Overview

When it was founded back in 1944 no one could possibly have foreseen how the World Bank – known more formally as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) – would flourish. Today, with 188 members, it is by far the largest lender for projects in agriculture, health, infrastructure and many other fields in developing countries around the world, with a budget of billions of dollars and a staff of more than 9,000, and its advice is usually heeded by both the developing countries which borrow from it and the advanced ones which contribute.   This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of the World Bank shows the substantial progress the Bank has made, this mainly through the dictionary section with concise entries on its component institutions, related organizations, its achievements in various fields, some of the major projects and member countries, and its various presidents. The introduction explains how the Bank works while the chronology traces the major events over nearly 70 years. Meanwhile, the list of acronyms reminds us just who the main players are. And the bibliography directs readers to useful internal documentation and outside studies.

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This second edition is an update and expansion of the first, written by Anne Salda (1997), and draws on scholarly studies of the World Bank and on publications by the bank itself. Entries are generally clear and concise and range from a single paragraph to several pages in length. The authors claim to use the same language as any original source document whenever possible. Within an entry, terms in boldface are cross-references that indicate other entries in the dictionary. See also references are in all caps and signify other entries or terms that are related to or on the same topic as the entry (but not used in the entry). Also included are a brief chronology of important dates in the bank's history–from its founding in 1944 through 2012–and a list of acronyms and abbreviations. The introduction is a brief history of the bank. Readers will find a very extensive, 120-page bibliography of selected World Bank publications. As the book notes, many World Bank publications and a collection of data and statistics are available for free at Documents and Reports and The World Bank Open Data, respectively. Tenney (The Citadel) is a former International Monetary Fund staff member; Salda formerly worked for the Joint Bank-Fund Library. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readers. * CHOICE * The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) plays an influential and often high-profile role in the economic development of many contemporary developing countries. Not only does it lend money, provide technical assistance, and influence economic and financial policies to these countries, but the adoption of its programs is seen as a stamp of approval that opens access to private international capital for a country. Despite this high-profile and often controversial role played by the bank, there are few sources that provide adequate information about the history, structure, and operation of the bank and its affiliate institutions. Historical Dictionary of the World Bank fills this gap. The 421-page book provides copious information about the World Bank that has hitherto not been available in any single volume. Both the entries and the bibliography sections have been significantly expanded since the publication of the 1st edition (1997). . . .The book is . . . well written. By putting the activities of the World Bank in a historical context, this book will do more to educate the public about the bank than any effort the bank itself may produce. The dictionary is recommended for all who are interested in the activities of the World Bank. * American Reference Books Annual *

This second edition is an update and expansion of the first, written by Anne Salda (1997), and draws on scholarly studies of the World Bank and on publications by the bank itself. Entries are generally clear and concise and range from a single paragraph to several pages in length. The authors claim to use the same language as any original source document whenever possible. Within an entry, terms in boldface are cross-references that indicate other entries in the dictionary. See also references are in all caps and signify other entries or terms that are related to or on the same topic as the entry (but not used in the entry). Also included are a brief chronology of important dates in the bank's history-from its founding in 1944 through 2012-and a list of acronyms and abbreviations. The introduction is a brief history of the bank. Readers will find a very extensive, 120-page bibliography of selected World Bank publications. As the book notes, many World Bank publications and a collection of data and statistics are available for free at Documents and Reports and The World Bank Open Data, respectively. Tenney (The Citadel) is a former International Monetary Fund staff member; Salda formerly worked for the Joint Bank-Fund Library. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readers. CHOICE

Author Information

Sarah Tenney has worked for many years with the International Monetary Fund and also for the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings and is presently assistant professor of political science at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. She is the author of the companion volume Historical Dictionary of the International Monetary Fund. Anne C. Salda, the author of the first edition, was a staff member of the Joint Bank-Fund Library in Washington, D.C. from 1966 until her retirement in 1987. As the Library's Bibliography Librarian, she was responsible for its monthly list of periodical articles, and its collection of research papers. At present she is focusing on the bank’s efforts to adapt its existing policies and practices to meet the needs of its new members in a changing world.

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