This was recommended to me by a college lecturer after finishing a finance module called 'Risk Management and Derivative Markets', and it’s been a brilliant read. 

The Big Short by Michael Lewis offers a fascinating, sometimes darkly funny look at the 2008 financial crash. It follows people like Michael Burry, Steve Eisman, and Vinny Daniels — outsiders who spotted the looming collapse while everyone else missed it. 

Lewis does a great job making complicated financial concepts like credit default swaps and subprime mortgages clear and engaging. It’s a sharp, insightful book that’s both educational and surprisingly entertaining. A must-read if you're interested in finance, risk, or how markets can fail so spectacularly. It really was such a wild time.