Who Shot Goldilocks?
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| Review Date: July 14, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Dana Blozis, Bellingham, WA |
William D. Rutherford's "Who Shot Goldilocks?: How Alan Greenspan Did in Our Jobs, Savings, and Retirement Plans" is an intelligent and well-researched analysis of the economy of the United States.
The United States economy in the nineteen nineties was efficient and productive, and economists said it was ideal. The public and governments from all over the world looked up to the U.S. economy with admiration mingled with envy. The U.S. economy did not encourage inflation, as the growth was steady. At the same time because of the stable state of affairs, it created a congenial atmosphere for production. In other words, the economy was "just right!" and hence was called the Goldilocks economy.
However, by the end of the decade, the economy faltered and stopped growing. The stock market crashed. Some businesses were closed down. Many people lost their jobs and savings. There was no hint or warning that this type of crash could happen to the economy, and the economists and government were caught unawares. They did not even realize what had happened, and hence were not in a position to try and set it right.
Rutherford explores the downturn of the economy, searching for who is responsible for the current state of the economy. He then scathingly criticizes the responsible parties for their role in the economic downswing. He also demonstrates that the implosion of the economy could have been prevented.
Despite the focus of the book being what went wrong in the economy, he ends on a note of hope, saying that the American economy will still prosper due to the efforts of industrialists who are innovative risk takers. Rutherford concludes that the world economy could be better. However, he also feels that the economy of Europe will falter because of European industries' lack of insight into the intricacies of the economy. Rutherford presents the difficult topic, the U.S. economy, in a simple manner, explaining how economies function. His simple language allows him to present his ideas lucidly to laymen. An engrossing read, "Who Shot Goldilocks?: How Alan Greenspan Did in Our Jobs, Savings, and Retirement Plans" will surely be appreciated by economists and anyone who wants to know the reason why the U.S. economy faltered.
- BookWire Review, May 19, 2005 |
Porridge is just right
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| Review Date: September 1, 2004 |
| Reviewer: G. Roupe, Saratoga, CA |
| This book is very well written and easily understood. For someone like me who is not a well versed on the matters of the various factors affecting the financial markets, it provided a number of new insights. I do not profess to offer an opinion on the matter of Greenspan's success or failure, but this book does offer a different perspective from what is generally portrayed in the media. Worth reading. |
A must read for all political and business leaders!
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| Review Date: July 22, 2004 |
| Reviewer: S Miller, |
Shocking! Mr. Rutherford has done his homework. Who shot Goldilocks? will give you new insight into the internal workings of the Federal Reserve, Mr. Greenspan's seriously flawed decision making techniques and the unbelievable amount of power wielded by so few. In fact, this book will leave you with grave concern for the current economy and longing for answers to a much needed money-system overhaul. A great read!
S. Miller |
Great airplane read for investors!
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| Review Date: July 17, 2004 |
| Reviewer: , |
| This book has answers for anyone who got crushed in the dot.com bust. An impassioned and efficient analysis of 20 years of American financial history. Of significant interest to anyone with money in the market or with concerns about the concentration of economic power in the Federal Reserve Bank. |
A Thought Provoking Account of Alan Greenspan
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| Review Date: June 21, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Melanie Parish, Ontario, Canada |
| This book is a great way to look at Alan Greenspan's effect on the federal reserve, stock markets, interest rates and inflation. It is well-written and easily accessible for someone wanting to learn about how these entities interact. The perspective on Alan Greenspan is interesting and left me wanting to learn more. It would also be helpful for anyone interested in learning about the stock market or bond market as Greenspan has had such a dramatic effect in both these areas. |
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