Downwave: Surviving the Second Great Depression

by Robert C. Beckman

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525242163
• ISBN13: 9780525242161
• Release Date: November 1983
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 363 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Economic turmoil Revealed by the Economic Experience of the 1980s

From front jacket: "tracing the course of Western economy for the past 200 years, Beckman shows us how an economic 'wave theory' has operated with terrifying inevitability - a pattern of prosperity and decline that has repeated itself at regular and predictable intervals. For the past three decades the world has moved toward the crest of a wave of prosperity. Now we are moving into a period where the world as we know it will be turned upside down. All previous financial advice for the past 30 years will suddenly becomeinvalid...We are now moving into the Downwave. What happens in a Downwave? Whole countries go bankrupt, and banks go under. Companies fail, industries disappear, and millions lose their jobs. Real estate values tumble. People live differently, think differently, dress differently, want different everything, and see sex differently. History shows that it has happened - and will happen again. 'The Downwave' shows us how to survive the coming economic turmoil, offering sound, practical advice for managing your personal finances. Drawing on years of economic theory and experience, 'The Downwave' explains in simple, understandable terms how and where the economy is moving and how we can cope with it."

Retrospective 2000-A New Look at the Downwave

Beckman's analysis of the Downwave in the early 1980's was a masterpiece of the application of Kondratiev theory to contemporary American economics and politics. He basically made the astonding predictions of the future of the American economy when many Americans believed we were heading to another round of hyper-inflation. Some of his economic forecasts: (1) Collapse of the interest rates from 18% to 6% (2) The Collapse of Gold and Silver prices from a high of $850 to $280 per ounce. (3) Rise of Conservative Republican politics for the 1980's to 1993. (4) The coming creative destruction of the old technology in favor of the NEW TECH ECONOMY. (5) THE COLLAPSE OF THE STOCK MARKET AND RISE OF BLUE CHIP STOCK MARKET ECONOMY. (6) The rise of the new underclass known\ as homeless and other blue collar groups. (7) The bottome of crisis in 1999-2000 formally ending the deflation cup.The updates to his theoretical analysis can be seen in Myron H. Ross, A Gale of Creative Destruction which gives a brilliant analysis of the 5th Upwave of wealth and prosperity and Harry Denton's The Roar 2000 builds a baby boomer portfolio on the theoretical foundations of these two early works. Beckman has to be credited with giving the general public and scholarly community a wake up call on the impact of economic cycles on the daily lives of American citizens. He even gave all the readers the greatest investment advice of the 1980's buy Treasury Bonds at 18% for the 20 year period. Bravo, to Mr. Beckman for being right!

Longwave prediction of deflation, fully researched

Bob Beckman - one time wall street investor, current fund manager prolific author and publisher of a London based journal since 1968. This book is both theoretical, imperical and provides practical advice on investing in and protecting one's assets from deflationary financial dislocations. This book deals with longwave economic cycles and was first published in 1982. The author examines the posibility of long wave (Kondratieff) cycles with a periodicity in the 55-70 year range. Demonstrations of the phenomenon is made through a number of price charts - including one for grain prices in the UK going back several hundred years, and one for intrest rates dating back several thousand. Stock market history is discussed and parallels drawn between 1929 and predicted similar events during the late 80's. Well researched and written in an approachable style, it makes interesting reading for anyone wishing to develop a broad perspective on matters financial. His thinking seems to be more relevant now in 1997 than when the book was first written. Take the predicted dates and scale of the calamity anticipated with an appropriate pinch of salt. I enjoyed it at do not hesitate to reccomend it.