Scan barcode
goeinar's review
3.0
Having read Ahamed’s excellent Lords of Finance, I was always likely to buy almost anything he published next. As it turns out, Money and Tough Love was that book. In short, it was a disappointment for me.
On one level, it’s nimbly written and does give you an idea about how the IMF works. This is, of course, interesting in and of itself, as the IMF is an immensely important international institution that has been shrouded in a level of secrecy since its inception. Its democratic mandate is questionable, as is its accountability. The promise of an inside look is enticing.
The book does not deliver on this promise. It offers very little insight into how the IMF actually makes its decisions, and what goes on behind the scenes. What it does deliver is a lot of background and colour, and a historical overview of the IMF and its relations with the countries visited in the book.
It seems more that Ahamed was in the same place as the IMF (or its missions), rather than being with the IMF. I’m not disputing that he was, of course, but any behind-the-scenes looks he was given are not communicated to the reader.
If you are looking at an introduction to the IMF and its workings, you will probably enjoy this book. If you want something a bit more juicy, you would probably be better off looking elsewhere.
On one level, it’s nimbly written and does give you an idea about how the IMF works. This is, of course, interesting in and of itself, as the IMF is an immensely important international institution that has been shrouded in a level of secrecy since its inception. Its democratic mandate is questionable, as is its accountability. The promise of an inside look is enticing.
The book does not deliver on this promise. It offers very little insight into how the IMF actually makes its decisions, and what goes on behind the scenes. What it does deliver is a lot of background and colour, and a historical overview of the IMF and its relations with the countries visited in the book.
It seems more that Ahamed was in the same place as the IMF (or its missions), rather than being with the IMF. I’m not disputing that he was, of course, but any behind-the-scenes looks he was given are not communicated to the reader.
If you are looking at an introduction to the IMF and its workings, you will probably enjoy this book. If you want something a bit more juicy, you would probably be better off looking elsewhere.
More...