Lessons from the Great Depression For Dummies - Softcover

Steve Wiegand

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470487488 ISBN 13: 9780470487488

Publisher: For Dummies, 2009

Synopsis

An in-depth look at the lessons from one of the worst times in America's financial history

Are you worried about the economy? You're certainly not alone. According to most economists, the turmoil that Americans will face over the next four years will be the roughest financial times since the Great Depression-and many are looking backward to learn how to survive an ongoing and sustained economic downturn.

Lessons from the Great Depression For Dummies takes a historic look at the events and circumstances leading up to the 1929 crash and subsequent depression, then the economic aftermath-particularly the economic response. This book paints a historic picture of those times and examines not only the critical failures that led to a decade of depression, but also the positive and negative aftershocks that created the modern American lifestyle. You'll see how the lessons we learned have shaped today's political and financial landscape-and how they'll continue to be part of the American experience for future generations.

• Provides information on what was learned from the Great Depression and how those lessons have shaped the economic foundation of modern society
• Looks at the various factors that combined to create the Great Depression
• Examines the social and cultural impact that the Depression had on the American people-and how our lives today are very much a product of those factors
• Steve Wiegand, n award-winning political journalist and history writer, is the also the author of U.S. History for Dummies, 2nd Edition

For anyone looking to understand how the American people survived and emerged from a financial disaster with their heads held high and their spirit intact, Lessons from the Great Depression For Dummies is the ideal resource.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Your concise guide to the worst time in America's financial history

Want to understand the circumstances that brought about the Great Depression? This friendly, authoritative guide explains the perfect storm of problems that led to the 1929 stock market crash and subsequent economic disaster. You'll discover the lessons that continue to shape today's political and financial landscape.

• The key players — get to know the colorful cast of characters who peopled the government, unions, and other key institutions during this tumultuous time

• The lack of a government safety net — find out what happened when banks closed, panic ensued, and lines formed for bread, soup, and jobs as Americans received little help from Washington

• A portrait of depression — discover the impact of a constricting economy, the effects on family and social life, and the plight of the American farmer

• Living through the truly hard times — see how Americans coped by moving west to find work and escaped their troubles through entertainment

Open the book and find:

• Explanations of basic economic terms and concepts

• Discussion of the U.S. political climate that fueled the country's economic woes

• What it meant to live in "Hooverville"

• What Hoover and FDR thought about each other

• What happened across the globe during the Great Depression

• The story of how organized labor grew and changed in response to hard times

• What FDR accomplished during his first 100 days as president

• How the Great Depression's legacy affects your life today

About the Author

Steve Wiegand has been an award-winning political journalist and history writer for more than 30 years. His journalism career has included stints at the San Diego Evening Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Bee, where he currently covers state government and California politics.

Edition details

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0470487488
• ISBN 13: 9780470487488
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288