This book explains what is behind the wave of increasingly frequent and severe financial crises since the 1980s. It links theoretical and policy misconceptions to explain, in plain words, why and how global finance needs fixing. Otherwise, the world may not withstand the next, even bigger, financial crisis.

Foreword; F.Allen Introduction PART I: UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL CRISES Theories of Financial Crises Macro Models of Financial Crises Micro Models of Financial Crises Transmission Channels of Financial Crises International Monetary Fund PART II: LIBERALIZATION, CRISES AND MEGA CORPORATE BANKRUPTCIES The Great Depression From Bretton Woods to Financial Globalization Recent Financial Crises Mega-Bankruptcies of the Early 2000s PART III: THE GREAT CRISIS OF 2007-2009 The Great Crisis of 2007-2009 Crisis in Academic Economics Conclusions and Perspectives

VINCENZO D'APICE is Economist in the Research Department of the Italian Banking Association. His research interests include international finance, banking and regulation. He is currently undertaking economic research at the Instituto Einaudi, Italy.

GIOVANNI FERRI is Chair of the Department of Economics, University of Bari, Italy. He previously worked for the World Bank and the Banca d'Italia. He has published extensively on money and credit economics.