Weatherford Jack. The History of Money: From Sandstone to Cyberspace

Three Rivers Press, 1997. — 288 p.Of all the changes that are rocking the world and promising to leave it a far less recognizable place, perhaps none is more fundamental than the revolutionary transformation of the meaning and use of money. As Jack Weatherford makes clear, we are already seeing the beginning of the third revolution of money. The first began with the invention of coins in Lydia nearly three thousand years ago and resulted in the original system of open and free markets. The second revolution occurred during the Italian Renaissance and eventually created the system of national banks and the paper money used for daily commerce. Now, on the cusp of the twenty-first century, we are undergoing another era in monetary history - that of electronic, or virtual, money. The new money will be responsible for radical changes in the international political economy and the organization of commercial enterprises. Weatherford weaves global stories and histories to give a comprehensive, engaging look at the history of the world in terms of our dealings with money and barter, wealth and power. From the markets of Timbuktu to the New York Stock Exchange, from the tribal man's hut to the modern corporate boardroom, The History of Money explores how money and the myriad forms of exchange have affected humanity. All aspects of our lives - economic, political, and personal - are influenced by money. And while we have progressed into an extremely sophisticated international exchange, some basic facts have remained the same: We still exchange money for services and goods; debt is not a new concept; and money does, indeed, make the world go round.Foreword: Reinventing MoneyIntroduction: The World Market
The Money Net • Cash Configuration • A Language All Nations Understand
Classic Cash
Cannibals, Chocolate, and Cash
Chocolate Cash • Commodity Money • Modern Commodities • The Love of Gold • Protomoney
The Fifth Element
As Rich as Croesus • The Market Revolution • The Greek Genius • The First Economists
The Premature Death of Money
An Empire Financed by Conquest • The Government Glut • The First Welfare State • Profits from Persecution • The Road to Feudalism
Knights of Commerce
The Virgin Bankers • The Dangers of Success • The Rise of the Italian Banking Families • The Magic of Bank Money
The Renaissance: New Money for Old Art
Too Much History for One City • First among Equals • The Monetary Mystery of Numbers • Banking on the Renaissance
The Golden Curse
Treasures of the Americas • The Bridge of Silver • The Price Revolution: From Riches to Rags • Baroque Gold • The Money Culture
Paper Money
The Birth of the Dollar
The Spread of the Dollar • The Pacific Dollar • The Last Silver Dollar
The Devil's Mint
Mulberry Money • The Duke of Arkansas • The Father of Paper Money • A Continental Experiment • The Mint of Mammon
Metric Money
America Goes Decimal • The Metric Fetish • The Scientific Revolution •
The Gold Bug
The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street • A Tale of Two Cities • Gold Discipline • The Queen's Portrait
The Yellow Brick Road
From Wildcats to Greenbacks • The Cross of Gold and the Wizard of Oz
The Golden Playpen of Politics
The Nationalization of Gold • Nixon's Folly
Electronic Money
Wild Money and the Stealth Tax
Cocaine Cash • 4.2 Trillion Marks to the Dollar • New Hyperinflation • The Hidden Tax
The Cash Ghetto
A Culture of Poverty • The Informal Economy • Cash Value
Interlude in Plastic
Democratic Debt and Socialist Risk • The Magic Card • Platinum Prestige • Middle-Class Perks
The Erotic Life of Electronic Money
Invisible Money • The Vending Machine Holdup
Electronic Cash Wars • Back to Primitive Money
The Art of Currency Terror
Computer Kids • Bellum Omnium in Omnes • "The AIDS of Our Economies"
The Age of Money