Originally appeared in The New York Times. JUST over 50 years ago, the cover of Life magazine breathlessly declared the “point of no return for everybody.” Above that stark warning, a smaller headline proclaimed, “Automation’s really here; jobs go scarce.” As events unfolded, it was Life that was nearing the point of no return — […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. For me, portions of the report of the investigation into General Motors’ safety problems with certain cars were a journey down memory lane: The empty gestures known as the “G.M. nod” and the “G.M. salute.” The reluctance to deliver bad news up the management chain. The overreliance on […]
Originally published in the New York Times. AFTER years of post-recession somnolence, corporate takeovers and mergers have ballooned to their highest level since 2007, fueled in part by American companies’ fleeing the United States to save tax dollars. Gaming the tax system has, of course, long been a popular blood sport for American business, particularly […]
“[a] surprisingly modest account…Rattner has a journalistic talent for the telling detail, resulting in a memorable tale of life in the middle of the economic meltdown...Rattner deftly draws portraits of the inhabitants of "the Oval" and the West Wing...Rattner has proved himself a gifted chronicler.”
-Time Magazine
