Money: From Bronze to Bitcoin, the True Story of a Made-up Thing (Paperback)
Jacob Goldstein (author)- 5+ in stock
Humans invented money from nothing, so why can't we live without it? And why does no one understand what it really is? In this lively tour through the centuries, Jacob Goldstein charts the story of this paradoxical commodity, exploring where money came from, why it matters and whether bitcoin will still exist in twenty years.
Full of interesting stories and quirky facts - from the islanders who used huge stones as a means of exchange to the merits of universal basic income - this is an indispensable handbook for anyone curious about how money came to make the world go round.
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 9781786495723
Number of pages: 272
Weight: 237 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 20 mm
Edition: Main
MEDIA REVIEWS
Entertaining... [Goldstein's] strength is historical sweep, from the clay balls recording debts in Mesopotamia 5,000 years ago to decentralised encrypted electronic currencies including bitcoin. * Financial Times *
A roller coaster ride through the history of one of humanity's strangest and most consequential inventions. This is a gripping, mind-bending story, and you couldn't ask for a better storyteller than Jacob Goldstein. * Tim Harford, author of How To Make The World Add Up *
A lucid, entertaining explainer of all things economic.
* Ira Glass, host and producer of This American Life *You may also be interested in...
“Money - truth or fiction?”
Money. What is it? We all have it, some more than others, but do we really understand what we have? Do we believe we have something but, when analysed, find we have nothing? How real is that thing we know as MONEY?... More
“A different take on the history of money”
A really interesting read, and a different take on the history of money. Goldstein's writing style is accessible and journalistic - we are taken on a romp through the history of money, not covering the whole... More
Please sign in to write a review
Sign In / Register
Sign In
Download the Waterstones App
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
Click & Collect
Alternatively, for multiple items you may find it easier to add to basket, then pay online and collect in as little as 2 hours, subject to availability.