Movie Review: The Big Short

I have not done a movie review in a while. I watched The Big Short last weekend on Netflix (side note: Netflix is great and I highly recommend it). The Big Short is about the 2007-2008 housing crisis based on the book by Michael Lewis. I read the book and reviewed it back in 2011. (Wow that was a long time ago.) I really liked the book as it did a good job explaining, in simple yet detailed terms, how and why the crisis happened. Plus I really like Michael Lewis' writing style.

I was surprised when they announced The Big Short would be made into a movie. My first thought was there is no way the average person is going to understand this stuff. The movie addresses that by pausing and having celebrities like Selena Gomez explain a complicated concept in simple terms. Honestly, one of the weirdest things I've ever seen in a movie. It felt like something made for a high school class. The movie follows three people and how they bet against the housing crisis. It does a good job building suspense. I also thought it did a good job, albeit maybe too over the top, of demonstrating how ridiculously easy it was to get a home loan.

I recall the movie getting decent reviews. I have no idea how. I cannot imagine a movie buff liking this. I cannot imagine someone interested in business or the financial crisis liking this. I think the success of the movie is based on Michael Lewis' past successes as well as one of the few attempts to bring an explanation of the housing crisis to the mainstream public.

I don't usually do ratings for movie reviews. In this case, I would simply say read the book or find something else to watch.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

This book has been on my list forever. Like years. A few older acquaintances have said Lord of the Flies was their favorite book they read in high school. Whenever people make the "favorite book" claim, I have to give it a shot.

I was skeptical going in because I'm not really a fan of classic books. I'm a pretty good reader, but older authors' writing styles and English slow me down. Generally I don't think the story lines are all that interesting either. (Sorry for being harsh if you like the classics.)

Anyways, I got about 60 pages in and gave up. It's not for me. The story is about a group of boys who awake on an island after a plane crash. There are no surviving adults, so they are left to rule themselves. The young boys try to organize to build shelter and hunt for food, but they are just young boys. That's where I fell off. Basically, this was The Hunger Games before The Hunger Games.

My rating for Lord of the Flies: 0.5 out of 5 stars. Don't get it.

P.S. I probably should have shared this sooner, but I became a member of Barnes and Noble back in July. They ask every time I go and I always said no. But I finally made the plunge (and it didn't hurt that it was a very cute, nerdy librarian type girl with glasses who asked). It costs $25 annually. With it, you get 10% off all books, 20% of hard covers, plus a plethora of annoying e-mail coupons. On that first purchase I saved $5, but sadly I haven't been back to Barnes and Noble since. I'll keep a running tally on the blog so we can see if a membership is worth it or not for me.

Narconomics by Tim Wainwright

Another book I stumbled upon because of good reviews. I tried the first few pages in Barnes and Noble and it was great. The book looks at drugs from an economist's perspective, comparing it to a business. The author uses terminology and comparisons like diversification, human resources, social responsibility, profits. It's an interesting way to think about drugs.

The first two-thirds of the book is about drugs and cartels, mainly in Mexico, Latin America, and South America. The last one-third focuses on online sales, legalization initiatives around the world, education, and suggestions. The book was written recently and is up to date, talking about many things you would hear about on the news. He even comments on the recent heroin epidemic.

Wainwright shows how many supply side initiatives to get rid of drugs often times end up having minimal impact, even though governments and police can twist the facts to show success. I thought his argument for regulating drugs like pharmaceutical drugs is really, really hard to discredit. It's really about consumer safety, education, knowing what is in the drugs you are taking, and how much to take. It's ironic how much more dangerous alcohol is yet it's socially acceptable.

Whether you are for or against drugs - using, legalizing, whatever it may be - this is a good read to become more educated. Personally, I don't have any skin in the game on this subject. Narconomics is the perfect example of a book that serves as a way to educate oneself and learn more about something, allowing one to develop a better informed and well reasoned opinion. Just because you pick up a book on a subject does not mean that you support or are against the topic or person.

For what it's worth, my dad read this book a few days after I did. It usually takes him weeks to finish a book, but he got through this one in two days. He thought it was insightful, too.

My rating for Narconomics: 5 starts out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. I recognize I've been giving out a lot of 4's and 5's...have my ratings become too easy? I don't think so. Rather, I think I've hit a hot streak of some of the best books out there.