It's Not All about Money: Memoirs of a Private Banker

In this surprisingly warm and wise memoir, banker and first-time author Baer recounts his privileged but accomplished life, taking readers from Zurich to New York and back again, with stops around the globe. Following his father's death at the end of 1940, Baer's mother took him and his siblings to America, where he attended private schools, fell in love with New York and, ultimately, made the difficult decision to return to Zurich to follow in his father's footsteps at the family banking firm, the Julius Baer Group. Highly knowledgeable regarding shifting political and economic climates worldwide, Baer's perspective-on everything from banking to the 9/11 attacks to music and friendships-is clear-eyed and intriguing, especially his honest account of the banking world's reaction to the World Jewish Congress's attempts to win back the assets of Holocaust victims. Though an unremitting cascade of names may frustrate, Baer's account is a smart, personal look at the international challenges of the post-war world, as well as a life lived well through philanthropy, the arts and rich relationships, with a motivational streak that should connect even with those who don't have a successful Swiss financial institution on their side. 32 pages of b&w photos.