Money: A Story of Humanity

MONEY.

The object of our desires. The engine of our genius. Humanity’s greatest invention.

Whether we like it or not, our world revolves around money, yet we rarely stop to think about it. What exactly is money, where does it come from, and can it run out? What is this force that drives trade, ignites revolutions, fuels discoveries and inspires art, philosophy, and science?

In Money: A Story of Humanity, economist David McWilliams takes readers on a fascinating and often irreverent journey through the history of money.

From ancient Africa’s tally sticks to Republican Greece’s coins, medieval Arab mathematics, the fervor of the French Revolution, and the birth of the US dollar, McWilliams tracks humanity’s complex relationship with currency, right up to today’s cryptocurrency era.

Along the way, he introduces us to innovators and disruptors whose ideas about money have reshaped societies and sparked progress over the last 5,000 years.

This illuminating narrative explores how money has continuously evolved, acting as a catalyst for human ingenuity and societal transformation.