A Global Life:My Journey Among Rich and Poor, from Wall Street to the World Bank
by James D. Wolfensohn
Price: N6200
Product Code: 1311804442
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Number of Pages: 408
Size: 23.495 x 15.570 x 3.962 cm
Weight: 2.6kg
Binding: Hard Cover
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Edition: 2010
ISBN: 1586482556
ISSN: 9781586482558
Availability: To be delivered within 12 working days after payment date
Summary: This is the autobiography of the larger-than-life, visionary financier and philanthropist who led the World Bank through one of its most intense and tumultuous decades in the struggle against global poverty. As President of the World Bank for a decade, James Wolfensohn tackled global poverty and its consequences with a passion and energy that made him a uniquely important figure in this fundamental arena of change. Now the renowned financier, philanthropist and public citizen writes of his life and his beliefs in an autobiography with international appeal.Born in Australia, Wolfensohn was an Olympic fencer, a skilled cellist and a man of surpassing imagination and drive, who was educated at the University of Sydney and at Harvard and became a prominent banker in London and New York. He served as chairman of the Kennedy Centre and Carnegie Hall and amassed a reputation for effective leadership in the private and non-profit sectors. But it was his tenure at the World Bank that made him an international force. Since its creation after World War II, the bank has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into projects to alleviate poverty. At times it has been seen as a symbol of what can be done. At times, it has been a symbol of frustration and misunderstanding.In his work, and in this book, Wolfensohn explores the causes of continuing poverty and his approach to fighting it. Using a lifetime of experience in the banking sector, Wolfensohn motivated, devised, schemed, charmed and bullied all the constituencies at his command to increase the world's wealth. Here he assesses his successes and his failures.The book is also an exploration of Wolfensohn's personality and character. As a Jew, he faced anti-Semitism in the merchant banking world of London, as an Australian, he navigated New York and Washington with uncommon skill and as an international public servant, he has carved a distinct path in Asia, Africa and Europe for the bank. Most recently, he was a special envoy in managing the transition in the aftermath of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, an undertaking that, for now, has collapsed. Wolfensohn is a blunt, incisive, colourful figure and brilliant thinker. This is the story of an astonishing career and an endlessly fascinating personality.
James D. Wolfensohn was born in Australia in 1933 and is a naturalized US citizen. He holds a BA and LLB from the University of Sydney and an MBA from Harvard Business School, served as an officer in the Australian Air Force, and was a member of the 1956 Australian Olympic Fencing Team. Wolfensohn was President of the World Bank from 1995 to 2005, prior to which he established his career as an international investment banker with a parallel involvement in development issues and the global environment. A Fellow of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, he has received many awards for his volunteer work. He and his wife, Elaine, have three children - Sara, Naomi, and Adam.