1929 - Andrew Ross Sorkin

A chronology of the events and activities of financial and political figures leading up to and following the great stock market crash of that year. The portrayal does not identify villains or assign blame. Rather, it's a profile of human hubris and greed - accommodated with too much financial leverage - that echoes today. Most of the players were stumbling along without any appreciation of the bubble they were in. And I think that was his point. No matter how many safeguards governments or institutions place in financial structures, there will always be the human element that pushes the envelope and thus the risk of bubbles that burst. This was much more entertaining and instructive than I'd anticipated. Ross Sorkin is a talented reporter and writer and in this effort he's served up a historical warning that I can detect in his Times newsletter and on CNBC.