One of the upsides of the financial crisis (if there are in fact any good points) is that it’s providing a good opportunity for people to learn about economic concepts like interbank loans and credit default swaps.

Need some data? Head on over to amazon.com. The first economic-related book to come up in the bestsellers list is The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life at #8. You don’t have to scroll down far to see the next: The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means by George Soros at #12. Thomas Friedman’s new book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew America is right below at #13. Still within the top 20, The Little Book of Bull Moves in Bear Markets: How to Keep Your Portfolio Up When the Market is Down (Little Books. Big Profits) comes in at #19.

If you’re an audio learner instead of a visual learner, then I’d suggest Marketplace from American Public Media. Here’s the link to Marketplace’s complete coverage of the financial crisis.

Other links:

• Wikipedia: Financial Markets
• Wikipedia: Bond Market
• Wikipedia: Stock Market
• Wikipedia: Foreign Exchange Market
• Wikipedia: Derivatives Market
• Wikipedia: Commodity Market
• Wikipedia: Spot Market