The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
Score Modern
What it's about
Michael Lewis tells the story of the 2008 financial crash through the handful of oddballs who saw it coming and bet against the housing market: in the obscure markets for mortgage bonds and derivatives, where Wall Street built securities no one understood, they realized the whole system was built on loans that would never be repaid.
Why it's worth reading
It spent six weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and more than 100 weeks on the lists overall. Lewis makes complicated finance clear and funny, and he leaves you angry.
You'll love it if you liked
Moneyball, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup or Too Big to Fail
Good to know
You don't need to understand finance going in; Lewis explains everything. The characters are as memorable as any novel's.
Quick answers
Is The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine worth reading?
Yes. It spent six weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and more than 100 weeks on the lists overall. It ranks #210 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 83.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine about?
Michael Lewis tells the story of the 2008 financial crash through the handful of oddballs who saw it coming and bet against the housing market: in the obscure markets for mortgage bonds and derivatives, where Wall Street built securities no one understood, they realized the whole system was built on loans that would never be repaid.
How long does it take to read The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine?
If you liked it, try Moneyball by Michael Lewis, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou or Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin.
By the numbers
- Readers90 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller79 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
#1 New York Times bestseller (6 weeks at #1).
Where it ranks
- #8 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #37 of the 198 history books we rank
- #106 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #210 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- #1 New York Times bestseller (6 weeks at #1)
- 101 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2010
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by Michael Lewis
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Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall StreetIf you like this, read next
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