This book provides an overview of different theoretical perspectives on the long-run transition towards finance-dominated capitalism, on the implications for macroeconomic and financial stability, and ultimately on the recent global financial and economic crisis. In the first part, the macroeconomics of finance-dominated capitalism, the theories of financial crisis and important past crises are reviewed. The second part deals with the 2007-09 financial and economic crisis in particular. The special focus is on the long-run problems and inconsistencies of finance-dominated capitalism which played a key role in the crisis and its level of severity.