Buy new:

$10.57

List Price: $44.00

Save: $33.43 (76%)

FREE delivery August 17 - 18. Details

Or fastest delivery Thursday, August 10. Order within 5 hrs 49 mins. Details

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon

$$10.57 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Payment

Secure transaction

Ships from

Sean Franklin St

Sold by

Sean Franklin St

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Details

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Ships from

Sean Franklin St

Sold by

Sean Franklin St

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.

Read full return policy

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$7.95
+ $5.55 shipping

Sold by: fortbc

Added

Not added

$29.75
& FREE Shipping. Details

Sold by: CATINGTON LLC

Added

Not added

$38.99
& FREE Shipping. Details

Sold by: Amazon.com

Flip to back Flip to front

See this image

Follow the Author

James D. Wolfensohn

A Global Life: My Journey Among Rich and Poor, from Sydney to Wall Street to the World Bank Hardcover – Illustrated, October 12, 2010

by James D. Wolfensohn (Author)

4.0 29 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$20.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$10.57

$7.95

$2.20

Kindle
$20.99 Read with Our Free App
Audiobook
$0.00 Free with your Audible trial
Hardcover
$10.57

43 Used from $2.20 13 New from $7.95 6 Collectible from $19.97

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$10.57","priceAmount":10.57,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"57","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"u8MiBfZKJrH2AKu3BgKg9ilyjnDLTf7Sg%2FPqGqCLVz1P982xD%2Bs%2FtAUV1zeg7WPg2nsB7d9qS687AgtHrRwFY8MYgRTZ3xZPMhbXdDiQ2v%2FBTWe8YmIqFv1Hizpb8%2F5E8DquB31nIHeQ2trcfykRgt0rCN0CA8KO%2Bx0BEwVRXNVJ%2F3tfAARXOtqhWCzjsL8D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

As president of the World Bank for a decade, James Wolfensohn tackled world 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 astonishing life story in his own words. A man of surpassing imagination and drive, he became an Olympic fencer and a prominent banker in London and New York. An Australian, he navigated 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 all the constituencies at his command to broaden the distribution of the world's wealth. Now he bluntly assesses his successes and failures, reflecting on the causes of continuing poverty.

Much more than a business story, this is a deeply reflective account of a fascinating career and personality.

Print length

480 pages
Language

English
Publisher

PublicAffairs
Publication date

October 12, 2010
Dimensions

6.25 x 1.56 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

1586482556
ISBN-13

978-1586482558
See all details

Frequently bought together

A Global Life: My Journey Among Rich and Poor, from Sydney to Wall Street to the World Bank

$10.57

Get it Aug 17 - 18

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

Ships from and sold by Sean Franklin St.

+

The World's Banker: A Story of Failed States, Financial Crises, and the Wealth and Poverty of Nations

$25.40

Get it as soon as Tuesday, Aug 15

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

Sebastian Mallaby
54
Hardcover
49 offers from $4.20

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Now 76 years old, Wolfensohn (Voice of the World's Poor) has had a rich and varied life as an investment banker, chairman of Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, head of the World Bank, and finally advocate of peace as special envoy to the Middle East. The first third of the book is devoted to a fascinating chronicle of his early life growing up in a close-knit, middle-class Jewish family. His parents, who emigrated from Britain to Australia, faced tough financial times during the Great Depression and over-coddled the young Wolfensohn, expecting him to excel. Though he nearly flunked out of Sidney University, he ultimately earned a law degree and went on to receive an MBA at Harvard and become a U.S. citizen. He writes candidly of the mistakes he made during his long and successful career and the lessons they taught him. Married to his college sweetheart, with three children, he claims that the idea of writing this book, "grew out of a desire to leave... a record of the events that shaped me" for his adult children, and in the hope that younger readers might be encouraged to "follow at least some part of the path he has taken."
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Wolfensohn, investment banker, diplomat, musician, arts patron, and influential player on the global stage, recounts his boyhood in Australia, his education there and abroad, and his marriage and return to Australia to engage in investments and merchant banking while his young family grew. In 1968 he moved to Schroders in London, participating in the Eurodollar revolution, which created the impetus for a new phase of globalization in financial markets, and over time led their New York and London efforts. He joined Salomon Brothers in New York in the early 1980s, where he witnessed the fierce competition and the innovative skills of Wall Street as he built their corporate-finance department and then later formed his own firm. The wide reach of his community interests included chairmanships of Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington before being named president of the World Bank in 1995. He notes themes that inspired my presidency: fighting poverty, using technology and education to document and spread knowledge, and protecting the environment. --Mary Whaley

