The World's Banker: A Story Of Failed States, Financial Crises, And The Wealth And Poverty Of Nations

Mallaby pens this penetrating portrait of James Wolfensohn, the smooth global deal maker and power broker who has furiously worked his many connections to become the World Bank's president.

Never has the World Bankas relief work been more important than in the last nine years, when crises as huge as AIDS and the emergence of terrorist sanctuaries have threatened the prosperity of billions. This journalistic masterpiece by "Washington Post" columnist Sebastian Mallaby charts those controversial years at the Bank under the leadership of James Wolfensohnathe unstoppable power broker whose daring efforts to enlarge the planetas wealth in an age of globalization and terror were matched only by the force of his polarizing personality. Based on unprecedented access to its subject, this captivating tour through the messy reality of global development is that rare triumphaan emblematic story through which a gifted author has channeled the spirit of the age.