In 'Stress Test', Timothy F. Geithner, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, takes readers behind the scenes of the 2008 financial crisis, revealing the high-stakes decisions that shaped a nation. Drawing from his personal experiences, he candidly recounts the chaotic moments that would determine the fate of the global economy. As governments teetered on the brink of collapse, he faced extraordinary challenges and moral dilemmas that tested his leadership. With insights into the mechanics of financial systems and the human cost of failure, this gripping narrative prompts reflection on trust, risk, and resilience. Discover what it truly took to navigate one of history's greatest economic challenges and the lessons that resonate today.
By Timothy F. Geithner
Published: 2015
"The hardest decisions are often the ones we least want to make, but they define our character and shape our future."
New York Times Bestseller Washington Post Bestseller Los Angeles Times Bestseller Stress Test is the story of Tim Geithner’s education in financial crises. As president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and then as President Barack Obama’s secretary of the Treasury, Timothy F. Geithner helped the United States navigate the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, from boom to bust to rescue to recovery. In a candid, riveting, and historically illuminating memoir, he takes readers behind the scenes of the crisis, explaining the hard choices and politically unpalatable decisions he made to repair a broken financial system and prevent the collapse of the Main Street economy. This is the inside story of how a small group of policy makers—in a thick fog of uncertainty, with unimaginably high stakes—helped avoid a second depression but lost the American people doing it. Stress Test is also a valuable guide to how governments can better manage financial crises, because this one won’t be the last. Stress Test reveals a side of Secretary Geithner the public has never seen, starting with his childhood as an American abroad. He recounts his early days as a young Treasury official helping to fight the international financial crises of the 1990s, then describes what he saw, what he did, and what he missed at the New York Fed before the Wall Street boom went bust. He takes readers inside the room as the crisis began, intensified, and burned out of control, discussing the most controversial episodes of his tenures at the New York Fed and the Treasury, including the rescue of Bear Stearns; the harrowing weekend when Lehman Brothers failed; the searing crucible of the AIG rescue as well as the furor over the firm’s lavish bonuses; the battles inside the Obama administration over his widely criticized but ultimately successful plan to end the crisis; and the bracing fight for the most sweeping financial reforms in more than seventy years. Secretary Geithner also describes the aftershocks of the crisis, including the administration’s efforts to address high unemployment, a series of brutal political battles over deficits and debt, and the drama over Europe’s repeated flirtations with the economic abyss. Secretary Geithner is not a politician, but he has things to say about politics—the silliness, the nastiness, the toll it took on his family. But in the end, Stress Test is a hopeful story about public service. In this revealing memoir, Tim Geithner explains how America withstood the ultimate stress test of its political and financial systems.
Timothy F. Geithner is an influential American author and economist, best known for his role as the 75th Secretary of the Treasury under President Barack Obama during the critical years of the financial crisis from 2009 to 2010. He is the author of the bestselling memoir "Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises," where he provides an insider's perspective on the tumultuous events that shaped the global economy. Geithner's writing style is characterized by a blend of analytical rigor and personal narrative, offering readers an in-depth look at both the technical and human aspects of economic policy-making. In addition to his government service, he has held key positions at the International Monetary Fund and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, contributing to his reputation as a leading voice on economic issues.
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“The hardest decisions are often the ones we least want to make, but they define our character and shape our future.”
Stress Test
By Timothy F. Geithner
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