A Comprehensive Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of Money

Broken Money explores the history of money through the lens of technology. Politics can affect things temporarily and locally, but technology is what drives things forward globally and permanently. The book's goal is for the reader to walk away with a deep understanding of money and monetary history, both in terms of theoretical foundations and in terms of practical implications.

From shells to gold, from papyrus bills of exchange to central banks, and from the invention of the telegraph to the creation of Bitcoin, Lyn Alden walks the reader through the emergence of new technologies that have shaped what we use as money over the ages. And beyond that, Alden explores the concept of what money is at its very foundation to give the reader a framework to analyze and compare different types of monetary technologies and monetary theories.

The book also takes a distinctively human look at how money impacts the lives of real people, and how new monetary technologies shape the power structures within society.

In the modern era, energy abundance and technological enhancements have broadly improved human well-being, but the global monetary system has been slow to keep up. There are over 160 active currencies in the world, each with a local monopoly over its own country, and with little or no acceptance elsewhere. Many of them are rapidly diluted, which continually devalues the savings and the wages of the billions of people who live and work within those jurisdictions. Being born in the wrong country makes saving money far harder than it needs to be.

Nigeria has a population of over 200 million people and has averaged 13% annualized inflation over the past decade. Egypt cut its currency in half relative to the dollar twice over the past decade, which instantly devalued the savings and wages of its 100 million citizens. Dozens of countries have experienced at least triple-digit year-over-year inflation within the past four decades, including Brazil that outright hyperinflated in the 1990s while it was the fifth most populous country in the world.

Europe and Japan had $18 trillion worth of negative-yielding bonds in 2019, right before a wave of inflation wiped their purchasing power away. In 2021, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve dismissed the idea that the sharp rise in the money supply from the pandemic stimulus would lead to price inflation. By 2022, as major inflation emerged, the chairman rapidly changed his outlook and tightened monetary policy so quickly that it led to the failure of some of the largest banks in the country.

How did we get to this point? Why isn't our money better than this in the 21st century? Broken Money answers these questions by examining the current mix of technology that has led to these limitations, and then explores emerging technologies that may be able to provide us with a monetary system that is fit for the modern era.

This edition of Super Imperialism is the finalized version of the analysis that Michael Hudson first published in the wake of President Nixon severing the dollar's link to gold in August 1971. Closing the gold window had been imminent since the London Gold Pool was disbanded in 1968 in response to the U.S. overseas military spending that had pushed the balance of payments into steadily deepening deficit since the Korean War (1950-51).

Money facilitates the billions of transactions that take place every day across the globe. Using 'need to know' boxes, step-by-step diagrams, and other eye-catching visuals, How Money Works shows you how this is possible. It explains economic theories, how governments raise and control money, what goes on in the stock exchange, how analysts predict where shares are heading, and many other issues. It busts jargon, explaining terms such as quantitative easing, cash flow, bonds, superannuation, and the open market.

This must-have guide to money further features:

Key financial concepts in a uniquely visual way, using bold infographics combined with simple, jargon-free language. Genuinely comprehensive, covering every aspect of money - personal, business, and governmental. Defines hundreds of money-related terms, such as cash flow, bonds, superannuation, and the open market. Offers essential basic know-how on everything from managing debt to online fraud. Fully up-to-date, covering topics such as cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Litecoin, and others) and quantitative easing. Includes localizable appendix of territory specific reference information.

Our forefathers may have used simple bartering to exchange goods and services, but today we depend on complicated financial instruments for pensions, life assurance, mortgages, and more.
How Money Works explains how these work, as well as how to avoid on-line fraud and where to invest. With information on the latest forms of funding and currencies such as Bitcoin, this comprehensive book will fast track you to financial literacy and getting the most from your hard-won cash.

How much money are you leaving on the table?

Are you tired of leaving money on the table when prospects and customers compare you to inferior competition who can do the same thing for cheaper? Does fear of losing customers and sales volume cause your team to underprice and over-discount?

