Money: The Unauthorized Biography--From Coinage to Cryptocurrencies -- Felix Martin, Paperback

What is money, and how does it work? In this tour de force of political, cultural, and economic history, Felix Martin challenges nothing less than our conventional understanding of one of humankind's greatest inventions. Martin describes how the Western idea of money emerged in the ancient world, and was shaped over the centuries by tensions between sovereigns and the emerging middle classes. Money, he argues, has always been an intensely political instrument, and that it is our failure to remember this that led to the crisis in our financial system and the Great Recession. He concludes with practical solutions for making money serve us--and, in an introduction and epilogue new to this edition, a discussion of what Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies mean for money's future. From John Locke to Montesquieu, from Sparta to the Soviet Union, Money is a far-ranging and magisterial work of history and economics, with profound implications for the world today.

Author: Felix Martin
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 01/06/2015
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.30h x 4.80w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780345803559

Review Citation(s):
New York Times Book Review 03/22/2015 pg. 28

About the Author

Felix Martin was educated in Britain, Italy and the United States and holds degrees in classics, international relations, and economics, including a doctorate in economics from Oxford University. He worked for the World Bank and for the European Stability Initiative think tank and is currently a partner in the fixed-income division at Liontrust Asset Management PLC. He lives in London.