The economy shifts and cycles, and occasionally falls into depressions. Making sense of these "recurring disturbances" is the aim of Financial Crises and Periods of Industrial and Commercial Depression, written by Theodore Burton. "No subject of economic discussion has provoked a greater variety of conflicting opinions than that of financial crises and periods of depression," he wrote. In this book, Burton tries to clarify the confusion surrounding economic phenomena such as panics, crises, and depressions. He attempts to identify their causes and effects and looks at whether depressions are unavoidable features of a transition period in business and industry. He also examines the periodicity of crises and depressions and if they regularly recur or are the result of chance. THEODORE ELIJAH BURTON (1851-1929) represented Ohio in the U.S. Congress for forty-one years. He served on the Inland Waterways Commission, the National Waterways Commission, and the National Monetary Commission. He was also a strong advocate for peace and the abolition of poisonous gas in warfare. In addition to Financial Crises, he wrote the books The Life of John Sherman and Corporations and the State.