It's time to break free from fear-based pricing and earn the profits that reflect the true value you've worked hard to create. Fearless Pricing provides the tools, strategies, and mindset shifts your team needs to price with confidence and command higher margins.

Speaker, author, and pricing expert Casey Brown exposes the myths that trap businesses in a cycle of underpricing and offers proven tactics to overcome them. Packed with real-world examples, actionable strategies, and powerful insights, Fearless Pricing is your blueprint for transforming how you think, talk, and make decisions about pricing.

In this book, you'll learn how to:

• Ignite Your Team: Build a powerful pricing culture that energizes your organization to drive sustainable growth and profitability.
• Own Your Value: Develop the mindset and language to confidently articulate your value to customers without apology.
• Command What You Deserve: Master the strategies to set and defend higher prices, securing the margins that match your value.

Overcome the limitations that sabotage pricing success and hold your business back. Stop second-guessing your prices and start commanding what you deserve. Fearless Pricing will show you how.

Harness value. Price with confidence. Unleash profits.

Antony helps us all clearly understand the mechanics of bitcoin and blockchain. ―Rob Findlay, Founder, Next Money

#1 Best Seller in Investing Derivatives and Natural Resource Extraction Industry, Futures Trading, Banks & Banking, Energy & Mining, Monetary Policy, and Computers & Technology

There's a lot written on cryptocurrency and blockchains. But, for the uninitiated, most of this information can be indecipherable. The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains provides a clear guide to this new currency and the revolutionary technology that powers it.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies. Gain an understanding of a broad spectrum of Bitcoin topics including the history of Bitcoin, the Bitcoin blockchain, and Bitcoin buying, selling, and mining. Learn how payments are made, and how to put a value on cryptocurrencies and digital tokens.

Blockchain technology. What exactly is a blockchain, how does it work, and why is it important? The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains answers these questions and more. Learn about notable blockchain platforms, smart contracts, and other important facets of blockchains and their function in the changing cyber-economy.

Things to know before buying cryptocurrencies. Find trustworthy and balanced insights into Bitcoin investing and investing in other cryptocurrency. Discover the risks and mitigations, learn how to identify scams, and understand cryptocurrency exchanges, digital wallets, and regulations.

Learn about:

• Blockchain technology and how it works
• Workings of the cryptocurrency market
• Evolution and potential impacts of Bitcoin and blockchains on global businesses

You've read books such as Blockchain Bubble or Revolution, Cryptoassets, Blockchain Technology Explained, Blockchain Revolution, The Bitcoin Standard, Mastering Bitcoin, or Bitcoin For Dummies, but to really understand the technology read The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains.

Prophecies that the dollar will lose its status as the world's dominant currency have echoed for decades--and are increasing in volume. Cryptocurrency enthusiasts claim that Bitcoin or other blockchain-based monetary units will replace the dollar. Foreign policy hawks warn that China's renminbi poses a lethal threat to the greenback. And sound money zealots predict that mounting US debt and inflation will surely erode the dollar's value to the point of irrelevancy.

Contra the doomsayers, Paul Blustein shows that the dollar's standing atop the world's currency pyramid is impregnable, barring catastrophic policy missteps by the US government. Recounting how the United States has wielded the dollar to impose devastating sanctions against adversaries, Blustein explains that although targets such as Russia have found ways to limit the damage, Washington's financial weaponry will retain potency long into the future. His message, however, is that America must not be complacent about the dollar; the great power that its supremacy confers comes with commensurate responsibility.

From financial crises, to pandemic price-spikes, to recurring cycles of inflation, everyone agrees: the economy has seen better days.

But as soon as pundits and politicians start discussing economics, things get murky. Most books ask more questions than they answer.

Most books...but not this one.

Judy Shelton--Senior Fellow at Independent Institute, former Chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy, and critically acclaimed monetary economist--has written a book with answers.

