This book provides an interesting look at the credit industry. Written in 2006 and published in 2007 before the economic implosion, Scurlock sounds a warning bell that the retail-driven American economy is on shaky ground. Middle class families were (and are) drowning in debt, the poor were (and are) being targeted for credit cards, and the housing boom is threatening to peter out (which happened spectacularly). Scurlock certainly hit the nail on the head, although it seems that we, as a nation, still have not learned the hard lessons about easy credit. Instead, we still fund our nation by loans proffered by countries that are, at best, lukewarm towards us.

The only real problem I had with this book was its anecdotal nature. There are few notes about sources, and most of the book is composed of stories about downtrodden Americans who have fallen into the "bear trap" and couldn't find a way out (at least a way that didn't involve suicide or homicide). Still, this is an interesting read, and it will likely have you wonder if you should really open that next solicitation from Bank of America. ( )

This one hit me home: Yolanda has never had a credit card in her life, though she could easily get one. The only debt she and her husband have ever allowed themselves is the mortgage, which she pays religiously, She doesnot by Suze Orman's books or listen to Dave Ramsey's radio show. If you told her that she could save money by spending, she would laugh at you. If you tried to convince her that a new Cadillac was an investment or that a Chevrolet pickup truck meant freedom, she would know you were one of the crazies. Yolanda knows what her children and what many of us do not know: that dreams are built upon sacrifice. They cannot be purchased on credit or with any softer currency.
To learn more about the history of lending, or about he organizations involved in AFFIL, to share your story or learn how to prtect yourself against predatory lending, I'd encourage a visit to www.americansfor fairnessinlending.org. You can also contact them at 77 Summer Street, 10th floor, Boston, MA 02110 ( )