First published 2014
Liaquat Ahamed takes readers inside the International Monetary Fund as it navigates global financial crises. The Pulitzer Prize winner combines hard facts with personal stories, tracking the institution's missions across three continents. From Washington boardrooms to Tokyo meetings to Dublin streets, Ahamed captures both the high-stakes negotiations and quiet human moments that shape world economics. He talks with Irish taxi drivers about their country's financial troubles and discusses fashion with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde. The book blends financial journalism with espionage thriller pacing, revealing how personal relationships and cultural differences influence billion-dollar decisions. Ahamed shows the people behind the policy, making abstract economic concepts tangible through individual experiences and conversations.
Genres: business, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century, finance
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, personal-stories
Setting: Washington, Tokyo, Dublin
Period: 21st-century
155 pages · Paperback · Visual Editions