How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years

by Ruff Howard

The devaluation of the American dollar, with the subsequent inflation, is eerily similar to the chaotic markets of the 1970s. The factors that created the stagflation and the gold and silver bull markets of the late seventies and early eighties are back. As Yogi Berra said, "It's deja vu all over again." Only this time, they're even more exaggerated-offering once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for middle-class Americans, if they look beyond the Wall Street stock-market propaganda. This book can help you panic-proof your life and your finances, and reap huge profits with relatively small investments in gold, silver, certain ETFs, mutual funds, stocks.

Genres: Nonfiction, Economics, Business

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1979

Reviews

[Leabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was on my father's bookshelf when I was a child. It fascinated me. That was in the era of self-sufficiency, grow your own, survive independently, the American dream of a Thoreau-style existence disconnected from the mainstream, relying on nobody but oneself.. The author had absolutely no faith in contemporary American culture to sustain itself back then and still doesn't: there is a later edition of this book for the 21st Century. Its interesting to read but really only to get a an overview of how some people think!! It's promotion of various forms of hoarding would not be advantageous for all mind sets I imagine.

[Erik · Rating 1 out of 5]

The recent crisis made me think of this book that I read forty years ago. He got a lot wrong (completely missing the biggest bull market in history) but maybe he was thinking 40 years ahead the whole time? I somehow doubt it.

[Jake Losh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have very complicated feelings about this book.



"I've never met a book I didn't like," is something of a personal credo of mine. After reading the first six chapters of this book, however, it occurred to me that I may have to choose something else for my personal brand message. The first six chapters of this book, How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years In the 21st Century (the new, updated version of this seminal "gold bug" text), are full of the worst kind of sophistic reasoning and argument. I would literally become outraged after reading some of the things Ruff has written in this book. However, as I found was true throughout the rest of the book, in between every specious remark, there was a little gold nugget of truth that would help me press on and silence my own cognitive dissonance. In fact, that's the primary thing I got from this book: I should be more willing to open my mind to different ideas, because nothing should shock or outrage.



That said, he does have fairly accurate analysis of the coming social security crisis and the ways the government will probably tackle it. He also does a good job in the third section of the book in arguing for the need of investors to broaden their outlook on investment vehicles. I don't know that I, personally, will be heading out to stockpile food, guns, and supplies or big sacks of old dimes, but I do feel a small sense of gratitude toward Mr. Ruff for helping me see the bigger investment picture.



So, it is with the caveat that the reader should approach this book with an open mind and an agreement never to be offended by anything Mr. Ruff says, that I can recommend this book to others. You will be challenged, I guarantee.

[Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read this I found it to be a astute and pointed critical examination of poor financial practices on the part of government, in particular the American government. The collapse Ruff predicted has in some ways occurred and not in others.

It is more than 20 years since I read this book, so much of the fine details are fuzzy. I am not sure how pertinent it would be, in its specifics to the financial events occurring today. However, now that I am reflecting on my reaction to it, this book was an early critique of the 'truth's the media was spewing in the day. Prosper was a preliminary book initiating me the now life-long process of being skeptical about what 'official' news is telling me is true about the world. The financial pages of our papers are largely written by people invested to write about truth within certain bounds.

What brought this book to mind is my being sent a link to a financial analyst describing in Ruff-like end of the world language how false media truths are deluding the world's population and hiding fundamental economic and financial flaws behind market encomiums disconnected from their reality.

[Mary Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book in detailing today's economy and how to care for yourself and family. No radical views, just good analysis and common sense wisdom from someone who has been around a long time and seen good and bad times.

[F.C. Etier]

I read this book in 1979.

Found an old copy in my parent's home recently and thought it would be a good idea to read it again and see if the recommendations have withstood the test of time.

Watch for my review on Technorati.com.

[Sharon E.]

I started reading in 2001...guess its time to start reading again, eh?