For almost 20 years, Alan Greenspan was the mover of markets—the man Americans trusted to keep the economy ticking and to intervene when things went awry. His book is half autobiography and half commentary on the financial state of the world.

As autobiography, the book is an engrossing read. It describes a typical depression-era childhood, growing up in New York's Washington Heights as a son of divorced parents. His health prevented him from serving in World War II, so he made a living as a musician. Love of the clarinet soon turned to an interest in numbers and economics. School and work for the Conference Board eventually lead him to consulting and then Washington. Mostly, the author focuses on his years as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

We read of frantic efforts to contain financial crises, be they the 1987 stock market crash or the 2001 terrorist attacks. We watch the Berlin Wall come down, and Russia transitions to first a bankrupt democracy and then a more prosperous authoritarian state. We relive the Asia meltdown and the dot-com bubble, all from the chairman's informed perspective.

Readers will appreciate Greenspan's insights into the presidents whom he served. He liked Reagan. He is complementary of Clinton. He is dismissive of Bush Jr., just to name a few.

The book is surprisingly mainstream coming from a self-professed libertarian directly influenced by Ayn Rand. In the opinions he expresses, there is little that would alarm. He generally opposes regulation (Sarbanes-Oxley is Exhibit A) but accepts it is necessary at some level. He is troubled by CEO's excessive compensation but believes all cannot be wrong with a system of corporate governance that has so rewarded US investors since World War II. He delves into the issue of energy self-sufficiency, commenting almost as an aside that George Bush's Iraq war was motivated by oil. That might have been controversial eighteen months ago, but it is pretty mainstream today.