I became a Realtor in 2000, when an opportunity presented itself. I had been a journalist, slaving away at a small and insignificant newspaper in a small and insignificant town when I was offered a position creating marketing materials for a Real Estate company in a not-too-distant city. I had no idea that taking that job would thrust me in the middle of the worst financial crisis my generation would know. From that marketing position, I went to work for a Realtor and was licensed shortly thereafter. The rest, as they say, is history. When I first saw The Big Short appear at the bookstores, I was delighted. Finally, someone could explain what the hell had happened during that crazy time period that began about the time I was licensed and ended when the market exploded in middle America. At the same time, I was secretly a little afraid that there would be a list tucked inside with the names of Realtors who had sold subprime mortgages. At the time, I didn't really understand what was happening; all I knew was that the sky was falling at an accelerated pace. Michael Lewis did the research and has put the whole story together in one place. In The Big Short, he manages to turn credit default swaps, collateralized debt obligations and subprime mortgage bonds into things that will make sense to most people. If they're anything like me, they'll finish the book weeping.