)
- Chapter Two : Everybody Paid Cash for the Model T (1908-1929)
- Chapter Three : Fannie Mae Can Save America (1924-1939)
- Chapter Four : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Debt (1945-1960)
- Chapter Five : Discounted Goods and Distributed Credit (1959-1970)
- Chapter Six : Bringing Good Things to Life (1970-1985)
- Chapter Seven : If Only the Gnomes Had Known (1968-1986)
- Chapter Eight : The House of Credit Cards (1986-2008)
- Conclusion : Turning the Magic of Borrowing into the Reality of Prosperity
- Notes
- Acknowledgments
- Illustration Credits
