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.

"How the federal reserve became the fourth branch of government"--Dust jkt.

Let ol' Lehman go : the pivotal weekend of September 12-14, 2008 -- "Periodical financial debauches" : the long-forgotten history of the Fed -- Age of delusion : what Greenspan wrought -- There are Jews in Boston, too : who is Ben Bernanke? -- Pas de deux : the great panic begins in August 2007 -- The four Musketeers : Bernanke's brain trust ; Bernanke, Kohn, Warsh, and Geithner -- Re: Re: ... Blue sky : the Fed's first response to the great panic -- Running from behind : how the Fed got behind the curve, and how it caught up -- "Unusual and exigent" : Bear Stearns, the first rescue -- Fannie, Freddie, and "Feddie" : taking over Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and pondering next steps -- Breaking the glass : the fallout from Lehman and AIG and going to Congress--finally -- "Socialism with American characteristics" : forcing taxpayer capital on the banks -- World of ZIRP : the Fed gets rates to zero -- Did Bernanke kep his promise to Milton Friedman? the early verdict.