A dramatic account of one of the most spectacular economic melt-downs of modern times; "an extraordinary tale of bad policy and financial gluttony." ( Wall Street Journal ) In 2001 Argentina suffered one of the most sensational crashes in modern history. With it came appalling social and political chaos, a collapse of the peso, and a wrenching downturn that threw millions into poverty and left nearly one-quarter of the workforce unemployed. Paul Blustein shows how the IMF turned a blind eye to the vulnerabilities of its star pupil, and exposes the conduct of global financial market players in Argentina as redolent of the scandals-like those at Enron, WorldCom and Global Crossing-that rocked Wall Street in recent years. By going behind the scenes of Argentina"s rise and fall, Blustein shows with unmistakable clarity how sadly elusive the path of hope and progress remains to the great bulk of humanity still mired in poverty and underdevelopment.