Two years ago, the Guido Carli Association, in collaboration with the Aspen Institute Italia, charged a group of distinguished economists to examine the problems created by the unsatisfactory functioning of the International Monetary System. The two resulting conferences were sponsored by the Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze (CESIFIN) and the Permanent Advisory Committee on the Euro and the Dollar (PACE&D). Their research had a two-fold aim. The first was an examination of the basic function of the International Monetary System with a special focus on the role the Euro would and should have. The second was the preparation of a list of recommendations on how to resolve the problems, financial problems in particular, affecting the entire world community. Last year, the group focused on efforts taking place in diverse financial institutions and universities to construct what has been called the `New International Financial Architecture'. This group considered the legal problems arising from European and international integration and, more generally, from the new architecture of the International Monetary System. This book, The New Architecture of the International Monetary System, is the final result of their efforts. It will be an invaluable resource for academics, professionals, and students alike.

In the short span of a few essays, this book takes the reader on a trip from the historical roots of the current financial architecture to the imaginable futures one can envision for it, only if there is the political will to change it. If we accept that, as put by the editors, financial markets' marginal imperfections are rather endemic pathologies, the consequences for the financial architecture have Copernican proportions. Every scholar and practitioner interested in the problems posed by the global economy at a critical moment when it has reached what looks like a dead end, will appreciate the refreshing inspiration offered by the authors that a star editing team has put together. Aldo Caliari, Director, Rethinking Bretton Woods Project, Center of Concern. The stagnation that we suffer since 2008 was originated by the global financial crisis of a system that is outside the control of national governments and has a dynamic of its own. In a few chapters, the book offers a historical account and a perspective of what could be a more rational financial system if there were political will to change it. All those interested in this topic will find in the ideas presented by this combination of authors, a deep understanding of the subject and inspiration for future research. Juan Carlos Moreno Brid, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. He is Professor at the Faculty of Economics, UNAM, Mexico. As the book authors argue, the financial institutional settings were profoundly modified in the 1970s, imposing new instruments, new mechanism, new institutions that revolutionized the world of finance, missing a central characteristic: financial regulations. In this context the book's conclusions are of outmost importance: taxes on financial activity, new ways of financial accounting, sovereign debts regulators as the new central bank supervisions are vital to overcome the present crisis and set the grounds for a new period of economic growth and development. Noemy Levy, Professor at the Faculty of Economics, UNAM, Mexico. Since the last 2008 economic crisis the implementation of a new financial institutionality is taking too much time, showing the current correlation of power. The discussions at multinational level require more action and inputs as those in this book. Congratulations! Katiuska King Mantilla from the Government of Ecuador.

Of findings of the Guido Carli Association's Second International Conference, P. Savona; introduction - a new architecture or a new system? A survey of international monetary reform in the 1990s, F. Saccomanni. Part I Economic contents: capital flows, exchange rates, and the new international financial architecture - six crises in search of a generic explanation, R.Z. Aliber; comment to Aliber's "Capital Flows, Exchange Rates, and The New International Financial Architecture: Six Crises in Search of a Generic Explanation", M. Fratianni; some lessons for bank regulation from recent crises, D.T. Llewellyn; comment to Llewellyn "Some Lessons for Regulation from Recent Bank Crisis", J.R. Shafer; international financial architecture and the economic renaissance in Europe, M.C. Watson; the present international monetary system - problems, complications and reforms, D. Salvatore; on monetary analysis of derivatives, P. Savona, et al; comment to Savona, Maccario and Oldani's "On Monetary Analysis of Derivatives", P.M. Oppenheimer; concluding remarks - some challenges for reformers and architects, A.K. Swoboda. Part II Legal aspects: new financial architectures and legal infrastructures towards a corrected and compensated international monetary system, A. Predieri; financial derivatives and private international law - some remarks, S.M. Carbone. (Part contents).

Recoge: 1. Introduction-2. Summary of recommendations-3. Standars for crisis prevention-4. Banks and capital flows-5. Bailing in the private sector-6. What won't work-7. What the IMF should do (and what we should do about the IMF).

Kenen (economics and international finance, Princeton University) reviews the reform efforts that followed the 1994-95 Mexican crisis, and evaluates their results in the time since then. He compares the existing efforts with the more radical recommendations of the Meltzer Report, and considers the implications of his analysis for the role of the IMF. He then offers his own recommendations for further reform. c. Book News Inc.