Alan Greenspan @The National Book Fest

Today, we are introducing our new companion blog, By the Book DC, If you are a reader or a book lover, you should like our new site. We hope you check it out and become a regular reader.

Last Saturday, the Library of Congress held its annual National Book Festival. More than 100 authors participated. Alan Greenspan, who served as chairman for the Federal Reserve for 13 years, spoke about his years one of the nation's most influential economist and The Map and the Territory: Risk, Human Nature, and the Future of Forecasting. was one those authors. He answered a series of questions posed by David Rubenstein, co-founder and Chief Executive of the Carlyle Group.

Economist Alan Greenspan answers 

questions form David Rubenstein

Question: Who is here to find out what the economy is going to do?

Greenspan: Raises his hand high, to much laughter from the crowd.

Question: What do you expect from the economy?

Greenspan: It is edging higher and that is likely to continue for a while. But we are in an area where we have never been before.

Question: Where do you invest?

Greenspan: I try to find out what Carlyle is doing (again, much laughter from the crowd).

Question: Did you really give up the clarinet to become an economist:

Greenspan: I was a very good amateur. I used to sit next to Stan Getz (a jazz great) and I realized that I can never play what this kid is playing. I am in the wrong profession.

Question: Who was the smartest president who ever worked with?
Greenspan: There were two - Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. Now there were a few things wrong with Richard Nixon. I don't have time to enumerate them. I heard in person what you heard on the (Nixon secret) tapes. My general idea was he hated everybody.

To continue reading this post, which was published in our new companion blog By the Book DC, click here,