This podcast provides an inside look at the 2008 financial crisis by describing the individuals who saw the flaws in the subprime mortgage market before it collapsed. It explains the complexities of financial instruments like CDOs and credit default swaps, which were designed to create and repackage risk, often without a clear understanding of the underlying value. The author follows the stories of several investors, highlighting their unique personalities and how their perspectives, often considered eccentric, allowed them to anticipate the impending crisis and profit from it while others were caught off guard.