“Whatever It Takes” were the words used by Federal Reserve Chairman when asked what we would do about the United States financial crisis last fall. Bernanke said he would do anything to avoid a repeat of the great Depression and the book “In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke’s War on the Great Panic” details the actions that Bernanke and the Federal Reserve took to attempt to prevent a second Great Depression.

Bernanke was a firm believer that the economic collapse of the Great Depression was in large part of the fault of a slow-to-act and wrong-headed Federal Reserve. Bernanke vowed to not repeat that mistake. The book, “In Fed We Trust” takes a look inside the most powerful economic institution on the planet. The book’s author, David Wessel, sheds light on the non-transparent and undemocratic inner workings of the Federal Reserve and reveals how Bernanke led the desperate effort to prevent the financial engine of the world from grinding to a halt.

The book pieces together the fullest and most authoritative picture of some of the most decisive moments of the 2008 financial crisis.  It contains an inside view about what the Fed knew and what was a surprise, what actions of theirs stepped well beyond the Fed’s legal authority and what data they saw that made them feel like they had no choice. You’ll also see an inside view at some of the pivotal moments of the financial crisis, such as the race to Sell Bear Stearns, the failed attempt to save Lehman Brothers and the nationalization of some of the major insurers such as Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and AIG.

“We came very close to Depression 2.0,” said Bernanke in an interview with the book’s author. If you want to see how the “Great Recession” unfolded from an insider’s view at the Federal Reserve, “In Fed We Trust” is the book to get.