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Recession
- Author
- Tyler Goodspeed
- Narrator
- Dennis Kleinman
- Publisher
- John Murray Press
- Publish Date
- 12 March 2026
- Run Time
- 9 hours 19 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
MERVYN KING
'This extraordinary tour de force confirms Goodspeed as one of the most brilliant economic minds of his generation'
NIALL FERGUSON
'Revolutionary and stimulating'
MARTIN WOLF, FINANCIAL TIMES
What causes a recession? Do recessions end on their own, or do they require external intervention? Does a recession in one country mean the rest of the world will follow? Are we in a recession now?
Economic expert Tyler Goodspeed answers these questions and many more in Recession, a groundbreaking new analysis of economic contractions over the last four centuries. Combining the historian's extensive primary source material and the economist's arsenal of statistical analysis, this book rewrites what we know about recessions. Contrary to popular perception, recessions are not the inevitable bust that follows an unsustainable boom, and they do not operate like wildfires that clear out economic deadwood. Recessions are caused by adverse shocks like war and energy price spikes, and far from unleashing gales of creative destruction, after a recession, economic growth typically resumes the same trend as before-all pain, no gain. While recessions have become less frequent over time, decisions made by businesses and governments can prolong recessions, and Goodspeed offers guidance to avoid making recessions worse. Issuing an important corrective to economic thinking, Recession is essential reading for high-level policymakers and armchair economists alike.
Critics Review
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A brilliant analysis of economic expansions and recessions over several centuries and countries - essential reading to understand today's challenges
Mervyn King, former governor, Bank of England
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It is rare that a work of economic history is truly revolutionary. Goodspeed's Recession is such a book . . . This extraordinary tour de force confirms Goodspeed as one of the most brilliant economic minds of his generation. No economic downturn - including the Great Depression itself - will ever look quite the same again
Niall Ferguson, New York Times–bestselling author of THE ASCENT OF MONEY
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A deeply researched, engaging, and insightful look at the history of recessions in the US and UK. Suitable for researchers, students, and business economics enthusiasts alike
Kenneth Rogoff, author of OUR DOLLAR, YOUR PROBLEM
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Recession is a captivating sequence of stories about the disparate shocks - involving imposters, grasshoppers, and wars - that explain recessions. And it is also an important counter to two unhistorical stories, one about the cyclical regularity of recessions and the other about their origin in the moral failures of antecedent expansions
Emma Rothschild, author of ECONOMIC SENTIMENTS
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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Recession is a rigorous review, a very rewarding read, and a relevant recap of what we think we know (too much) and don't know (a lot) about economic downturns by solely fixating on post-WWII data on the US. By extending the domain of analysis back hundreds of years and by expanding the span to include a parallel study of UK slumps, the author does the economics profession and the reader a valuable service. A must-read for practitioners, policymakers, and pundits
Richard Clarida, former vice chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
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With an artful blend of economic and historical analysis and extensive original data acquisition and translation, Goodspeed's Recession is a must-read for all those interested in understanding recessions. Using data dating back to the 1700s in the US and UK, Goodspeed dispels simplistic narratives on the cause of recessions and shows that 'each recession is unhappy in its own way.' Recession will serve as a benchmark for much future research
Michael J. Boskin, professor of economics, Stanford University, and former chairman, President’s Council of Economic Advisers
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What a wonderful, and wonderfully readable, book. It combines solid econometric analysis of a deep and wide range of historical data with beautiful writing and skillfully chosen anecdotes that are as entertaining as they are illuminating
Harold James, professor of history and international affairs, Princeton University
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In this brilliant book, Goodspeed effectively demolishes the common belief that recessions must inevitably follow economic expansions. Based on a beautiful historical, data-rich narrative of two centuries of business fluctuations in the UK and US
Michael D. Bordo, distinguished professor emeritus, Rutgers University
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Goodspeed has a rare talent for weaving riveting stories of colorful characters and events with incisive economic analysis. The result is a monumental economic history of recessions . . . This book is destined to become required reading for anyone studying business cycles or contemplating macroeconomic policy
Valerie Ramey, Chair of the Recession Dating Committee at The National Bureau of Economic Research
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Wise, readable and at times surprisingly entertaining . . . If the Treasury still has a library (there was one in my day), Recession should be prominently on display
Sir Howard Davies, Literary Review
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Revolutionary and stimulating
Martin Wolf, Financial Times 'Best summer books of 2026'
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Tyler Goodspeed
- Narrator
- Dennis Kleinman
- Duration
- 9 hours 19 minutes
- Release Date
- 12 March 2026
- ISBN
- 9781399832281
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- John Murray Press
- Genre
- Economic and financial crises and disasters, Economic growth, Public administration / Public policy
Synopsis
'Essential reading to understand today's challenges' MERVYN KING'This extraordinary tour de force confirms Goodspeed as one of the most brilliant economic minds of his generation' NIALL FERGUSON'Revolutionary and stimulating'MARTIN WOLF, FINANCIAL TIMESWhat causes a recession? Do recessions end on their own, or do they require external intervention? Does a recession in one country mean the rest of the world will follow? Are we in a recession now?Economic expert Tyler Goodspeed answers these questions and many more in Recession, a groundbreaking new analysis of economic contractions over the last four centuries. Combining the historian's extensive primary source material and the economist's arsenal of statistical analysis, this book rewrites what we know about recessions. Contrary to popular perception, recessions are not the inevitable bust that follows an unsustainable boom, and they do not operate like wildfires that clear out economic deadwood. Recessions are caused by adverse shocks like war and energy price spikes, and far from unleashing gales of creative destruction, after a recession, economic growth typically resumes the same trend as before-all pain, no gain. While recessions have become less frequent over time, decisions made by businesses and governments can prolong recessions, and Goodspeed offers guidance to avoid making recessions worse. Issuing an important corrective to economic thinking, Recession is essential reading for high-level policymakers and armchair economists alike.
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