cover image The Great Crash Ahead: Strategies for a World Turned Upside Down

The Great Crash Ahead: Strategies for a World Turned Upside Down

Harry, S. Dent, Jr., with Rodney Johnson. Free Press, $27 (304p) ISBN 9781451641547

With little attempt to soften the blow, Dent (The Great Depression Ahead) and Johnson use demographics to predict that the Dow Jones Industrial Average will drop to approximately 3,000 between late 2012 and late 2014, while house prices will fall between 55% and 65% before the crisis ends. At the end of their spending lifecycle, aging Baby Boomers are avoiding conspicuous consumption and heavy credit card debt, and saving for retirement, rather than investing in college educations, or making large real estate purchases. By the time readers absorb the theory of seasons of inflation over an 80-year cycle, problems with the Fed, and unfunded liabilities in all strata of government, they may feel that the best place for their money is in a sock under the mattress. However, Dent and Johnson offer suggestions for surviving the next decade, as well as a few simple (perhaps obvious) ideas to solve national problems, including Social Security and the mortgage crisis. (Sept.)