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Description
Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage GiantsFannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created by Congress to serve the American Dream of homeownership. By the end of the century, they had become extremely profitable and powerful companies, instrumental in putting millions of Americans in their homes. So why does the government now want them dead? In 2008, the U. S. Treasury put Fannie and Freddie into a life support state known as "conservatorship" to prevent their failure and worldwide economic chaos.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created by Congress to serve the American Dream of homeownership. By the end of the century, they had become extremely profitable and powerful companies, instrumental in putting millions of Americans in their homes. So why does the government now want them dead? In 2008, the U.S. Treasury put Fannie and Freddie into a life-support state known as "conservatorship" to prevent their failure--and worldwide economic chaos. The two companies, which were always controversial, have become a battleground. Today, Fannie and Freddie are profitable again but still in conservatorship. Their profits are being redirected toward reducing the federal deficit, which leaves them with no buffer should they suffer losses again. China and Japan are big owners of Fannie and Freddie securities, and they want to ensure the safety of their investments--which helps explain why the government is at an impasse about what to do. But the current state of limbo is unsustainable. Based on comprehensive reporting and dozens of interviews, Shaky Ground by bestselling author Bethany McLean, chronicles the story of Fannie and Freddie seven years after the meltdown, and tells us why homeownership finance is now one of the biggest unsolved issues in today's globalBinding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Columbia Global Reports
Published: 09/14/2015
ISBN: 9780990976301
Pages: 159
Weight: 0.40lbs
Size: 7.40h x 5.00w x 0.50d
Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 07/13/2015
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2015
Choice 01/01/2016
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4.3 ★★★★★
Based on 788 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Best LitRPG
Format: Kindle
This is absolutely the best litRPG I've ever read as well as the best self-published series. Between the character progression, the amazing sense of humor, and the relatability of the characters, this is my top recommendation for anyone interested in litRPGs. I fell in love so much that I had to sign up for the Patreon account so I could get my fix regularly (5 new chapters each week). I even managed to get my roommate hooked on the audiobooks.
If you're looking for a fun story with loveable characters, surprising insights, and epic fights, this is for you.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2022
★★★★★ 5
What the??!!!!??
Format: Kindle
This book"kills" it!!! It kept making me laugh out loud and waking up my wife... NOT COOL!! She needs her sleep...and I can't really tell her what is so darn funny because She Hasn't read any of this series and wont get the joke. It also brought tears to my eyes reminding me of actual life events I've lived through. Loss,honor, loyalty, friendship, dangerous situations... Amazing stuff! I can't stop laughing and reading. Awesome...
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Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2025
★★★★★ 4
A lot of useless skipping around...
Format: Kindle
So, I really enjoy the underlying story, but I really wish the writing was cleaned up. There were so many little sections, a few paragraphs to a few pages that were bouncing all over the place. And while some sort of moved the plot along, the vast majority were just filler.
It would have been significantly more fluid if events were portrayed through characters experiences, than just having narration about everything happening all over.
In addition, I know this is a web novel, and they tend to be written chapter by chapter. This, painfully, results in less cohesion from start to middle to end. The story ends up feeling choppy, and the overall arc throughout the book suffers. In fact, over >700 pages and we really didn't make a ton of headway until ~60% of the way through the book. That's when things really started. The majority before was fluff and filler. Useful, but only once distilled and refined.
I'm really hoping that for future books, Shirtaloon spends some time really thinking what is critical for the plot, and how to incorporate as much of that plot progression through the lenses of the characters in lieu of just narrating pages and pages of stuff. For example, instead of spending 100s of pages on mentioning all the places in the world crumbling from infighting and corruption, instead portray that through the character. It reads so much better, and ends up being more concise, and allows for opportunities for further character development all while building the world.
I love more story, but I'd prefer reading a 700 page story. Not a 400 page story in 700 pages. Let's make all the pages matter.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2022
★★★★★ 5
great series
Format: Kindle
I have really enjoyed these books. Highly recommend reading them. Plan to read all of the series. Keeps getting better.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Another Good One in the Bag
Format: Kindle
Love the change this adventure keeps taking. We go from our LitFantasy to a comic book adventure. One of the most interesting LIT tales I have read so far. The adventure continues to hold you captured and throws in a few twist. Didn’t see those 3 making an appearance in the Reapers Realm. But, no other spoilers, just read it; it’s definitely worth reading!!!
Cheers 🍻
Peace ✌🏾 & Love ❤️
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Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2025