From the back of the book: For years, wealth and power have been indelibly linked, and those with fortunes greater than some Third World countries have guided history with a confident hand. Back room deals and clandestine bargains have determined the fate of nations and the petty desires of a select and secretive elite have touched the lives of every man, woman, and child on the planet. Now, a decades-old gentleman's agreement and a dangerous game of brinksmanship threaten to plunge the world into ultimate disaster.