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Writers in Residence
Money and Tough Love: On Tour With the IMF
In Money and Tough Love Liaquat Ahamed offers brilliant insight into the heart of one the world’s most influential institutions. At turns factual and informative, and others emotive and anecdotal, Ahamed joins in on the IMF’s world missions to Washington, Tokyo, and Dublin in true James Bond meets The Financial Times style. Pulitzer prize-winning author and pre-eminent financial thinker, Ahamed reveals the human stories behind the headlines, ranging from chatting about the state of the economy to Irish cab drivers, to Dior with none other than the IMF's Christine Lagarde.
155 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2014
149 people want to read
About the author
Liaquat Ahamed
9 books166 followersLiaquat Ahamed has been a professional investment manager for 25 years. He has worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and the New York based partnership of Fischer Francis Trees and Watts, where he served as Chief Executive.
He is currently an advisor to several hedge fund groups, including the Rock Creek Group and the Rohatyn Group, is a director of Aspen Insurance Co., and is on the board of Trustees of the Brookings Institution. He has degrees in economics from Harvard and Cambridge Universities.
He is currently an advisor to several hedge fund groups, including the Rock Creek Group and the Rohatyn Group, is a director of Aspen Insurance Co., and is on the board of Trustees of the Brookings Institution. He has degrees in economics from Harvard and Cambridge Universities.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 24, 2015
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.
February 4, 2021
This is a nice introduction to the IMF. If you don't know much about the institution, then this is a nice piece of information on it. However, it being only 200 pages means that this is at best a surface level introduction. Good way to see what the fund does, but really doesn't dive into the mechanics of the fund. Still, a nice introduction and a good way to see what the fund does in modern times. The two major areas of concern come with the pictures seem to be placed randomly with no real reasons why there are there. The other issue is the quotes in the middle of the text that seem out of place. Otherwise, a nice primer of the institution.
September 6, 2014
Money and Tough Love:
On Tour with the IMF
Visual Editions, London, 2014, 208 pp., $40.00 (paper).
Ahamed writes a general overview of the IMF, its history, development, policies, attitudes and reputation. He goes onto apply the general view to particular case studies which he has carefully examined personally, carrying out his own field work. The two country profiles which he writes about are Ireland (Eire) and Mozambique.
The book is thoroughly researched and informative and he expresses his views concisely and clearly. What detracts from it is that the photos are not captioned consistently. Perhaps the publishers believed that by reading the text we could determine what they about for ourselves.
I have learnt a great deal about the work of the IMF. He treats a particularly dry subject well and convinces us that the IMF are no longer a group of faceless moneymen. They have changed and developed their public relations image so that they are more acceptable in the countries within which they are involved.
On Tour with the IMF
Visual Editions, London, 2014, 208 pp., $40.00 (paper).
Ahamed writes a general overview of the IMF, its history, development, policies, attitudes and reputation. He goes onto apply the general view to particular case studies which he has carefully examined personally, carrying out his own field work. The two country profiles which he writes about are Ireland (Eire) and Mozambique.
The book is thoroughly researched and informative and he expresses his views concisely and clearly. What detracts from it is that the photos are not captioned consistently. Perhaps the publishers believed that by reading the text we could determine what they about for ourselves.
I have learnt a great deal about the work of the IMF. He treats a particularly dry subject well and convinces us that the IMF are no longer a group of faceless moneymen. They have changed and developed their public relations image so that they are more acceptable in the countries within which they are involved.
December 11, 2021
The book, which resembles a long-read more than an actual book, has one relatively modest goal: to provide an(y) outsider with a picture of how the Fund generally works. The photo's, by Magnum-photographer Eli Reed, unfortunately don't add too much as they feel random and aren't in sync with the text. So it is up to Liaquat Ahamed, a talented writer (see: Lords of Finance), to accomplish his (relatively low) goals, and so he does generously. Don't expect any in-depth analyses, but rather a the intriguing words of a journalist who knows the world and paints a general picture.
December 22, 2014
The vast majority of books about the IMF will spend their time debating the decisions of the institution, its policy successes and failures, it's controversial place in international politics. Ahamed touches on these topics, but they are not the purpose of his book. Rather it is more an introduction to the institution: it's people, it's purposes, it's normal business activities. Ahamed does this by visiting the headquarters in DC and following its people abroad for conferences and "missions" to other countries, offering a kind of "IMF travelogue." True to this inspiration, he tows along a truly impressive photographer whose beautiful, full page pictures give the book its unique feel. Overall a good, very short read demystifying the institution, but too light to be much more.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews