Big Picture

Bailout Nation: How Greed and Easy Money Corrupted Wall Street and Shook the World Economy. Barry Ritholtz. Wiley. 332 pages.

By Richard Pachter

Over the past decade, a diverse assemblage of bloggers have established themselves as a self-appointed truth squad for the so-called ''mainstream media,'' though most of them draw from the MSM for actual reporting and content. A few, however, consistently provide some original material. Among the more worthwhile blogs is The Big Picture, a blunt but stylish one presented by economist Barry Ritholtz, whose daily analysis is a mandatory stop within the blogosphere.

His new book expands upon many of the themes he has already hit upon online, but in this package, there's more space for him stretch out and provide a more thoughtful and expansive look at our current economic and political messes.

originally published in The Miami Herald