This book 'Cliff' has been hotly discussed in our financial group recently. It seems to be a banned book, which is difficult to find online, but it is very realistic and emotional. When I read this book, my heart couldn't calm down for a long time. This political fantasy novel, written by the father and son Herbert Stan and Benjamin Stan, although unfolds in a fictional plot, the core issues it explores - the uncontrolled inflation and worsening economic crisis - appear so realistic and chilling. The novel is set in 1985 in the United States and depicts an economic disaster caused by currency excess, energy crisis, and political mistakes. Inflation skyrocketed rapidly from 2% per month, eventually surpassing the malignant inflation level in Germany in 1923. The book provides a detailed description of how this economic storm destroyed the lives of ordinary people: soaring prices, no longer fixed food prices in supermarkets, stock market crashes, credit system collapses, and even social morality begins to crumble. The most shocking scene is when an ordinary housewife has to surrender to a greedy grocery store owner in order to have a little smoked pork on the table every day. This portrayal of reality is more impactful than any economic theory. Today, seeing Powell steadfastly adhere to the principle of inflation, I was deeply shocked. When you read this book, you will know that Powell was right, he is the truly talented and learned economist. The warning about inflation in the book cannot be ignored. Although the viewpoints put forward have a strong free market tendency, it is indeed thought-provoking about how inflation can become a tool for political manipulation and how it can erode social stability. The role of Federal Reserve Chairman George McConaughey is particularly noteworthy, as he believes that "printing more money" can alleviate the crisis, but it has become a driving force for accelerating the disaster. This reminds me of today's economic policy makers. Are they also using short-term stimulus measures to cover up long-term risks when facing crises? This seems to be talking about Trump, using a bigger crisis to cover his ears and steal the bell to paint a brief crisis. Of course, this book is based on a novel theme, so it is not perfect. The author has a clear bias towards certain positions in the narrative, especially in depicting certain international financial forces and even involving absurd accusations against China, which clearly has political purposes. This forces me to maintain a certain level of critical thinking while reading. However, even so, the description of the destructive power of inflation in the book remains a warning bell for the modern economic system. Milton Friedman commented on this book by saying, "Such things could happen in the United States." As I read this, I couldn't help but wonder: could any country that relies on monetary policy to stimulate growth, not just the United States, face such risks? For anyone who is concerned about the economy, this book is worth reading, not only for the plot of the novel, but also for the profound warning it conveys. 🧐