Introduction: Broken promises and the gods of lending -- Managing for mediocrity -- The economist managers -- Confucius and the Bank -- Feeding the beast -- Groping in the dark -- And darkness was upon the face of the implementers -- A very special account -- Playing with the books -- "C" is for corruption -- As the train left the station -- A new regime -- The Potemkin village -- Death by a thousand cuts -- Alhaji the car dealer -- Bigger than Wal-Mart -- Lamin tells all -- In the eye of the beholder -- And the dance begins -- The fifty-year dilemma -- The cost of corruption -- So easy to steal -- The essence of knowledge -- Reporting the truth -- Money can't buy happiness -- Taming the gods of lending.