How much did you know before?

[Mark]

How much did you know about the financial crisis before reading The Big Short? What have you learned since that confirmed, or deviated from, your prior understanding of the events of 2008?
Question by LitLovers: http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guid...

[Mark]

I knew the basics of what happened. I didn't know some people were betting on a catastrophe and were rewarded for it, but it makes sense. The fact that stands out is the sheer incompetence of those involved and that they paid so little a price, most were paid handsomely, not to mention the billions of dollars taxpayers shelled out to save them from the consequences of their actions.

It angers me that many people lost their homes, innocent people on Wall Street lost their jobs, but few of those responsible suffered in the same way.