http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/mackattack/fms%2020120109.mp3
A Global Life: My Journey Among Rich and Poor, from Sydney to Wall Street to the World Bank
"As President Of The World Bank for a decade, James Wolfensohn tackled global poverty with a passion and energy that made him a uniquely important figure in a fundamental arena of change. Using a lifetime of experience in the banking sector, he carved a distinct path in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe for the institution that serves as the major lender to the world's poor." "In A Global Life, Wolfensohn tells his remarkable life story, beginning with his boyhood in Australia. A man of surpassing imagination and drive, he became an Olympic fencer and a prominent banker in London and New York, eventually navigating Wall Street with uncommon skill. Chairman of Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center for many years, he is also an amateur cellist. But it was his tenure at the World Bank that made him an international force. While at the helm of this controversial institution, Wolfensohn motivated, schemed, charmed, and bullied the constituencies at his command to broaden the distribution of the world's wealth. In 2005, he became the international envoy for Israel's disengagement from Gaza, overseeing a transition that tragically collapsed." Now Wolfensohn bluntly assesses his successes and failures. He reflects on his intense and tumultuous decade at the Bank and on the causes of continuing poverty. Much more than a business story, this is a riveting account of a fascinating career and personality.
The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization's Northern Future
"The World in 2050 is a compelling portrait of the future and vividly relates the big challenges facing the world now."
-Jared Diamond, author of Collapse
The world's population is exploding, wild species are vanishing, and our environment is degrading. What kind of world are we leaving for our children and grandchildren? Just who will flourish-and who will fail-in our evolving world?
Combining the lessons of geography and history with state-of-the-art model projections and analytical data, Guggenheim fellow Laurence C. Smith predicts how the eight nations of the Arctic Rim (including the United States) will become increasingly powerful while the nations around the equator struggle for survival. Like Bjorn Lomborg's The Skeptical Environmentalist, The World in 2050 is as credible as it is controversial, projecting the looming benefits as well as the problems of climate change.
