Reviews for In an uncertain world

The average rating for In an uncertain world based on 2 reviews is 1.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-02-18 00:00:00 Guillaume Letourneau I appear to have quite a different opinion of this book to most of the other reviewers on Goodreads. As much as Robert Rubin may have accomplished both in the private and public sector, he is simply not good at writing or storytelling or indeed at providing insights into how he solves problems and makes decisions, the emotional and intellectual conflicts one faces or any astute observations of what other people might be going through. The book reads like "I applied to Harvard and then I went there and then I met president Clinton, and he was nice and smart, and then I met my amazing wife and she told me that...and so I...". Much in the style of a speech a 6-year-old might give when under pressure to give a summary of their life (except that Rubin has met high powered people and worked in influential positions). On the other hand, I thought that the descriptions of economic scenarios were actually plainly written and not hard to follow at all. Boring, like the rest of the book, but easy to follow. It could have been so much more had he just given a glimpse into thought processes, the political manoeuvring, any personal interests and jostling that may have impacted decisions, irrationalities in assessing situations...anything really that might show the greater depth of analysis that he is very likely to be capable of.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-09-30 00:00:00 Anthony Braxton With the snappy title, you'd think this was a much more interesting book. The sad reality is that Robert Rubin's biography does not live up in style, content or IQ level of the writer. Having obtained kingmaker status as CEO of Goldman Sachs, and treasurer of Bill Clinton, it's obvious that Robert has stories and strong opinions about events. At times he approaches topics with nuance like a good storyteller - one example is with the Tequila crisis in the 90s where he brings how Mexico's currency valuation can have a huge impact in the rest of the world. When he does start talking about economics, Robert can swing and hit pretty well. Maybe it's just his self-assured easy going personality, but the book could not be more empty. Reminds me of an aloof uncle telling his niece about his big suit job and those crazy highs and lows of the working world. Platitudes, general conflicts, and some farm wisdom.