Person of the Year 2009: Ben Bernanke

Bernanke is the 56-year-old chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the U.S., the most important and least understood force shaping the American — and global — economy. Those green bills featuring dead Presidents are labeled “Federal Reserve Note” for a reason: the Fed controls the money supply. It is an independent government agency that conducts monetary policy, which means it sets short-term interest rates — which means it has immense influence over inflation, unemployment, the strength of the dollar and the strength of your wallet. And ever since global credit markets began imploding, its mild-mannered chairman has dramatically expanded those powers and reinvented the Fed.

Source: Time
Published: Dec 16, 2009
Length: 25 minutes (6,462 words)

The ’00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade from Hell

Source: Time
Published: Nov 24, 2009
Length: 34 minutes (8,530 words)

The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting

The insanity crept up on us slowly; we just wanted what was best for our kids. We bought macrobiotic cupcakes and hypoallergenic socks, hired tutors to correct a 5-year-old’s “pencil-holding deficiency,” hooked up broadband connections in the treehouse but took down the swing set after the second skinned knee.

Source: Time
Published: Nov 20, 2009
Length: 9 minutes (2,271 words)

The State of Hillary: A Mixed Record on the Job

Author: Joe Klein
Source: Time
Published: Nov 5, 2009
Length: 25 minutes (6,468 words)

How They Did It: David Plouffe on Obama’s 2008 Victory

Source: Time
Published: Oct 29, 2009
Length: 5 minutes (1,313 words)

Why California is Still America’s Future

Source: Time
Published: Oct 23, 2009
Length: 17 minutes (4,274 words)

Detroit: The Death — and Possible Life — of a Great City

Source: Time
Published: Sep 24, 2009
Length: 10 minutes (2,608 words)

Jobless in America: Is Double-Digit Unemployment Here to Stay?

Source: Time
Published: Sep 11, 2009
Length: 10 minutes (2,556 words)

Advertising: The Mammoth Mirror

Source: Time
Published: Oct 12, 1962
Length: 18 minutes (4,705 words)

Jay Leno Is the Future of TV. Seriously

Source: Time
Published: Sep 3, 2009
Length: 16 minutes (4,212 words)