Finance ✦ Penny’s Take
Fragile by Design
Charles W. Calomiris · 2015
79/100
👍 Worth It
Calomiris and Haber make a compelling, rigorously documented case that banking crises are the predictable product of political bargains rather than random financial accidents — and the US-versus-Canada contrast is one of those rare academic arguments that actually sticks in your memory. At 570 pages with some chapters that dilute the core 2008-era argument, it demands patience, but for informed general readers and policy professionals it is a landmark worth the effort.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety85
Substance / usefulness82
Craft & writing74
Originality78
Evidence & accuracy82
Hype vs delivers79
Age-fit78
👁 Human-eye gut-check78
Penny’s verdict79
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