Below is TED talk by Anat Admati based on her book The Banker's New Clothes, which is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding how banking works and how it can be reformed. Admati argues that bankers need more 'skin in the game', but she is somewhat sceptical that reform of the banking system is possible. In my new book, Banking in Crisis, I share Admati's scepticism regarding reform and I also agree with her that bankers need more 'skin in the game'.
My colleague and former PhD student Gareth Campbell has created a website about the British Railway Mania - click here . This episode has been described by the Economist as probably the greatest bubble in human history. Gareth's website provides background on the Mania and posits some explanations for the 'bubble'. In his explanation of why the bubble happened, Gareth places a lot of emphasis on investor myopia regarding future dividends and uncalled capital. His study of investors during the episode does not support the view that this episode was fuelled by naive and irrational investors.