{"product_id":"the-paradox-of-debt-a-new-path-to-prosperity-without-crisis-9781512825329","title":"The Paradox of Debt: A New Path to Prosperity Without Crisis","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWall Street Journal Bestseller\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eUSA Today Bestseller\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmazon Bestseller\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen we talk about debt and its impact on our economy, we almost always mean \"government debt.\" However, this is only a small part of the picture: individuals, private firms, and households owe trillions, and these private debts are vital to understanding the economy. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this iconoclastic book, Richard Vague examines the assets, liabilities, and incomes of the entire country, private and public sector, to reveal its net worth. His holistic analysis shows that the real factor that drives both financial crises and spiraling inequality--but also, paradoxically, economic growth--is ever rising private debt. The paradox is that while debt is essential and our economy relies on it, it also brings instability unless it is periodically deleveraged--and that is very hard to do. It can, however, be carefully managed, and Vague ends the book by showing how to do so in policy areas ranging from trade and housing to financial policy and student debt. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUnderpinned by pioneering data analysis and the author's lifetime of experience in the financial world, this book is essential for anyone who wants to understand the deep, underlying dynamics of the American economy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing a career that has spanned fields as varied as banking, energy, credit, and the arts, \u003cb\u003eRichard Vague\u003c\/b\u003e has recently served as Secretary of Banking and Securities for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is author of numerous books, including \u003ci\u003eAn Illustrated Business History of the United States\u003c\/i\u003e, also available from the University of Pennsylvania Press.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Pennsylvania Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50615039262994,"sku":"9781512825329","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e82b0279-a142-4950-886e-35ad55834469.jpg?v=1732473370","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-paradox-of-debt-a-new-path-to-prosperity-without-crisis-9781512825329","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}