Bandon Public Library

Perhaps the last Washington secret is how the Federal Reserve and its enigmatic chairman, Alan Greenspan, operate. What do they do? Why precisely do they do it? Who is Greenspan? How does he think? What is the basis for his decisions? Why is he so powerful? What kind of relationships has he had with Reagan, Bush, and Clinton -- presidents during the 13 years he has been Fed chairman? The Greenspan years, 1987 to 2000, are presented here as a gripping,...

"Americans as a whole view themselves as reasonably prudent and sober people when it comes to matters of money, reflecting the puritan roots of the earliest European settlers. Yet as a community, we also seem to believe that we are entitled to a lifestyle that is well-beyond our current income, a tendency that goes back to the earliest days of the United States and particularly to get rich quick experiences ranging from the Gold Rush of the 1840s...

In 1776 the United States government started out on a shoestring and quickly went bankrupt fighting its War of Independence against Britain. At the war's end, the national government owed tremendous sums to foreign creditors and its own citizens. But lacking the power to tax, it had no means to repay them. The Founders and Finance is the first book to tell the story of how foreign-born financial specialists--immigrants--solved the fiscal crisis and...

In this penetrating look inside the most powerful economic institution in the world, the Federal Reserve, David Wessel illuminates its opaque and undemocratic inner workings, while revealing how its chairman Ben Bernanke led the desperate effort to prevent the world's financial engine from grinding to a halt

Examines the strengths and weaknesses of a man destined to both win and lose the presidency of the United States in an election landslide. An orphan, Hoover was a self-made millionaire at an early age with a expertise in leadership, crisis management, and humanitarian work. His two terms as Secretary of Commerce left a legacy that impacts Americans' way of life today. Yet, as president, his policy decisions on employment and monetary and fiscal policy...

"This groundbreaking work on public finance shows us how we can rebuild our economy and restore the American promise of prosperity for all... When the government decides to spend money, it simply creates the necessary funds--as if out of thin air. That's how we pay for interstate highways, post offices, wars, social services, and economic stimulus packages. So, if it's that easy to make money... can't we all get more of it? Absolutely. And we should....