Crisis by Design: The Untold Story of the Global Financial Coup and What You Can Do About It

by John Truman Wolfe

There's been a coup d'état. It was not a mob of AK-47 wielding militia overthrowing a dictator in a third-world country. This one was different. On April 2, 2009 at a meeting of the G-20 in London, the fiscal autonomy of the United States (and other nations) was quietly turned over to a little known bank with a troubling Nazi past. The story of this coup sounds like something out a Ludlum novel, but this is real and John Truman Wolfe has documented one of the most enormous power grabs in history, the establishment of what international bankers call a GMA, a Global Monetary Authority. How it was done, who did it, and why, is the subject of Crisis by Design, a no-holds-barred expose of a takeover of the planet's central banks. Wolfe not only exposes the dark side of this operation, he tells you how you can protect yourself as well as what public policy actions need to occur to take back control of our national economic life. Wolfe does not spew economic psychobabble. Instead, he writes in a smooth and easy-to-understand style. And the message in clear-an international financial coup has occurred. We must protect ourselves as well as our national sovereignty.

Genres: Nonfiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2010

About the author

John Truman Wolfe, has been a senior credit officer for two California banks. He is the co-founder of a prestigious Los Angeles-based business-management company where he oversaw the business and financial matters of some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Shortly after the fall of Communism, John made several trips to Moscow giving seminars to leading bankers and senior members of the Russian government. In recognition of his work, government officials commissioned a sculpture of his bust by the noted Russia sculptor, Sergi Bychkov, which was placed in the Hall of Heroes of the Ministry of Internal affairs.
Wolfe has a Master’s Degree with Honors from San Jose State University and is the former Chairman of the Department of History at John F. Kennedy University.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read. Recommend reading.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked about this book is that Mr. Wolfe starts from the beginning back years ago when Greenspan was able to get regulations changed through congress with the President agreeing with him. I am not going to get into the politics because both sides voted to enact these reforms that started in the mid-90s, by then bank and lending houses had figured out how to work the system. We are now beginning the 2000s no one was really paying attention. So by 04 you had the repeal of the GLASS- STEAGALL ACT, which was put into place after the CRASH OF 29. THIS IS STILL NOT BROUGHT BACK BY CONGRESS OR PRESIDENT OR THE FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRPERSON NOW (WE HAVE A NEW ONE), any way part of what Greenspan did was allow investment banks to waive the rule that banks are required to maintain a certain level of reserves. Once the SEC was in agreement and congress passed the bill all of what Goldmansachs, BOFA, even the banks in Europe started to change the way they had been practicing for hundreds of years the house of cards was going to fall and when it did first in Europe we did nothing and even here a few insurance companies were helped out, but when the whole ball of works came down everyone just wanted to look at and still do at Goldman Sachs. Though I agree with Mr., Wolf on most things in his book and I guess I am just an average guy without a degree in finance the problem of these banks or finical institutions here in the U.S. is still were are open for another collapse! Congress, the Federal Reserve SEC and the President still do not want to enact the GLASS- STEAGALL ACT. Until they do we will have another failure. I know I got off point sorry. The problem is difficult to go through just one book he does a good job but you have to understand, if you look back in history we are tied and have been tied to certain European Banks since the beginning of our country. Even our most famous J.P. Morgan, who not only worked at a German bank graduated from a German University and when the government needed help to save off a bank rush President asked him for help and through his contacts was able to secure a loan from the bank of Rothschild. Even today Chase Morgan is still tied to a German bank the same one that Europe and U.S. helped because of 6.2 billion worth of bad loans or frauds. A lot of the same type of loans were made in the U.K. with unsecured monies. I know I got off topic a little but I really did enjoy the book for content and history. Too bad the real people who need to read it won’t. I got this book from net galley.

[Brittney Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crisis by Design is written by John Truman Wolfe, a financial wizard who has worked in two banks as a senior credit officer as well as a business owner who oversees his company’s financial records. He has a Master’s in finance from San Jose State University. Crisis by Design is a series of essays by Wolfe examining our current financial situation in America and how we got here.

While reading Wolfe’s essays about the various woes of of financial situation, it’s evident that he is well-informed and has done his research. He is obviously a man with his finger on the pulse of the United States’ (and the world’s) financial situations. You can take care in knowing that he is an academic professional on the subject. He cites various news sources for his claims including Forbes, the New York Times, etc. He takes care to back up all of his claims with credible sources which is commendable.

There’s also a really nice feature in the eBook version I received, the difficult financial terms are highlighted throughout the book. If you click on them, you will receive a definition or overview of the term if you’re unsure of what it means. In this, Wolfe makes sure that all readers will be able to understand him. His book is not just for financial aficionados, but also laymen.

One thing I did not care for about this book was that Wolfe’s political motives are very evident. I prefer there be no politics when reading this kind of non-fiction, but I seem to be the only one. Taking pot shots at those who do not share the same view as him may be good for some readers, but it’s not necessarily for me.

I recommend this title to anyone who is interested in learning about our financial crisis and its repercussions. It’s a quick read that makes you feel more informed afterwards.

I was provided a free electronic copy of the title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are rumours about a shady group of bankers who orchestrated the financial crisis. These people work in league with the IMF, the Federal Reserve, and the World Bank, according to the theory. This looks like a theory dreamed up by a madman, but hang on. What if it's true?

John Truman Wolfe, the author of Crisis by Design, used to have a high position in the banking world, and he knows his business. According to this depressing and rather startling book, there is indeed a secretive group of bankers who are above the law, and the financial crisis certainly didn't happen by accident. He provides plenty of evidence to back this up. He also includes a horrifying article about exactly how he thinks that Goldman Sachs brought Greece to the brink of bankruptcy for their own ends.

John Truman Wolfe also describes how we all need our fix - our fix of debt. He tells readers why we're in this unsustainable position, and why the policies of most governments, including the U.S. government, are only going to make matters worse. And that is probably a hell of a lot worse. So take a good look at the picture above, and think about it carefully. We are not out of the woods yet!

The author includes a lot of financial advice, but I didn't agree with some of it. He emphasizes investing in China and Chinese currency. There are a lot of financial advisers who would oppose taking this kind of action.

[Laura McHale Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very unsettling book that presents the case that there has been a hostile takeover of the U.S. financial system. The author has plenty of experience in financial services, so he's more informed than someone outside this sphere would be. I think this is worth reading and debating. I'm sure there's much truth in it, but I don't have an informed perspective on the financial dealings at the upper echelon levels he brings to light, so I can't assess whether he's leaving out exculpatory or mitigating facts that would lead one away from concluding that some very sinister folks have grabbed a lot of power out from under our noses. It's quite a chilling story. The only gripe I have with the book pertains to its organization. It's really more a series of essays than a cohesive book, and his writing is so vivid and spirited I think if he'd taken a little more time and reworked the material to form one narrative that avoids unnecessary repetition, it would have been a better book.

[Christopher Obert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a truly frightening book. If half of what Mr. Wolfe says is true we (you and I, and the rest of America) have been taken for a ride! It is disconcerting to see how far the Goldman Sachs’ “Club” has infiltrated into the American (and World) financial institutions. I have never been more frightened on how the American Government has been run and now I am even more frightened! Something has to be done, and done soon. Reading this book is one small step in retaking control of our lives.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this just sums it up. Better read this one..

[Bruce Deming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply written and interesting. I don't read books on finance, but this lays out the players and key policy changes that have weakened America, how to revert it and future investment suggestions.

[Andromeda Edison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the update on this book to see where things have gone in the last year. A little scary and nice to have some things to do.