Who Shot Goldilocks?: How Alan Greenspan Did in Our Jobs, Savings, and Retirement Plans

March 22, 2008

Who Shot Goldilocks?: How Alan Greenspan Did in Our Jobs, Savings, and Retirement Plans The Goldilocks economy was the longest economic expansion in post war history – not too hot… not too cold… just right! Then, seemingly without reason it came to a crashing halt. Two and a half million working Americans lost their jobs, seven and one-half trillion in savings was destroyed. Businesses closed, hospitals closed. Many people found themselves forced to work beyond retirement. Real incomes declined for years. The lives of Americans were changed forever… Now in its second printing, this compelling book names people and events, to show who shot Goldilocks, and it wasn’t the Butler or Colonel Mustard!
Customer Review: Who Shot Goldilocks?
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
Customer Review: Porridge is just right
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.