Best books...chosen by Sheila Bair
Sheila Bair served as chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. from 2006 to 2011. Her new book, Bull by the Horns, offers a firsthand account of the government response to the 2008 financial crisis, plus her prescriptions for reform.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Grand Central, $8).As a kid, I was in awe of Atticus Finch, Lee’s country lawyer, who defends an innocent black man against bogus rape charges. What I admired most was how Atticus defends his black client’s truth against the white power structure of the time. Inspired by Atticus, I started my career as a civil rights lawyer, and to this day, I try hard to speak truth to power and stand up for people who need a voice.
Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris(Random House, $18). I wanted to be Atticus Finch as a kid, but when I grew up, I wanted to be Teddy Roosevelt. He had that fierce, independent populist streak that is so missing these days in our political leadership. He supported business, but he also brought down the big trusts when he saw the threat they posed to the rest of the nation.
13 Bankers by Simon Johnson and James Kwak (Vintage, $16). These next four are some of the best books about the financial crisis (after mine, of course). Powerfully written, 13 Bankers puts the 2008 crisis in historical context. Unfortunately, we’ve been struggling to keep the banking system in check since the days of Jefferson. And it’s still not getting fixed.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Reckless Endangerment by Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner (St. Martin’s, $16). This book shows how mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used their financial clout and implicit government backing to take outsized risks, capturing not only politicians and regulators with their largesse, but also academics, community groups, and the media.
All the Devils Are Here by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera (Portfolio, $17). McLean and Nocera show just how badly our “self-correcting” markets and government fell down on the job. There are plenty of devils to blame for the 2008 debacle.
Fool’s Gold by Gillian Tett (Free Press, $16). A more technical book, Fool’s Gold is best at explaining credit default swaps, essentially a form of insurance that gave banks a false sense that they were protected against losses on their mortgage investments.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Backbench rebellions and broken promises: is it getting harder to govern?
Today's Big Question Backbench rebellions and broken promises: is it getting harder to govern?
-
Hotels with kitchen gardens for a foodie weekend away
The Week Recommends Feast on seasonal produce straight from the veg patch at these country retreats
-
Succession planning as the Dalai Lama turns 90
In the Spotlight China 'determined to shape the narrative' around choice of Tibet's next spiritual leader
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softly
Feature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
-
Andrea Long Chu's 6 favorite books for people who crave new ideas
Feature The book critic recommends works by Rachel Cusk, Sigmund Freud, and more
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more
-
Richard Bausch's 6 favorite books that are worth rereading
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more