Why should a developing country surrender its power to create money by adopting an international currency as its own? This comprehensive book explores the currency problems that developing countries face and offers sound, practical advice for policymakers on how to deal with them. Manuel Hinds, who has extensive experience in real-world economic policy-making, challenges the myths that surround domestic currencies and shows the clear rationality for dollarization or the use of a standard international currency. The book opens with an entertaining story of the Devil who, through a series of common macroeconomic manoeuvres, coaches the President of a mythical country into financial ruin and purchases its entire assets for $1.50. The path this ruler took is one taken by several developing countries and has resulted in financial crises and political upheaval. Hinds goes on to introduce new ways of thinking about financial systems and monetary behavior in Third World countries. He provides an essential, incisive guide not only to making currency decisions but also to executing them successfully.

Manuel Hinds is a consultant to international institutions and governments on issues related to the financial system. He was chief advisor to the president of El Salvador on the dollarization of the country in 2000-2001, and before that served as minister of finance in El Salvador and as a staff member of, and then consultant to, the World Bank.

"Dollarization as a policy idea is much more discussed than tested. Manuel Hinds has helped put it to the test in El Salvador with some impressive results. This book makes a powerful argument: It should be read by all who wish to act or opine on the critical question of whether one country, one currency is right for the twenty-first century."--Lawrence Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and president of Harvard University

--Lawrence Summers