Why the irrational exuberance of investors hasn't disappeared since
the financial crisis
In this revised, updated, and expanded edition of his New York Times
bestseller, Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller, who warned of
both the tech and housing bubbles, cautions that signs of irrational
exuberance among investors have only increased since the 2008-9
financial crisis. With high stock and bond prices and the rising cost of
housing, the post-subprime boom may well turn out to be another
illustration of Shiller's influential argument that psychologically
driven volatility is an inherent characteristic of all asset markets. In
other words, Irrational Exuberance is as relevant as ever. Previous
editions covered the stock and housing markets--and famously predicted
their crashes. This edition expands its coverage to include the bond
market, so that the book now addresses all of the major investment
markets. It also includes updated data throughout, as well as Shiller's
2013 Nobel Prize lecture, which places the book in broader context. In
addition to diagnosing the causes of asset bubbles, Irrational
Exuberance recommends urgent policy changes to lessen their likelihood
and severity--and suggests ways that individuals can decrease their risk
before the next bubble bursts. No one whose future depends on a
retirement account, a house, or other investments can afford not to read
this book.