The History of Money: A Story of Humanity

This book claims that money isn’t just metal discs, paper, or pixels on a screen; it’s the greatest collective fiction humanity ever decided to trust. It retells the epic story of money from clay-tablet IOUs of ancient Sumer to bitcoins. Along the way are references to Roman urine taxes, Rai stones, and citizens using billion-mark notes as wallpaper.

The book is chronologically arranged in five parts, each with three to five chapters. Each chapter is built around a monetary breakthrough or meltdown. It starts with credit in Mesopotamia, and moves on to Greek silver, Chinese paper money, the concept of zero, England’s tally-stick system, the gold standard, the creation of central banks, fiat currency, and finally crypto. The pages are peppered with sharp sidebars, irreverent footnotes, and a helping of humor – no equations, virtually no charts, and no deep discussion of economic theory.

Enthusiasm for money and humor reeks through the narrative. The text fluidly weaves money into religion, war, and art. The anecdotes are unforgettable, the pace relentless, and the prose delightful. The book’s scope and objective sometimes sacrifice depth for memorable anecdotes. Chapters on the creation of the Federal Reserve, the eurozone crises, and cryptocurrency feel rushed. Overall, a great book for general readers interested in economic history.