First published 2004
Roger Lowenstein examines the financial chaos that defined the 1990s dot-com era. He transforms intricate market dynamics into accessible storytelling, connecting the key figures who drove the bubble's rise and fall. Lowenstein reveals how speculation and mania gripped an entire decade, creating a culture obsessed with internet stocks and quick fortunes. His analysis cuts through the complexity of financial instruments and market psychology to show how ordinary investors, venture capitalists, and corporate executives became caught in the frenzy. The book maps the interconnected web of decisions that led from initial optimism to eventual collapse. Lowenstein provides readers with a clear framework for understanding how one of America's most significant financial bubbles developed and burst.
Genres: 20th-century, business, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century, finance
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: financial-thriller, investigative-journalism
Period: 1990s
272 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group