The Shadow Market

In this summary you will learn

• How “the shadow market” uses economic clout for political gain
• Why the US’s heavy debt load decreases its global influence
• Why the shadow market is shifting economic and political power eastward

getAbstract rating

Why you should read The Shadow Market

Journalist Eric J. Weiner exposes the hidden, underreported group of countries and specialized national funds – “the shadow market” – that exerts a huge influence on global and American financial markets, and, indirectly, on US foreign policy. His interpretation of economic forces underpins his case that the US should prepare to play a diminished role in the global economy of the future. He does present a disturbing scenario: Massive public debt held by foreign entities renders the US vulnerable to economic and political manipulation. Weiner clearly believes the US’s future will be very different from its past, but his sometimes hyperbolic tone gives the book a veering-on-xenophobic cast. Nonetheless, getAbstract considers his book an absorbing read for those interested in the new economic factors challenging America’s position in the world.

About the Author

Barron’s and Kiplinger’s named Eric J. Weiner’s first book, What Goes Up, one of the best books of 2005. Formerly with Dow Jones Newswires, he has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe.