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In an Uncertain World: Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington

robert e. rubin jacob weisberg

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Robert Rubin was sworn in as the seventieth U.S. Secretary of the Treasury in January 1995 in a brisk ceremony attended only by his wife and a few colleagues. As soon as the ceremony was over, he began an emergency meeting with President Bill Clinton on the financial crisis in Mexico. This was not only a harbinger of things to come during what would prove to be a rocky period in the global economy; it also captured the essence of Rubin himself--short on formality, quick to get into the nitty-gritty.

From his early years in the storied arbitrage department at Goldman Sachs to his current position as chairman of the executive committee of Citigroup, Robert Rubin has been a major figure at the center of the American financial system. He was a key player in the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. With In an Uncertain World , Rubin offers a shrewd, keen analysis of some of the most important events in recent American history and presents a clear, consistent approach to thinking about markets and dealing with the new risks of the global economy.

Rubin's fundamental philosophy is that nothing is provably certain. Probabilistic thinking has guided his career in both business and government. We see that discipline at work in meetings with President Clinton and Hillary Clinton, Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, Alan Greenspan, Lawrence Summers, Newt Gingrich, Sanford Weill, and the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan. We see Rubin apply it time and again while facing financial crises in Asia, Russia, and Brazil; the federal government shutdown; the rise and fall of the stock market; the challenges of the post-September 11 world; the ongoing struggle over fiscal policy; and many other momentous economic and political events.

With a compelling and candid voice and a sharp eye for detail, Rubin portrays the daily life of the White House-confronting matters both mighty and mundane--as astutely as he examines the challenges that lie ahead for the nation. Part political memoir, part prescriptive economic analysis, and part personal look at business problems, In an Uncertain World is a deep examination of Washington and Wall Street by a figure who for three decades has been at the center of both worlds.

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,2003

This edition

Format
448 pages, Paperback
Published
September 7, 2004 by Random House Publishing Group
ISBN
9780375757303
ASIN
0375757309
Language

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robert e. rubin

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Rating(3.8 / 5.0, 44 votes)
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44 reviews All reviews
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StrawbryMilk
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Could be interesting if you’re into state economics or the Clinton administration. Besides that, it had a couple of good anecdotes about the nineties emerging market busts, and some good insight into what could constitute eficiente macroeconomic policy for developing nations. Not very interesting and not worth the read from my point of view.
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cutswish
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Robert Rubin is one of my bureaucratic heroes. He's a wonderful example of the advantages of allowing process to triumph over personality.
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qwpengu
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A must read if you want to understand the current position of "too big to fail". Rubin was at the place where this trend started and now, knowing how things turned out, this is the place to go for insight into our times and the history of how we got here.
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Ashley-Kat
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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This is fine. I like Rubin, but the past decade hasn't been great to his reputation. Spends a lot of time talking about Clinton years, which would be interesting - except that he wasn't really part of the inner circle. His views on uncertainty are good. But just read Black Swan instead.
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N2K2
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Is a mixture of autobiography, reflections on life and leadership, and historical recollection on the 1990s Asian Debt crisis.
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Tedbaxter
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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It's a little bit dry at times, but I enjoyed getting to know the very down to earth thinking of this very reserved public figure. Rubin's approach of thinking "probabilistically" is very valuable for anyone.

It's also interesting reading his thoughts on the Asian financial crises of the late 90s which were in many ways very similar to the global financial crisis which occurred in the late 2000s.

What have we really learned that will prevent another crisis?
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lightwizar19
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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No Stars, but not a bad read. Robert Rubin is clearly focused and brilliant. His writing on the interdependence of national economies is exceptional...however, the book has a tendency to be repetitive. It also lacks soul and passion...then again he was the Treasury Secretary....I usually like biographical tomes about seemingly dry subjects....but this one is not quite exceptional.
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