The Bankers: The Next Generation The New Worlds Money Credit Banking Electronic Age [Hardcover]Mayer, a noted financial journalist, revisits the banking industry, which he covered over 20 years ago in a seminal book that was also called The Bankers (LJ 2/1/75). The world has changed since then, and Mayer acknowledges that the role of banks has likewise altered. Now banks offer myriad nonbanking services ranging from insurance to mutual funds. Technology has dramatically affected banks, so much so that Mayer questions why we even need them, when an automated teller machine (ATM) can dispense cash and even loans, and a computer allows for transactions in cybercash over the Internet. Still, Mayer cogently argues for the need for banks and their role as an intermediary that can help Americans with simple or complex financial transactions as we enter the 21st century