How Countries Go Broke: Principles for Navigating the Big Debt Cycle, Where We Are Headed, and What We Should Do
Jun 2025 · Simon and Schuster
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8 reviews
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416
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About this ebook
*** THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ***
'Advance copies of Ray Dalio’s new book about how countries go broke have become a hot read in Washington' New York Times
An urgent warning about the global economy from Ray Dalio, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Principles.
Do big government debts threaten our collective well-being? Are there limits to debt growth? Can a big, important reserve currency country like the United States really go broke – and what would that look like?
For decades, politicians, policymakers and investors have debated these questions, but the answers have eluded them. In this groundbreaking book, Ray Dalio, one of the greatest investors of our time who anticipated the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2010–12 European debt crisis, shares for the first time his detailed explanation of what he calls the 'Big Debt Cycle'. Understanding this cycle is critical for helping policymakers, investors and the general public grasp where we are and where we are headed with the debt issue. Dalio's model points toward surprisingly straightforward solutions for dealing with the debt problems that the US, Europe, Japan and China face today.
How Countries Go Broke also shows how these debt problems are related to the other forces – political within countries, geopolitical between countries, natural (droughts, floods and pandemics) and technological (most importantly, AI) – that together are causing what Dalio calls the 'Overall Big Cycle' changes in the world order. By reading this book, you will improve your understanding of what's happening now and what to do about it.
'This book is a gift to humanity . . . Ray provides a solution to what is the biggest and most certain threat to our prosperity' Henry M. Paulson Jr.
'An invaluable resource for policymakers, investors, and citizens' Lawrence H. Summers
'Advance copies of Ray Dalio’s new book about how countries go broke have become a hot read in Washington' New York Times
An urgent warning about the global economy from Ray Dalio, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Principles.
Do big government debts threaten our collective well-being? Are there limits to debt growth? Can a big, important reserve currency country like the United States really go broke – and what would that look like?
For decades, politicians, policymakers and investors have debated these questions, but the answers have eluded them. In this groundbreaking book, Ray Dalio, one of the greatest investors of our time who anticipated the 2008 global financial crisis and the 2010–12 European debt crisis, shares for the first time his detailed explanation of what he calls the 'Big Debt Cycle'. Understanding this cycle is critical for helping policymakers, investors and the general public grasp where we are and where we are headed with the debt issue. Dalio's model points toward surprisingly straightforward solutions for dealing with the debt problems that the US, Europe, Japan and China face today.
How Countries Go Broke also shows how these debt problems are related to the other forces – political within countries, geopolitical between countries, natural (droughts, floods and pandemics) and technological (most importantly, AI) – that together are causing what Dalio calls the 'Overall Big Cycle' changes in the world order. By reading this book, you will improve your understanding of what's happening now and what to do about it.
'This book is a gift to humanity . . . Ray provides a solution to what is the biggest and most certain threat to our prosperity' Henry M. Paulson Jr.
'An invaluable resource for policymakers, investors, and citizens' Lawrence H. Summers
*** THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ***
'Advance copies of Ray Dalio’s new book about how countries go broke have become a hot read in Washington' New York Times
An urgent warning about the global economy from Ray Dalio, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Principles.
Do big governmen...
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Ratings and reviews
8 reviews
Jia Wei Zhuo
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December 20, 2025
Read all of Ray's books and this one is just average. Doesn't really cover anything new if you've already read his other books. Also the writing style in parts is more technical and feels rushed, also found more self promotion than usual. Glad I got it on sale as wouldn't have been happy paying full price for this.
Anil Das
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April 13, 2026
AAAIG
About the author
Ray Dalio is the founder and co-chairman of Bridgewater Associates, which, over the last forty years, has become the largest and best performing hedge fund in the world. Dalio has appeared on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as the Bloomberg Markets list of the 50 most influential people. He is the author of Principles, Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises and Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order. He lives with his family in Connecticut, USA.
Ray Dalio is the founder and co-chairman of Bridgewater Associates, which, over the last forty years, has become the largest and best performing hedge fund in the world. Dalio has appeared on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as the Bloomberg Markets list of th...
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