The World's Banker - (Council on Foreign Relations Books (Penguin Press)) by Sebastian Mallaby (Paperback)

About the Book

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.

Book Synopsis

Never has the World Bank's 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 Wolfensohn--the unstoppable power broker whose daring efforts to enlarge the planet's 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 triumph--an emblematic story through which a gifted author has channeled the spirit of the age.

This edition features a new afterword by the author that analyzes the appointment of Paul Wolfowitz as Wolfensohn's successor at the World bank

Review Quotes

"A sophisticated, evenhanded take on the [World Bank's] last decade of development efforts... Illuminating... heartbreaking... a fascinating narrative." --The New York Times

"An excellent read... [Mallaby] has a talent for brilliant writing and penetrating analysis." --Financial Times

About the Author

Sebastian Mallaby is the author of several books, including The Power Law, More Money Than God, The Man Who Knew, and The World's Banker. A former Financial Times contributing editor and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations.