The Midas Paradox

Financial Markets, Government Policy Shocks, and the Great Depression

In The Midas Paradox Scott Sumner provides a fresh, new narrative in regards to the Great Depression and its economic backstory. He points to various ways in which the modern day understanding of the Great Depression is flawed and how the causality of it has been largely misunderstood. The understanding held by many about the financial crisis of 2008 is mistaken as well due to the attributed similarities between this instance and the happenings of the early-mid 19th century. The book includes a broader discussion about how the understanding of economic factors and imperative to understanding these significant historical events and thus understanding of economic dynamics moving forward.