Neil Irwin Libri

When the financial crisis began in August 2007, three unelected men—Ben Bernanke, Mervyn King, and Jean-Claude Trichet—emerged as the most powerful figures globally, leading the world's key central banks. Over the next five years, they and their colleagues deployed trillions in dollars, pounds, and euros to manage the panic threatening the global financial system. This gripping account details the most intense economic crisis management ever witnessed and explores the significant role and influence of central banks. Beginning in 17th-century Stockholm, it traces the evolution of central banking and its extraordinary power over our collective fate. The narrative centers on the choices made by these central bankers, informed by Neil Irwin's privileged access as a Washington Post reporter during the crisis. His comprehensive reporting spans 27 cities across 11 countries, providing a holistic view of central bankers' impact on the world economy. This landmark examination delves into the relationship between capitalism and the state, offering a definitive and riveting exploration of the financial crisis and the future of money.

An unprecedented and important insight into the secret world behind our economy.

The inside story of the world’s most powerful central bankers—and the most intense exercise in economic crisis management the world has ever seenSuddenly, without warning, in August 2007, three men who had never been elected to public office found themselves the most powerful people in the world. They were the leaders of the world’s three most important central Ben Bernanke of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Mervyn King of the Bank of England, and Jean-Claude Trichet of the European Central Bank. In The Alchemists , Washington Post reporter Neil Irwin presents the truly global story of the central bankers’ role in the world economy that we have been missing. Definitive, revelatory, and riveting, it shows us where money comes from—and where it may well be going.

Ihre Aufgabe ist sensibel, ihre Macht ist groß. Ein unbedachtes Wort kann weltweit Krisen auslösen und politische Erdbeben verursachen. Jedes Jahr im August treffen sich in Jackson Hole, Wyoming – fernab der Weltöffentlichkeit –, die vierzig wichtigsten Zentralbanker der Welt. Sie stehen in dauernden Interessenkonflikten zwischen nationalen Interessen und internationalem Druck. Neil Irwin erklärt spannend und anschaulich, was Zentralbanker tun und wie es zu massiven Fehlentscheidungen kommen kann. Er beschreibt, welche großen Auswirkungen kleine Unstimmigkeiten zwischen Jens Weidmann, Mario Draghi und Ben Bernanke haben können. Und er zeigt, wie die zukünftigen Herausforderungen, Allianzen und Strategien der Zentralbanker aussehen könnten.