Book excerpt: The global financial crisis has led to more and more focus on corporate governance and financial institutions. There has been much coverage in the media about various corporate governance related issues in banks and other financial institutions, such as executive directors' remuneration and bankers' bonuses, board composition and board diversity. This book, dedicated to the corporate governance of banks and other financial institutions, makes a timely and accessible contribution to the literature in this area. The contributors are experts in their field with in-depth knowledge of the various countries including Italy, the UK, Germany, the US, China, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Australia and Nigeria, plus a chapter on Islamic financial institutions, covered in this book. Overall, the engagingly written chapters highlight many of the shortcomings of corporate governance which have led to financial scandals, whilst indicating areas where corporate governance can be strengthened and improved. Adding depth and accessibility to existing corporate governance books, this Handbook is ideal as a teaching and learning tool for undergraduate and postgraduate students. For directors and the general business and wider stakeholder communities concerned with corporate governance, it is an essential resource. Contributors:C.L. Ahmadjian, K.-J. Chang, M.J. Conyon, F. Cuomo, H. Farag, L. He, H.-Y Liang, I. Love, C.A. Mallin, C. Ogbechie, B. Okhunjanov, G. Pearson, S. Prigge, R.F. Schiozer, O.K. Tam, P.R.S. Terra, A. Zattoni