Do you want to understand our current economic crisis?

This episode of "This American Life" is a co-production between Chicago Public Radio and NPR news; it goes over the details of just how the housing crisis came to pass in a very straightforward and accessible manner. This is tailor-made for those that have absolutely no background in finance or economics.

It's about an hour long, but it's absolutely worth your time. Download it to your iPod and listen to it during your commute:

355: The Giant Pool of Money


This episode proved to be so popular that they made a follow up episode that explains how the housing crisis spilled over into the rest of the economy to create the mess we're in today. Also well worth your time:

365: Another Frightening Show About the Economy


One critique: they don't discuss the root causes of this crisis...