The Yellow Pad

by Robert Rubin

Making Better Decisions
in an Uncertain World

Robert Rubin, former secretary of the Treasury and co-chairman of Goldman Sachs, shares thoughts on decision-making developed over almost six decades in markets, business, government, and politics, and offers readers an astute and original guide for navigating uncertain times.

In an Uncertain World

by Robert Rubin

Tough choices from Wall
Street to Washington

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.

Recent News

  • "For our country to succeed economically, our market-based system must function alongside strong, effective government. Strong, effective government, in turn, requires a functioning democratic process."

  • "Internalizing the core tenet of Professor Demos’s teaching — weighing risk and analyzing odds and trade-offs — was central to everything I did professionally in the decades ahead in finance and government."

  • "Some people I’ve encountered in various phases of my career seem more certain about everything than I am about anything."

  • "The only place people find fulfillment is within themselves. And too often, that's the last place they look."

  • "Moments after being sworn in as Treasury Secretary in 1995, I stood in the Oval Office to advise the president on how to address the threat posed to us by the unfolding economic crisis in Mexico, an experience repeated two years later during the Asian financial crisis. I know what it's like to recommend complex responses with no certainty of success."

    "Bringing the Economy Back to Life,"
    New York Times (April 17, 2020)

  • "We have an imperative need to address our unsustainable longer-term fiscal trajectory with sound economic policies. Few elected officials want to face this fact, but, at the very least, they should not make matters worse."

    "The Republican tax plan’s five worst dangers,"
    Washington Post (November 15, 2017)

  • "The refundable child tax credit is not inflationary if paid for; is not a disincentive to work; and ought to be viewed as a public investment with a high rate of return."

    "The child tax credit must become permanent. And refundable."
    Washington Post (September 16, 2021)

  • "Criminal justice reform is not just about being fair to the individuals who will be most directly affected, but it’s also about doing what’s right for our nation’s well-being."

    "The Smart Way to Help Ex-Convicts, and Society,"
    New York Times (June 3, 2016)

  • "People in prison are part of America, as are those who have been released. They are part of our society. And we have a powerful stake in their success."

    "The Smart Way to Help Ex-Convicts, and Society,"
    New York Times (June 3, 2016)

  • "To close great and growing wealth and income gaps, and to raise badly needed revenue for public investment, it’s not enough to lift the bottom up; we need to ask more of those at the top, too."

    "Democrats, if We Remain Divided, We’ll Fall,"
    New York Times (March 2, 2020)

  • "We do not face a choice between protecting our environment or protecting our economy. We face a choice between protecting our economy by protecting our environment — or allowing environmental havoc to create economic havoc."

  • "While the FMLA [Family and Medical Leave Act] was a landmark achievement, it doesn’t go far enough. American workers and businesses need a universal paid leave program."

    "America needs a universal paid leave program,"
    Washington Post (February 22, 2018)