Richard C. Koo has written a good book on Japan's depression and sheds light on the current US depression. It's translated into Chinese, called something like 大萧条。 A good book that has been recommended to me about the workings of the US economy is by William Greider on the fed reserve, called Secrets of the Temple: how the federal reserve runs the economy. It starts with Jimmy Carter's appointment of Paul Volcker as fed chairman - he dealt with the US high inflation in the 70s. It's a very good