How Countries Go Broke by Ray Dalio - Book Summary

7 Minute Books: Free Book Summaries · Aug 13, 2026 · 4m · transcript

“When Promises Break: The Cycle of Debt and Decline”

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Title: How Countries Go Broke

Author: Ray Dalio

Category: Politics & Current Affairs, Philosophy & Big Ideas, Economics & Global Markets, Personal Finance & Investing

Money is a promise — an IOU on future goods and services. When belief in that promise cracks, countries go broke. Sam and Sophie open Ray Dalio's wild history of the debt cycle that has ended empires from Rome to the US and China.

They…