Customer Reviews
half insight, half anecdote and most of it worth reading - By: Daniel Clarke, 17 Jun 2007 
It's a different type of book. The message is an idea to improve the position of poorer people & it's communicated in the context of the international financial system. The definition of globalisation is the first that makes sense to me & after this book I feel I've an opinion on the subject.
More detail below but here's my two cents. If you're interested in international financial marekts it's worth a read. If you're interested in how to maintain social values while competing to attract capital to your economy (not looking at french people in particular) - je vous conseille de le lire. If like me you're interested in both, definitely read it !
The author does indulge himself a little, maybe to establish why we should read his opinions. Such indulgences seem to be in one of three categories; to highlight that he's quiet philantropic, to highlight his level of market expertise & to highlight his sphere of influence & that he's been right before.
That said, I think this guy has opinions worth communicating - he's made his billions on his market expertise & if there's anyone else in the world who understands the markets like George Soros wouldn't they be billionaires too?
I'm not in a position to say if his ideas would work, however I'm fascinated by his description of the global capital transfer system & the accounts of recent monetary crises. The explanations of system adjustments & the ripple effect is an added bonus. In some cases adjustements are anecdotal, made by the establishment so that crises are not repeated. In other cases adjustments are potential with a goal to help developing countries. In either case you can follow his logic & at the end you feel you understand the subject at least to the level at which he's written the book. (I'm no economist but i'm sure like every other science there's a level even more complicated that the one you understand)
a timely and positive contribution to the debate - By: , 24 Feb 2004 
The greatest fault of this book is that it is incorrectly titled, & doesn't reallly fit into the mould of other attacks on, or callls for reform of the process of globalisation. Soros instead focuses on some of the more technical arguments of reform, some of which have found their way into the British government White Paper on the foundation of an international financial facility.
The centrepiece, on using IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDR's) to fund aid is quite heavy going, but a valuable contribution to the area of aid finance, which is not something one gets from other critical books.
The book makes up for a lot of what globalisation reformers often lack, a positive & workable agenda for reform. If the modern businessman finds this disagreeable, the modern businessman is an idiot.
A timely and incisive look at global financial reform - By: , 24 Feb 2004 The greatest fault of this book is that it is incorrectly titled, & doesn't reallly fit into the mould of other attacks on, or callls for reform of the process of globalisation. Soros instead focuses on some of the more technical arguments of reform, some of which have found their way into the British government White Paper on the foundation of an international financial facility.
The centrepiece, on using IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDR's) to fund aid is quite heavy going, but a valuable contribution to the area of aid finance, which is not something one gets from other critical books.
The book makes up for a lot of what globalisation reformers often lack, a positive & workable agenda for reform. If the modern businessman finds this disagreeable, the modern businessman is an idiot.
ZERO STARS WAS NOT AN OPTION. - By: lockdown@oceanfree.net, 09 Apr 2002 
A poorly written book with many views the modern businessman would not agree with. It seemed one sided & reallly did not offer relaistic methods of healing some of the difficulties the global market is suffering, although some very valid points were made by SOROS throughout the book.
