Written by one of the foremost experts on the business cycle, this text provides students with a compelling and engaging explanation of how and why the economic downturn of 2007 became the Great Recession of 2008/09.

Sherman explores the root causes of the cycle of boom and bust of the economy, focusing on the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession of 2008/09. The book makes a powerful argument that recessions and the resulting painful involuntary unemployment are inherent in capitalism itself. The author clearly illustrates the mechanisms of business cycles, and provides a thoughtful alternative that would rein in their destructive effects.

"This is a great book. Its author, Howard Sherman, is the world's leading authority on the business cycle. And now Sherman gives us this gem of a little book for the non-specialist. In it he explains clearly and simply why our economy is unstable, why it goes up into booms and then falls down into busts, and why riding it is like riding a run-away roller coaster and holding on for dear life. Sherman explains that the roller coaster economy throws many of us off, in spite of our individual efforts to hold on. He also explains that we can do something about being thrown off because we can build a safer ride. Sherman explains that we can build a public option to the private, roller coaster economy. Obviously this is an important book that should be read by everyone concerned about our unstable economy. It is hard hitting and clear, provocative and compelling and it is written by one of the world's premier teacher-scientists." — William M. Dugger, The University of Tulsa (*)

"Over 2008-09, high-voltage casino capitalism in the United States produced financial collapse, severe recession, and the deepest unemployment crisis since the 1930s. Why did this happen and what can we do about it? Howard Sherman has long been recognized as a formidable analyst of capitalism's boom-and-bust cycles. The Roller-Coaster Economy builds insightfully from Sherman's lifetime of work to explain the crisis and to develop constructive 'public options' for creating a democratic economy as we regroup amid the current rubble. Sherman's writing is also lively and accessible to anyone who wants to understand-and do something to change-today's economic reality." — Robert Pollin, Professor, Co-Director, Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts-Amherst

“It is a welcome pleasure to encounter a book on the recent crisis that does not ascribe to some variant of the standard orthodox treatment. The book is a thorough and easily accessible analysis of the problems inherent in modern capitalism. There is much in this book to recommend and its presentation is extremely effective in conveying the inherent instability of capitalism. As such, it is remarkably well suited for undergraduate courses studying why capitalism suffers from ups and downs—not unlike a roller coaster.” — Journal of Economic Issues