Product Description

Power . . . Personality . . . Paradox

When Alan Greenspan talks, Wall Street listens–as do bankers, investors, politicians, and economists throughout the world. He is the number one arbiter of U.S. monetary policy–credited, as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, with having simultaneously held inflation down and kept the economy growing throughout the longest and largest economic expansion in U.S. history.

Yet, this Atlas of number crunchers, who owned and operated a highly successful Wall Street consulting firm, never amassed a personal fortune, was a member of the cultlike inner circle surrounding one of America′s most controversial authors, and began his career as a professional jazz musician. Clearly, there is even more to Alan Greenspan than meets the eye.

In Alan Shrugged, you′ll meet Greenspan the public figure and Alan the private man in the most detailed, revealing, and entertaining account of Greenspan′s life and career ever published. Filled with surprises, amusing anecdotes from the likes of Henry Kissinger and Barbara Walters, and thoughtful insights from bestselling biographer Jerome Tuccille, Alan Shrugged offers an informative and engaging portrait of one of the most powerful, capable, and complex figures on the American political scene.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #885699 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 302 pages

Review
As the book′s title suggests, Alan Greenspan, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, is probably the world′s most powerful financial figure. Tuccille, a financial writer and biographer (Rupert Murdoch; Trump), covers Greenspan′s life from his 1926 birth through early 2002. He recounts Greenspan′s close relationship with his mother after his parents′ divorce, his two marriages, and his affinity for both mathematics and music. Although he played jazz professionally, Greenspan chose to follow his mathematical side and made a career in economics. After years in the private sector, he moved into government service as an advisor to presidents Nixon and Ford before President Reagan appointed him Federal Reserve Chairman in 1987, a job he has held ever since. Perhaps the most interesting details presented here are Greenspan′s early involvement with Ayn Rand, his libertarian views on a limited government, and the flexibility he has maintained in his economic thought, which has allowed him to adjust to both differing market conditions and politicians. Tuccille′s biography would be a useful addition to most academic and public libraries. For a more detailed look at Greenspan′s years at the Fed, up to 2000, reader s should consider Bob Woodward′s Maestro: Greenspan′s Fed and the American Boom. —Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA (Library Journal, November 1, 2002)

“…Tuccile’s book explores in some details the lives of those who have exerted their influence upon Alan Greenspan…” (City to Cities, March/April 2003)

Review
"a useful edition to most academic libraries." (Library Journal, November 1, 2002)

“…Tuccile’s book explores in some details the lives of those who have exerted their influence upon Alan Greenspan…” (City to Cities, March/April 2003)

From the Inside Flap
How did a shy, gawky musical protégé grow up to become the Delphic oracle of U.S. monetary policy and the most powerful banker in the world? In Alan Shrugged, bestselling biographer Jerome Tuccille examines the life of Alan Greenspan, identifies the defining incidents that shaped his career, and explores the major influences on his political and economic thinking.

The author draws on extensive interviews with Greenspan’s closest friends and professional associates to reveal the surprisingly colorful, complex man behind the dour personage who often speaks in a language that few people understand. Tuccille creates a vivid portrait of an intense young man torn between his love of music and his fascination with math and economics. He recounts Greenspan’s days as a professional jazz musician and his painful realization that, as much as he loved music, he was born to be an economist.

Bursting with new information on Greenspan’s close but often contentious relationship with Ayn Rand, who dubbed him "the undertaker" because of his somber appearance, Alan Shrugged explains why Greenspan was so drawn to Rand’s moral defense of capitalism and why Rand was so eager to count him among her disciples.

This comprehensive account examines Greenspan’s stunning success as a Wall Street financial consultant and tracks his political rise from his decision to join Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign, through the Ford and Reagan administrations, to his appointment as Federal Reserve Chairman in 1987. Refreshingly accessible discussions of what money is and how it is accumulated demystify Fed policy and enable an informative, entertaining, and intelligible review of Greenspan’s achievements and shortcomings as Fed Chairman.

Peppered with insightful anecdotes from such luminaries as Henry Kissinger, Barbara

Walters, Milton Friedman, Robert Rubin, former President George Bush, and many more, Alan Shrugged reveals Greenspan’s sharp sense of humor, personal idiosyncrasies, and awesome intellectual power. It also uncovers an unexpected current of comedy and pathos running beneath the surface of Greenspan’s life in stark contrast with his staid demeanor. Surprising, intriguing, and utterly engrossing, Alan Shrugged is must reading for anyone interested in the economy, politics, or the life of the man considered by many to be one of the most powerful people on the planet.