The Banker’s top 10 bright ideas for potential limitless returns on investment. Report by Charles Piggott.

Sometimes a telling quote can be more profound than the entire book... and it certainly involves less reading. The Banker’s editors sat down and thought about the books, throughout history, that have had the most impact on business and finance and the most famous quotes from them. Here is their Top 10 selection. The star choice, which is especially relevant to the current crisis, is from the late John Kenneth Galbraith’s A Short History of Financial Euphoria.

Tim Congdon laments the fact that academic monetary theory has become so technical, abstruse and remote from day-to-day practicality, that busy decision-takers in banking may start ignoring it.

The world of green initiatives is opening up to investors – whether green or sceptic – as banks create climate change-related financial products and indices. Silvia Pavoni reports.

As banks seek growth in segments of the world’s population among whom penetration is low, Kris Gopalakrishnan explains how technology can help them achieve a return on their investments.

India’s economic momentum along with its global ambitions are growing rapidly. But gaping holes in the range of financial products on offer required by firms for efficient capital raising and risk management could hold back further progress. Geraldine Lambe reports.

The three-way acquisition of ABN AMRO by RBS, Santander and Fortis proved a remarkable collaborative effort, as Fortis CEO Jean-Paul Votron tells Geraldine Lambe.

After Barclays failed to gain control of ABN AMRO, president Bob Diamond focuses on the positive elements of the bank’s position. Interview by Brian Caplen.

Credit Suisse fared well during the subprime crisis. Brian Caplen asks CEO Brady Dougan what underlies the bank’s new stability and what it is planning for the year ahead.

Recent turmoil shows the internal risk models of many banks are inadequate, underestimating the degree of risk exposure. The Basel Committee must therefore conduct further study before allowing banks to use the internal ratings based (IRB) approach for calculating regulatory capital, says Harald Benink.