The world financial crisis beginning in 2008 has given rise to a spate of books by various authors explaining the phenomenon. This contribution by a Harvard-and-Oxford-educated economist explains the origins of the current crisis and its implication for western economies. Yet perhaps more accurately it describes the likelihood of at least relative decline of the United States, with other western countries playing, at best, supporting roles in the picture. This is a highly readable book written in journalistic -rather than academic- style. For the non-specialist it offers considerable insight into the current economic troubles of the US, and by extension, the West.