The Hyperinflation Survival Guide: Strategies for American Businesses

by Gerald Swanson

Book Overview

Of the books published regarding hyperinflation, this may be the only one that provides effective strategies for operating a business under conditions of a rapidly depreciating currency. "The... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0974118001
• ISBN13: 9780974118000
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: N/A
• Length: 108 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.2" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Timely and Important Book

With the real possibility that the Fed will so destroy our Dollar that hyper inflation occurs, this is a timely and important book. The author has extensively invested business responses to hyperinflation in places such as Argentina and Brazil, and offers advice on how to survive in such a devestating environment. Businesspeople should read this book. Those who do will will discover ways to improve their current business, and prepare themselves for the inflation to come.

Real Lessons from Real Events

CEOs, CFOs/Treasurers, and all other senior executives who have a responsibility for the operations and cash flows of their company should read this concise primer *NOW* and give some thought to what they can and might do in any period of growing/high/hyper inflation. These lessons, from interviews with modern companies large and small; banks, manufacturers, distributors, and others; offer insights from businesses who have had to experience, and learned how to exist through, out of control inflation. Again, not just big businesses, but every business should get this concise, and pertinent guide to inventory, cash, and management strategies that became necessary, and that Worked. Be informed. Be prepared. You will absolutely be glad you read this book.

Concise, informative piece of work

Clearly the authors did a lot of work putting this together, and although it packs a lot into a short space, it is nonetheless very understandable and easy to read. Although some of the content is perhaps obvious for the forward thinker, it also contains insights into hyperinflation that one might not think about. The only negative thing I could point out is that it is a little dated, for example suggesting that customer companies insist that their banks allow them access to "special services such as electronic access to their account balances" and the like. On the whole, a very informative and useful book for understanding basic hyperinflationary business strategies.

How to Survive an Inflationary Crisis in the Twenty-First Century

~The Hyperinflation Survival Guide~ offers strategies for business managers to keep their enterprise afloat in the midst of runaway inflation. I've spent a great deal of time studying Austrian and Chicago school economists, and would say that economist Gerald Swanson has really done his homework with The Hyperinflation Survival Guide. Within this succinct little book are a plethora of sensible business strategies for American businesses. If businesses are to survive they must effectively counter and minimize the ill effects of rampant inflation and/or hyperinflation. The utmost prudence is required in managing accounts receivable, inventory, and production at such a time. A sudden inflationary economic downturn may very well bring a business to its knees leading to insolvency. So it is vitally requisite to be prepared to operate prudently and insulate a business from the ill effects of runaway inflation. You have to know the rules of the game and be prepared, and the rules are stacked against unprepared business managers. Swanson offers financial management and marketing strategies, and offers concise explanations of the inflationary phenomenon. Today in the United States, there are a lot of dire economic indicators illustrative of a moribund dollar, which is precariously staged for a collapse. First, the U.S. government has spiraling half-trillion dollar budget deficits which are not projected to disappear, colossal government spending increases, and an exorbitant national debt. More and more federal tax expenditures are simply spent paying interest on the debt rather than provision of actual government services and subsidies. Secondly, the U.S. Dollar is unique in that more dollars in existence are in circulation outside of the United States than within it. Many countries use the dollar as a reserve currency or to settle their current account balances in foreign exchanges. An estimated sixty-five percent of U.S. dollars in existence circulate abroad, so in the midst of a dollar decline, a tidal wave of these dollars from overseas coming home could plunge our economy into hyperinflation. If the dollar declines rapidly, it should be taken for granted that foreign dollar-holders will unload their dollars. Thirdly, the amount of debt-public and private is astronomical-and a soft depression seems almost inevitable. The housing market is already undergoing steady inflation because the Fed has keeps interest rates precariously low. The demise of the dollar could very well become a reality-though it is not a certainty. Presently, the dollar has already suffered a devaluation vis-à-vis the Euro and the British Pound Sterling. If the United States does not experience hyperinflation it seems that we may very well revisit the stagflation phenomenon of the 1970s-with its characteristic high inflation coupled with economic stagnation, unemployment, or economic recession. The Federal Reserve has kept artificially-low interest rates far lo