Voice for the World's Poor: Selected Speeches and Writings of World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn, 1995-2005

Dubbed the ""Elvis of economics"" by rock star Bono, former World Bank president Wolfensohn was known for ""speaking from the heart,"" so it seems fitting that his 10 years at the World Bank would be commemorated by a collection of his writings and speeches. However, as this is essentially a reference book, few people will read it from start to finish, and those who try will tire quickly of the repetition inevitable in talks that revolve around a small number of themes. Divided into three parts-the first centered on the topic of ""Including People in Development,"" the second focused on ""Peace and Poverty"" and the third looking toward ""Securing the 21st Century""-Wolfensohn's writings and addresses urge policymakers to ""treat globalization as an opportunity and poverty as... a challenge"" and ""bring the marginalized into the mainstream"" in order to reduce poverty and violence. To drive home his points, he references statistics and tells interesting anecdotes about his travels (he has visited more than 120 countries). These anecdotes enliven this sometimes dry collection.