Required reading for the "New Depression."

[Steve Nicewarner]

I've read, both here and elsewhere, lots of doom and gloom about the housing industry and the economy in general. They may or may not have a point. My question today is this -- some people got rich during the Great Depression. Who were those people, what did they do, and how does that transfer to the 21st Century? Bonus points are available for those who can suggest some reading about those people and the topic in general.