Bethany McLean Knihy

The book presents a critical examination of American capitalism's failures during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the government's inability to protect citizens and the resulting devastation. It explores the blunders of officials, the complicity of economists, and the indifference of elites who profited from the crisis. Through detailed analysis, the authors investigate supply chain issues, the impact on healthcare systems, and contrasting responses from political leaders. This insightful account aims to uncover the systemic flaws in capitalism and their implications for the future.

Recognized as a top business book of 2010, this bestseller offers insightful perspectives and strategies that resonate with both entrepreneurs and established business leaders. It delves into innovative concepts and practical advice, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their understanding of the business landscape and improve their professional skills. The engaging writing style and actionable insights have made it a must-read for those aiming to succeed in their careers.

In a way, the situation is ironic: housing was at the root of the financial crisis, and six years after the meltdown, housing finance is still the greatest unsolved issue. The U.S. housing market is roughly $10 trillion, making it one of the largest segments of the bond market. Roughly 70 percent of the American population has a mortgage, and for most people, the mortgage is the most important financial instrument in their lives. But until the financial crisis, few people knew the essential role that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play in their mortgages. Given the $188 billion government bailout of the two firms the most expensive bailout in history the politics surrounding housing are worse than they've ever been, and the two gigantic firms sit in limbo. Best-selling investigative journalist Bethany McLean, the coauthor of The Smartest Guys in the Room andAll the Devils Are Here, explains why the situation is dangerous and unsustainable, and proposes a few solutions from the perfect, but politically unfeasible to the doable, but ugly.

Named "one of the ten best business books of 2003" ("BusinessWeek"), this national bestseller is updated with new material on the amazing rise and scandalous fall of Enron. It includes a 16-page photo insert.

As the crisis unfolded, blame was quickly assigned, but Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera argue that the broader context has been overlooked. They reveal that a myriad of players—greedy traders, misguided regulators, unscrupulous subprime companies, cowardly legislators, and oblivious home buyers—contributed to the economic disaster. This work traces the financial crisis's hidden history over several decades, examining the motivations of CEOs, politicians, lenders, borrowers, and Wall Street traders. It uncovers the significant roles of companies like AIG, Goldman Sachs, and Fannie Mae, while also exploring the powerful mythology surrounding homeownership. Ultimately, the authors assert that the crisis was less about finance and more about human nature. Just as McLean's previous work on Enron was acclaimed, this book is poised to be a definitive account of the financial meltdown. It has been praised as the best business book of 2010 by the Huffington Post and is expected to serve as a key resource in business education regarding the financial crisis. The New York Times recognizes it as a thorough account that sheds light on troubling headlines, both past and future.

As soon as the financial crisis erupted, the finger-pointing began. Should the blame fall on greedy traders, lazy regulators, or clueless home buyers? This book states that the real answer is all of the above.

Named one of Vanity Fair's 11 Nonfiction Books to Read this Fall 800-CEO Reads Editor's Choice: McLean exposes the faulty foundation not only of our supposed energy independence, but of the very desire for it....The sloganeering of drill, baby, drill, and the false, geopolitically fraught hope of energy independence it implies, ignores these basic business, economic, and existential human realities. In exposing them, McLean offers hope for a more reasonable discussion, a more sustainable and profitable industry, and, perhaps, a more integrated energy policy. As journalist Bethany McLean sketches with clarity and concision in this book, the shale revolution has had profound effects on the US, creating jobs and cutting energy costs, but many of the claims made for it have been overblown....Unlike some who have taken a skeptical view of the shale industry, McLean is not trying to debunk it--those who have tried have been made to look foolish by its success in recent years -- but she does urge us to be cautious about being too trusting.-- Financial Times Bethany McLean explores fracking's nuanced success, but also cautions that this energy revolution is not the country's golden ticket to energy independence.--NPR, Marketplace