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America's economic Crash of 2008 was led almost at Wall Street. In his September release, qualified, Aftershock: The Next Economy And America's Future, Robert B. Reich asserts otherwise. He believes the real problem is structural: There's an increasing concentration of wealth at the top, while middle class Americans struggle to keep a good standard of living.

Reich served in three national administrations, most recently as Secretary of Labor under President Clinton. He's written books, and is a university professor of public policy. Three stages of contemporary American capitalism substantiate Reich's message. The very first stage (1870- was one of increasing concentration of income and wealth.

Stage 2 (1947-, showcased more broadly shared prosperity; and phase three (1980- is one of increasing wealth concentration. Reich says it's critical for the future to begin a phase where broad-based prosperity reigns. Reich profiles Marriner Eccles, a business tycoon through the Great Depression. Largely forgotten today, Reich believes Eccle's analysis of the underlying economic stresses of the Great Depression are relevant to the Crash of 2008. His assumption of a fast national recovery proved wrong, as we know today. President Roosevelt summoned him to Washington DC to share his own financial acumen that was based on experience and logic.

Eccles chaired the Federal Reserve Board from 1934 to 1948 (the Eccles Building on Constitution Avenue in Washington DC is his memoriam). History repeats itself today, as there's a vast accumulation of income among the nation's wealthiest individuals. The result is everyone else encounters reduced purchasing power. The basic bargain gave workers a more proportionate share of the fruits of economic growth. Average workers had enough purchasing power to get what they created. These are tough times for our nation really, as we adjust to the growing pains of globalization. Despite home foreclosures, continued high unemployment, reduced earnings, less economic protection, widening inequality and soaring pay on Wall Street, Reich concludes on a voice of urgency. He emphasizes that America, when faced with a depression, an enveloping war and other ethical urgencies, has consistently risen to the occasion. "We can select reform, I believe, because we are a reasonable nation, and reform is the only practical option we've got" . To learn more about Reich's perspective on restoring the basic bargain to store middle class America, visit his website at http://robertreich.org.

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