Hello Indies,
 
As I said I my inaugural e-letter: "There's a huge economic storm blowing. Maybe it's just a passing thunderstorm or maybe it's climate change. Whatever it is, it's affecting everybody, and it's soaking indies to the bone."
 
Do you wonder what this current economic crisis means? Do you understand what's going on? Most of us don't. And even more disturbing, we fear that those who are supposed to understand do not.

Will I still be able to use my credit card for a cash advance? Will my home equity line-of-credit be cancelled? What about my pension savings?  

 

And ... what's a trillion dollars anyway? Unemployment is at  about 6% but during the Great Depression it was 25%. So it's not so bad now. Right?

Are we heading toward another Great Crash like the one in  October 1929?

Well, you know my big push is always toward educating yourself. Learn as much as you can. A knowledge of history is essential to understanding, interpreting and acting upon current events.
 
The best way to find out what it was like in 1929 and to see what if any similarities there are to now is to read Warren Sloat's remarkable book, 1929: America Before the Crash.

The book has a distinguished history. When originally published to critical acclaim in 1979, the Chicago Tribune called it "a powerful and dramatic history of the times" and the New York Times said it had "all the ingredients of a story to match - or outmatch - Watergate." As its reputation continued to grow, 1929 was republished as a trade paperback. Only recently Newsweek cited the book as an example of how a writer can encapsulate the story of a pivotal year in history.

Sloat takes us to the brink of the Crash - a party on October 21, 1929, hosted by Henry Ford in honor of Thomas Edison and the 50-year anniversary of the invention of the light bulb. The partygoers honoring Edison include President Herbert Hoover, Orville Wright, Madame Marie Curie, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Celebrating the nation's success and prosperity, the 500 movers and shakers at the party are blind to the destiny that waits five days hence in the caverns of Wall Street.

Sloat's book is a sweeping narrative that includes portraits of many of the leading figures of the era, from an elderly Thomas Edison to a young Charles Lindbergh.

Reviewers have cited its exciting narrative qualities. On initial publication it received glowing reviews in more than 50 newspapers and magazines and was excerpted in The Washington  Post.

By the way -- the author is my husband.

If you're interested in learning more about then, and perhaps now, you can purchase 1929 here.

I wish you smooth sailing in these turbulent times,
June Walker
The Author's Wife