Philip CogganReseñas

Lots of interesting stuff in this book: my favorite part of it is easily the section that takes a historical look at money and its forms over the years. I had no idea economies changed so much when they were tied to the gold standard; I find that so much more fascinating than looking at economic equations and "general principles". Would enjoy reading a whole book of that, with more small stories and stuff. The predictions about the future are pretty interesting.

In the year of the global health pandemic we should pause and give thanks for what global trade has delivered to us beyond just stomping on worker's rights and the natural world. Its done plenty of that, but its also glorious and wonderful in many ways. Here's how. A splendid big picture history of global trade from the very beginning, seven thousand years ago.

Simply doesn't answer the exam question.

The early stuff is great: explaining declining turnouts, increasing apathy - with data to back it up. It then pads out most of the rest of the book with fairly paint-by-numbers economic history that doesn't address the topic in the title, before returning briefly to voting systems at the end of the book. I suspect Coggan wanted to write a different book.

The biggest crime for me is the misrepresentation of the UK referendum on the alternative vote in 2011. He consistently calls it 'the UK rejecting PR' (which it wasn't). Makes me wonder how much else he got wrong in here.½

A very readable history of debt and money in a journalistic style that doesn't feature ranting, blaming the 'idle' poor, blaming the 'parasite' rich, shadowy international cabals of super criminals or any of of the weird and not at all wonderful theories that seem to be used to avoid asking questions like: why did we let our (Western) Governments get so amazingly in debt. Some of the suggested answers here may well surprise the uninitiated.

So if you're looking for someone to lynch, rich or poor, don't bother. If you're looking for a some understanding and comparisons about the money madness going on in the world right now with what's gone on before, and currency issues have been going on for a LONG time now, you should be here.

A very readable history of debt and money in a journalistic style that doesn't feature ranting, blaming the 'idle' poor, blaming the 'parasite' rich, shadowy international cabals of super criminals or any of of the weird and not at all wonderful theories that seem to be used to avoid asking questions like: why did we let our (Western) Governments get so amazingly in debt. Some of the suggested answers here may well surprise the uninitiated.

So if you're looking for someone to lynch, rich or poor, don't bother. If you're looking for a some understanding and comparisons about the money madness going on in the world right now with what's gone on before, and currency issues have been going on for a LONG time now, you should be here.

Very good, very clear

An extremely clear narrative that combines economic theory and economic history (please - don't glaze over; this stuff is important just now)to explain how we ended up where we've ended up. At its heart is the unending battle between debtors and creditors, why we all had to come off the gold standard, and the role that government plays in bending the rules of the game. Essential reading.