The rollicking true story of a 1930s version of Bernie Madoff - and the building and loan crash he helped precipitate - in a wonderful work of narrative non-fiction. Shortfall opens with a surprise discovery in an attic and launches into a fast-paced story that uncovers the dark secrets in Echols's family. In a narrative filled with colourful characters and profound insights into the American past, Shortfall is also the essential backstory to more recent financial crises, from the savings and loan debacle of the 1980s and 1990s to the subprime collapse of 2008.