Exposing the heart and soul of the International Monetary Fund

Magnum Photographer Eli Reed has joined forces with the acclaimed author Liaquat Ahamed to provide a new insight into one of the world’s most influential institutions - the International Monetary Fund.
Japan. Tokyo. 2012. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the the International Monetary Fund poses with IMF governors at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting, October 2012. Picture by Eli Reed/MAGNUM PHOTOSJapan. Tokyo. 2012. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the the International Monetary Fund poses with IMF governors at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting, October 2012. Picture by Eli Reed/MAGNUM PHOTOS
Japan. Tokyo. 2012. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the the International Monetary Fund poses with IMF governors at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting, October 2012. Picture by Eli Reed/MAGNUM PHOTOS

Mr Reed, who is best known for his work documenting everyday life in war-torn Beirut and US military action in Panama, photographs the people behind the scenes at the IMF for the new book. Money and Tough Love.

Mr Ahamed accompanies the IMF from Washington to the World Bank and IMF annual meeting in Tokyo and on missions to Dublin and Mozambique to reveal the human stories behind the headlines, from chatting about the economy with Irish taxi drivers to gin and tonics with the governor of Mexico’s central bank.

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“With the same urbane charm that he displayed in his tour de force on 20th century central bankers, Lords of Finance, Liaquat Ahamed now takes us on a witty, insightful journey into the heart - and the soul - of the 21st century’s most improbable financial institution, the IMF,” said Roger Lowenstein, author of When Genuis Failed.

Money and Tough Love: On Tour with the IMF is the second title from Writers in Residence, a set of books that bring together renowned writers and photographers to reveal the normally faceless organizations that shape the modern world. It is published by Visual Editions.

Mr Ahamed, a professional investment manager for 25 years, exposed the personal stories of the bankers at the heart of the 1929 Wall Street crash.

Mr Reed was the first full-time black photographer employed by Magnum Agency.