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs; Illustrated edition (October 12, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1586482556
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1586482558
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.67 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.56 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,493,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #932 in Development & Growth Economics (Books)
- #1,085 in Banks & Banking (Books)
- #3,905 in Business Professional's Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.0 29 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Important information

To report an issue with this product, click here.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

James D. Wolfensohn

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4 out of 5

29 global ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Geodean01

A Global Life James Wolfensohn

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2012

Verified Purchase

A Global Life: My Journey Among Rich and Poor, from Sydney to Wall Street to the World Bank

I found this an intriguing volume expecially in the early chapters. My eyes tended to glaze in some of later chapters when references were made to his association with financial corporations and the famous names dropped (some of whom I have also known personally). This may have gender specific appeal although I really enjoyed the personal insights into his relationships with his parents and immediate family later in his career. It was a long read and because I tend to read in sessions had to continually reread the preceding paragraphs to maintain the continuity of my interest.

It is a book I shall re-read at a later date - having the Kindle edition makes it an extremely easy "carry-on" when travelling.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Pedro Perez-Ortiz

Global LIFE

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2010

Verified Purchase

This book is an autobiographical account of James David Wolfensohn. He was the President of the World Bank in 2008. It narrates brilliantly the experiences of a middle class Australian Jewish male in the hard to crack class conscious English Banking and Financial System in spite of his excellent academic credentials and up the pile social relationships and frienships. It is a success story but realistically and compassionately narrated, especially in terms of his true to his heritage, family and commitment to global corporal responsibility which formed his persona from childhood to his retirement and even after and until now. It should be read not only by global studies students and professionals, but by the diverse ethnic population of youngstersin the United States as well as in the international community wishing to carve their niche in the world of Economics, business, banking and finances in general.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

banksterone

This book is a whitewash. Most of the material ...

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

This book is a whitewash. Most of the material in the book about the author's personal and family life is not accurate. For example, those close to the family freely let people know that the Wolfensohn suffered from depression for years and that his oldest daughter was addicted to anti-depressants for many years. In addition, Wolfensohn almost went bankrupt when a deal he did with Australian billionaire Keri Packer went south, sending him into another round of depression. His friends say he had many mistresses and was close friends with DSK and all that implies. At one point in time he introduced one of his mistresses to his daughter and said he would kill himself rather than stay with his wife. The family has been riven by conflict for years.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Edwin Woodson

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

Good

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Damian

A must read..

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2010

Verified Purchase

This book is a fascinating commentary on wall street and international development. This book, like it's author, bridges these two worlds both if which are undergoing great changes today. Very enjoyable.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

G. Gregory Boyd

James D. Wolfensohn's Global Life: A Rebel Without a Pause

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2010

Before the reader sits down with Mr. Wolfensohn's book he is best advised to be well-rested because in addition to a fascinating autobiography they are also receiving a forum on international development and global relations, a primer on business, and an introduction to the personal and professional psychological machinations of interpersonal/organizational relationships. Jeffrey Goldstein, one of Wolfensohn's first hires at his investment firm in the 1980s, described Wolfensohn as being "a sponge" during the time they were building Jim's business but judging from his humble childhood in Sydney, Australia to his movement into the highest echelons of power, Wolfensohn also has to be viewed as a laser guided torpedo constantly locking onto new targets be they in business, development, or in the arts. The book paints a picture of a self-assured almost cocky young boy who finds himself, at the outset, getting his head "dunked" by a farmhand into a bucket of lime and who later upon making the Australian Olympic team as a fencer is dismissed by a young autograph seeker who states, "Oh don't worry about him, he's only a fencer." This pattern of challenge and personal reassessment is sprinkled throughout his life. After applying to Oxford (rejected) and failing to receive an appointment as a Rhodes Scholar, Wolfensohn took what was behind door number three, Harvard Business School, and that to paraphrase Frost, "Made all the difference." After that Wolfensohn slammed down onto a personal gas pedal that led to Europe, Wall Street, two terms as the president of the World Bank, an appointment as the Special Envoy to the Gaza Disengagement in addition to numerous corporate boards and the chairmanship of both Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. At four-hundred and forty-four pages the reader's time is well spent and he will come away feeling about this book in much the same way that one of his mentors, Julius Stone, wrote on his Harvard application that Wolfensohn possessed, "Indefinable attributes."

