11 Business Books Bill Gates Wants You to Read

10. “Stress Test” by Timothy F. Geithner

Gates described the book this way, “Geithner paints a compelling human portrait of what it was like to be fighting a global financial meltdown while at the same time fighting critics inside and outside the Administration as well as his own severe guilt over his near-total absence from his family.” The book has a 4.2 rating on Amazon from 457 customer reviews with 57% of readers giving it 5 stars.

What is the book about? Author Timothy F. Geithner served as president of the Federal Reserve Bank and U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Barack Obama. He gives readers an inside look at what happens behind the scenes when a financial crisis hits a country like the U.S. It reveals the difficult choices and unpalatable political moves that need to be done. He also narrates how a small group of policy makers helped prevent a second depression.

Gates said, “The politics of fighting financial crises will always be ugly. But it helps if the public knows a little more about the subject—what’s at stake, what the options are, what has worked in similar situations—so that the loud talkers resonate a bit less and the knowledgeable ones a bit more.” This book is also a valuable resource that will help governments manage financial crises better.