The author combines his expertise in international finance and development (IFD) with his skills as a professionally-produced playwright to explain the basic, but nevertheless complex, concepts of IFD in a way that's accessible and entertaining for persons without a background in the subject matter. It's essential reading for impressionable performances at cocktail parties. Explain a synthetic collateralize debt obligation and your listeners will be awed by your sophistication! The textbook is essentially a narrative of IFD, beginning with the establishment of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and ending with topics relating to emerging market economies. Throughout the narrative the author explores major financial crises, including the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis.