This short guide brings together the five recent Economist briefs on aspects of the financial crisis and its consequences, into a single, short A-format paperback and e-book, with an introduction by Zanny Minton Beddoes, to be published in spring 2014. The sections are: Zanny Minton Beddoes introduces the five Economist's Economics articles and explains the significance of the financial crisis for the current state of global economy and its prospects. The origins of the financial crisis The effects of the financial crisis are still being felt five years on. What were its causes? The dangers of debt The role debt and deleveraging have played in the turmoil. Monetary policy after the crash The unconventional methods central bankers have adopted to stimulate growth in the wake of the crisis. Stimulus v. austerity The surge in public debt and the debate about how quickly governments should cut back. Making banks safe The best way to make banks safer without killing lending.