21 people found this helpful

Helpful

T. Coner

Great book! But don't stop reading about his era at world bank

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2010

An excellent book! An amazing history of the 20th century and beyond told by one lucky enough man to be in the right place at the right time for his entire life. His love of the arts, music, his family and friends, and the growing yet flattening world around him make him a true man for the modern universal travel and thinker.

Wolfensohn has somehow kept the elusive tone of genuine sincerity and humbleness for someone of his accolades and is so grateful to those around him that made it all possible. His personal background is fascinating, yet his first hand accounts and stories to some of the most incredible events in the past 75 years make this book ravishing.

Don't stop looking into Mr. Wolfensohn's era from other authors if this Interests you though, as there are some loud critiques against him out there. However I think that he does an excellent job explaining why he made the decisions he made and how the World Bank fundamentally works, or should work.

HIGHLEY recommended for those who are just getting into the field, it is a beautiful story told by someone who has lived a life more full than many could possibly believe

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Mark Andrew

From humble origins a great man grew

Reviewed in Australia on January 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

A very interesting auto biography by a great citizen of the world He faced enormous challenges in reforming the the World Bank but never lost the common touch
Sadly no longer with us....

Phil O Sophical

A thought-provoking story of success

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2013

Verified Purchase

I found this a very interesting autobiography. For me it shows how the author's early years shaped an understanding of the importance of interpersonal relationships and social interactions in business and finance. The concept of maintaining a personal strategy and action plan, based on sound moral and cultural values and subject to regular reviews,runs through the book and clearly influenced his decisions.
The author shows how appropriate learning from background and experiences, including from the time spent in something of a backwater in post war days, helped him to grow to a position of international responsibility and eminence and taught him never to forget that he is a citizen of the world in common with all of us in all nations.
The author's modesty, might be a little overplayed, but does encourage the reader to feel all of us can strive for success at high level. References and acknowledgements to family, friends and valued associates underline a view that working towards loyal and supportive social, business and political environments enables more success than today's, often-individualistic, target-orientated, naïve, short-term strategies.

See more reviews

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers	6pm Score deals on fashion brands	AbeBooks Books, art & collectibles	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Sell on Amazon Start a Selling Account

Amazon Business Everything For Your Business	Amazon Fresh Groceries & More Right To Your Door	AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally	Home Services Experienced Pros Happiness Guarantee	Amazon Ignite Sell your original Digital Educational Resources	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Listen to Books & Original Audio Performances	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	Box Office Mojo Find Movie Box Office Data	ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics	DPReview Digital Photography	Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting

Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Photos Unlimited Photo Storage Free With Prime	Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy

Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	Amazon Warehouse Great Deals on Quality Used Products	Whole Foods Market America’s Healthiest Grocery Store	Woot! Deals and Shenanigans	Zappos Shoes & Clothing	Ring Smart Home Security Systems

eero WiFi Stream 4K Video in Every Room	Blink Smart Security for Every Home	Neighbors App Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts	Amazon Subscription Boxes Top subscription boxes – right to your door	PillPack Pharmacy Simplified	Amazon Renewed Like-new products you can trust

Buy new:

$10.57

Other Sellers on Amazon

Follow the Author

A Global Life: My Journey Among Rich and Poor, from Sydney to Wall Street to the World Bank Hardcover – Illustrated, October 12, 2010

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From Booklist

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

Important information

About the author

James D. Wolfensohn

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Buy new: $10.57

Other Sellers on Amazon

Follow the Author

A Global Life: My Journey Among Rich and Poor, from Sydney to Wall Street to the World Bank Hardcover – Illustrated, October 12, 2010

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From Booklist

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

Important information

About the author

James D. Wolfensohn

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Buy new:

$10.57