Author Michael Lewis discusses The Big Short and the future of finance

Author Michael Lewis discusses his book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, the future of finance as he sees it, and his thoughts on whether today's business students have a chance at changing it. Part of the Dean's Speaker Series, co-sponsored by the Center for Responsible Business as part of its Peterson Series on Sustainable Finance. (September 13, 2010)

The University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business is one of the world's leading producers of new ideas and knowledge in all areas of business - which includes the distinction of having two of its faculty members receive the Nobel Prize in Economics over the past 15 years. The school offers six degree-granting programs. Its mission is to develop innovative business leaders - individuals who redefine how we do business by putting new ideas into action, and who do so responsibly. The school's distinctive culture is defined by four key principles - question the status quo; confidence without attitude; students always; and, beyond yourself.

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Education

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• Michael Lewis
• Haas School of Business
• Dean's Speaker Series

[rooleybbq]

Who is the woman interviewing him? I like her.

[UCBerkeleyHaas]

@rooleybbq She is Kellie McElhaney, Director of Center for Social Responsibility

[SquirrelFromGradLife]

criminals... the complete deregulation of the derivatives market in 2000 is the root of the problem..it's like handing retarded kids gasoline and matches and then leaving the room and then wondering why your house burned down....

Everything comes back to the deregulation.

[mrbigkell]

If we don't get our financial house in order soon, he should get BIG bars of gold and a REAL BIG gun.

[BugsandDaddy]

Very good interviewee. Michael Lewis, I really appreciate your position on things, especially your what seems to be honesty. However, the interviewer, really did a poor job in holding on to your well deserved fee you waived in order to do this interview.

[rooleybbq]

@UCBerkeleyHaas Thanks

[cgaker]

In1960, ten (10) ozs of fine gold would purchase a mid-priced Detroit auto, the same applied in 1980, 2000, 2005, and today e.g., 10 Xs $1,800.00 usd = a mid-priced Chevy. Central Banks, fractional reserve lending or a debt-based ecconomy is unsustainable, and unnecesary. We need to boot-out the European old family bankster's suddenly, and start putting red Tresury seals on green-backs which we print! MPE with a flat tax is the answer....

[durdenlye]

Funny how all these supposedly smart people laugh out loud when he mentions gold bullion. Investing in gold would have yielded a 50% return in the last year since this lecture (even after the recent setback), and a 600+% return if you bought it right after Lehman imploded. No one laughs when he mentions indexed funds. S&P index is negative over the past year in real terms.

[bynddrvn5]

I would love to see Satyajit Das and Michael Lewis in the same room, just once to see what would happen.

Regarding his comment about how Wall Street firms had become "corporate" you have to wonder if this culture was part of the overall problem with Wall Street. I believe this type of environment would attract "book smart" individuals and not "d*mn smart" people such as Mr. Lewis.