What We Are Reading Today: Keeping At It

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Updated 25 September 2021
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What We Are Reading Today: Keeping At It

Edited by Paul A. Volcker and Christine Harper

The extraordinary life story of the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, whose absolute integrity provides the inspiration we need.

As chairman of the Federal Reserve (1979-1987), Paul Volcker slayed the inflation dragon that was consuming the American economy and restored the world’s faith in central bankers. That extraordinary feat was just one pivotal episode in a decades-long career serving six presidents, says a review on goodreads.com.

Told with wit, humor, and down-to-earth erudition, the narrative of Volcker’s career illuminates the changes that have taken place in American life, government, and the economy since WWII. He vibrantly illustrates the crises he managed alongside the world’s leading politicians, central bankers, and financiers. Yet he first found his model for competent and ethical governance in his father, the town manager of Teaneck, NJ, who instilled Volcker’s dedication to absolute integrity and his “three verities” of stable prices, sound finance, and good government.


What We Are Reading Today: From Palma to Princeton

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Updated 01 February 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: From Palma to Princeton

  • The surprising story that emerged crisscrosses the Atlantic and features the architect Julia Morgan; the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst; among others

Authors: Alexandra Letvin and Elena Torok

In preparation for the opening of the Princeton University Art Museum’s new building in 2025, one of the major works in its collection, a Mallorcan stairway and gallery dated to the 15th and 16th centuries, underwent a multiyear conservation treatment.

During this period, art historian Alexandra Letvin and conservator Elena Torok began to investigate its origins and history.

The surprising story that emerged crisscrosses the Atlantic and features the architect Julia Morgan; the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst; among others.