Boomerang by Michael Lewis

by Michael Lewis

Boomerang - a laser gun that can penetrate incoming missies and turn them back to where they came from. All major powers are looking at the possibilities of developing such a weapon.

British Intelligence services are put on high alert when fragments of a communication from an unknown source are detected. They include the words Maven and Boomerang.

John Matteson and his team at the Commercial Intelligence Unit in London were already looking for Maven, a mysterious rogue arms dealer responsible for influencing the predicted outcome of uprisings in developing countries in Africa and South America. Now Matteson is also on the hunt for the Boomerang source.

When a member of his Unit is struck by a deliberate hit and run and horrendously injured, Matteson vows to find those responsible.His search leads him into many dangerous confrontations, fighting for his life, but eventually he finds the answers to both the Maven and Boomerang.

Genres: Economics, History

Paperback

About the author

Michael Monroe Lewis is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. He is known for his nonfiction work, particularly his coverage of financial crises and behavioral finance.
Lewis was born in New Orleans and attended Princeton University, from which he graduated with a degree in art history. After attending the London School of Economics, he began a career on Wall Street during the 1980s as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers. The experience prompted him to write his first book, Liar's Poker (1989). Fourteen years later, Lewis wrote Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (2003), in which he investigated the success of Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics. His 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game was his first to be adapted into a film, The Blind Side (2009). In 2010, he released The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. The film adaptation of Moneyball was released in 2011, followed by The Big Short in 2015.
Lewis's books have won two Los Angeles Times Book Prizes and several have reached number one on the New York Times Bestsellers Lists, including his most recent book, Going Infinite (2023).

Reviews

[Torstein Mjønner]

Akkurat 4 stjerners. Noen gode poenger og fin innsikt. Særlig fra Island! Til dels fin kobling mellom folkeslag, (u)kultur og finansiell navigasjon gjennom 2000-tallet.

[Farid Hasanov]

The year is 2008. The world is gripped by a financial crisis that was kickstarted in USA, yet Michael Lewis approaches the subject from an unusual angle. Instead of focusing solely on the US he explores how the crisis unfolded in different countries, each with its own unique causes and cultural backdrop.

Lewis takes readers to Iceland, Greece, Ireland, and Germany, examining not just the economic mechanics but also the national character that shaped each country’s response. In Greece, for example, the roots of the disaster lay in bloated public spending, inflated government salaries, and endemic corruption. In Iceland, by contrast, the crisis was fueled by reckless banking practices and speculative investments propped up by cheap credit.

What makes Boomerang especially compelling is not only the sharp economic analysis but also the way Lewis captures the mentality of each nation, the cultural habits, values, and blind spots that influenced how societies behaved when easy money flooded in. The book reads almost like a travelogue of financial folly, blending storytelling, humor, and investigative reporting.

Ultimately, Boomerang is more than a chronicle of the global financial meltdown. It is a study of human behavior under the intoxicating spell of wealth and risk. By looking beyond Wall Street, Lewis shows how deeply culture shapes economics, and why the same crisis can look so different across borders. It is an eye-opening, thought-provoking, and often darkly funny book that leaves the reader with a better understanding of both the crisis itself and the countries caught in its storm.

[John Roche]

This is definitely the lowest quality book by a very high caliber author. It’s rambling, uncentered and a little bit pointless. But it’s an easy read, as Lewis is still Lewis, and his engaging, free-flowing writing style keeps the reader engaged.

The content itself probably serves as an interesting “period piece” about the post financial meltdown world. But there is really nothing groundbreaking covered.

[Jake Small Reads Books]

I laughed out loud listening to this audiobook multiple times. Particularly on the people of Iceland, Greece, and Ireland. Some really interesting culture notes on the Germans which makes sense based on everything I know about rave culture in Berlin. American cities are falling apart but at least Arnold Schwartznegger tried his best? Wow this stuff is fascinating. Will have to re-read.

[Garrett Johnston]

Great financial nerd read, focusing on financial downfalls in different countries. As I appreciate history more and more it’s fun to delve into financial history, and see lessons learned. Michael Lewis is a really good writer and his first hand accounts from being on the ground and interviewing people directly involved grabbed my attention.

[Samuel Gill]

Hilarious