A must read for those worried about today's stock market... An irreverent academic treatment intended to be informational and also a teaching tool, this book is an investment guide for the turbulent times ahead. Using numerous graphs, charts, and tables, as well as a range of strategies to deal with the crisis, this self-help tome details the sources of the coming downturn and what to do about it. Its goal is to allow investors to be more independent in the future. Should you dive into gold? How about bonds? The book uses a historical perspective to answer those questions and provide conservative investors with a number of relatively safe investment strategies while warning them of some popular vehicles that may not live up to their billing. Aggressive investors are not left out. The aggressive strategy discussed in the last chapter may be deemed by many as game changing and revolutionary. If you are concerned about the direction of the market and your investment portfolio, this book is for you.