Dimon's eleventh-hour acquisition, in 2008, of fl ailing archrival Bear Stearns stunned the world. Even more incredible: JPMorgan's continued success in the face of an industry-wide meltdown that has seen its CEO become a paragon of finance.In Last Man Standing, award-winning journalist Duff McDonald chronicles Dimon's tumultuous rise: from his joining the legendary Sandy Weill at American Express fresh out of Harvard Business School to their building of Citigroup (and Dimon's unceremonious ouster) to his rescue of Bank One and, at the unprecedented age of forty-eight, his ascension to the top post at JPMorgan Chase -- a bank he transformed from a broken institution to the sine qua non of global banking in five short years.Upon gaining unfettered access to Dimon, McDonald spent countless hours interviewing him and his full circle of family, friends, and colleagues to provide an unprecedented and deeply personal look at this extraordinary figure. Moving beyond Dimon's "fortress" balance sheets, McDonald reveals a dedicated family man whose uncanny facility with numbers and tireless work ethic are complemented by fierce loyalty and an unrelenting aversion to offi ce politics. Dimon, for the first time, shares detailed insights on the heart of his business and management philosophies, and industry titans such as Weill and Warren Buffett offer their analyses of his career.At a time when Dimon's competitors watch their companies crumble, JPMorgan not only continues to weather the worst period in the history of Wall Street but is growing by leaps and bounds. The defi nitive biography of Jamie Dimon, Last Man Standing is by far the most comprehensive portrait of the only man in finance today who can be called an American hero.

    

    Meltzer’s critically acclaimed history of the Federal Reserve is the most ambitious, most intensive, and most revealing investigation of the subject ever conducted. Its first volume, published to widespread critical acclaim in 2003, spanned the period from the institution’s founding in 1913 to the restoration of its independence in 1951. This two-part second volume of the history chronicles the evolution and development of this institution from the Treasury–Federal Reserve accord in 1951 to the mid-1980s, when the great inflation ended. It reveals the inner workings of the Fed during a period of rapid and extensive change. An epilogue discusses the role of the Fed in resolving our current economic crisis and the needed reforms of the financial system.In rich detail, drawing on the Federal Reserve’s own documents, Meltzer traces the relation between its decisions and economic and monetary theory, its experience as an institution independent of politics, and its role in tempering inflation. He explains, for example, how the Federal Reserve’s independence was often compromised by the active policy-making roles of Congress, the Treasury Department, different presidents, and even White House staff, who often pressured the bank to take a short-term view of its responsibilities. With an eye on the present, Meltzer also offers solutions for improving the Federal Reserve, arguing that as a regulator of financial firms and lender of last resort, it should focus more attention on incentives for reform, medium-term consequences, and rule-like behavior for mitigating financial crises. Less attention should be paid, he contends, to command and control of the markets and the noise of quarterly data.At a time when the United States finds itself in an unprecedented financial crisis, Meltzer’s fascinating history will be the source of record for scholars and policy makers navigating an uncertain economic future.

    Launched in 1999 by CEPR and the International Center for Monetary and Banking Studies, the Geneva Reports on the World Economy series consists of an annual report, written by a team of internationally-known macroeconomists, and occasional Special Reports.

    It discusses the art and science of middle market M&A as well the all-important psychology and behind-the-scenes negotiations pursued with a particular emphasis on obtaining the absolute highest value when selling a business. Subjects addressed include valuation, taxation, negotiations, M&A conventions, among many others from the buy-side and sell-side perspectives. Subtitled "Tales of A Deal Junkie," this serious but occasionally irreverent book tells it like it is, including anecdotes to provide a "feel" for what really goes on in middle market transactions. The author, a former practicing CPA and a business valuation expert, is a veteran M&A investment banker with years of real life experience. He also is a widely-acclaimed instructor in the M&A field and a nationally-respected practitioner who has trained thousands of investment bankers. No comparable book on the market today provides this degree of comprehensive and invaluable insight.