Yellen: The Trailblazing Economist Who Navigated an Era of Upheaval

Written by Jon Hilsenrath

Narrated by Jon Hilsenrath and Seth Podowitz

“A vivid portrait of an exceptional woman and a lively history of the economic and financial crises that helped make the treasury secretary and former Fed chair who she is today.” —Sylvia Nasar, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind

“Captivating. . . . Part biography, part history of ideas, the book provides a fascinating window into the ways thinking on economic policy has evolved in the last 25 years. . . . A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the current economic challenges we face.” —Liaquat Ahamed, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lords of Finance

An engrossing and deeply human chronicle of the past fifty years of American economic and social upheaval, viewed through the consequential life of the most powerful woman in American economic history, Janet Yellen, and her unconventional partnership in marriage and work with Nobel Laureate George Akerlof.

At the dawn of the 21st century, many of America’s leaders believed that free trade, modern finance, technology, and wise government policy had paved the way for a new era of prosperity. Then came a cascade of disasters—a bursting tech bubble, domestic terror attacks, a housing market implosion, a financial system crisis, a deadly global pandemic. These events led to serial recessions, deepened America’s political fractures and widened the divide between those best off and everyone else.

Award-winning economics writer Jon Hilsenrath examines what happened, viewing events through the experiences of two historic figures: Janet Yellen was Treasury Secretary, Federal Reserve Chairwoman and Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Her husband, George Akerlof, was an imaginative Nobel prize–winning economist.

Long before the upheaval of the past two decades, Akerlof warned of flaws in modern economic thinking; then Yellen had to fix the economy on the fly as it cracked.

In telling their story, Hilsenrath explores long-running intellectual battles over the fragile balance between unruly democratic government and unpredictable markets. He introduces readers to the cast of modern intellectuals and policy makers who deciphered, shaped, and steered these systems through prosperity, chaos, and reformation. And he explains what went wrong, why, and what might happen next.

What emerges is an absorbing examination of how humans think and behave, and how those actions shape markets, inform economic policy, and could determine the future of a now-deeply divided nation.

Hilsenrath reminds us that economics is neither science nor ideology, as some once wished or promised.

Economics is an endeavor.

Most good love stories are, too.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063162471

Jon Hilsenrath

Jon Hilsenrath is a senior writer for the Wall Street Journal, where he has been since 1997, reporting from Hong Kong, New York, and Washington, DC. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2014 for his coverage of the Federal Reserve; part of a team of 2009 Pulitzer finalists for coverage of the global financial crisis; and contributed on-the-scene reporting from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, which helped the WSJ win a Pulitzer in 2002. His 9/11 coverage also was featured in the book September Twelfth, by Dean Rotbart. Hilsenrath’s colleagues twice voted him among the nation’s most influential financial journalists. A nonpartisan, he has been a contributor to Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, NPR, MSNBC, and C-SPAN. He graduated from Duke University and was a Knight-Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University.

Reviews for Yellen

[CJ Ball · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Yeah, what another reviewer David Carey said! I came here to also say basically the same thing. She is a Biden boot kisser who has ruined this economy.

[David Carey · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

If by trailblazing you mean complete idiot who helped tank the economy. Can't believe scribd is pushing this rewrite of history