And not a moment too soon.

With clarity and moral courage, Shelton charts the course to a brighter future. She's one of the few economists bold enough to challenge the inflationary policies of the Federal Reserve, emphasizing how today's policies enrich elites at the expense of--you guessed it--poor and middle-class Americans. This, Shelton insists, must end. And it can end--easily.

But Shelton doesn't stop there. Her vision is for not only America but also for people around the world. Global, economic upliftment, she insists, need not come at the expense of domestic prosperity. We can have both--but not without a sound and stable U.S. currency.

And history is very clear on this point. When the U.S. dollar is backed by gold, America prospers, and so does the rest of the world. In this book, Shelton casts a powerful vision that is as revolutionary as it is time-tested...a vision that shows how the future American dollar can perform as good as gold...

...or even better.

But this is no curmudgeonly demand to return to the gold standard of yore. Neither is it a demand to return to the Bretton Woods era. Instead, Shelton offers something new: an explanation of how we can use gold for a new international monetary order. Step by step, she lays out how gold can provide a universal measure of value across borders, create new financial opportunities, and dramatically increase prosperity around the world.

If you care about the poor, rich, and everyone in between, you have to read this book ... and discover:

- how price stability functions as the foundation for productive economic growth;

- how political freedom and economic freedom are fundamentally linked ... and how one cannot exist without the other;

- how to reconcile the stability of America's domestic currency in a global context;

- the proper role of government in the economy;

- and much, much more ...

Writing with a sober but hopeful voice, Shelton is no ordinary economist. With grace, intellectual rigor, and unmatched passion, this book is a must-read for anyone invested in the future of the American--and global--economy. You'll walk away with more answers than questions--a rare experience for anyone who reads about monetary policy.

From Bloomberg News reporter Saleha Mohsin, the untold story of how one of America's most invincible institutions--the Treasury--has used the U.S. dollar to define America's role in the world, and our economic future.

In 1995, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin re-defined the next thirty years of currency policy with the mantra, A strong dollar is in America's interest. That mantra held, ushering in exceptional prosperity and cheap foreign goods, but the strong dollar policy also played a role in the devastating hollowing out of America's manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, abroad, the United States increasingly turned to the dollar as a weapon of war. In Paper Soldiers, Saleha Mohsin reveals how the Treasury Department has shaped U.S. policy at home and overseas by wielding the American dollar as a weapon--and what that means in a new age of crisis.

For decades, America has preferred its currency superpower-strong, the basis of a strong dollar policy that attracted foreign investors and pleased consumers. Drawing on Mohsin's unparalleled access to current and former Treasury officials like Robert Rubin, Steven Mnuchin, and Janet Yellen, Paper Soldiers traces that policy's intended and unintended consequences, including the rise of populist sentiment and trade war with China--culminating in an unprecedented attack on the dollar's pristine status during the Trump presidency--and connects the dollar's weaponization from 9/11 to the deployment of crippling financial sanctions against Russia. Ultimately, Mohsin argues that, untethered from many of the economic assumptions of the last generation, the power and influence of the American dollar is now at stake.

With first-hand reporting and fresh analysis that illustrates the vast, often unappreciated power that the Treasury Department wields at home and abroad, Paper Soldiers tells the inside story of how we really got here--and the future not only of the almighty dollar, but the nation's teetering role as a democratic superpower.

This must-read classic on currency and credit covers the three areas of key interest -- the nature of money, the value of money, and money and banking. Economist and philosopher Ludwig von Mises presents his Theory of Money and Credit by first looking at the nature and value of money, why there is a demand for money, and how it is used as currency. He goes on to explain the purchasing power of money and how it determines economic and monetary policy, often in a way that results in financial melt-downs.

Never in modern history has there been a greater need for this book and others like it. All of its ideas and principles are coming true right before our eyes in today's economy and its problems.

How new technology is rapidly changing the nature of money and the way we pay

A diverse and growing range of financial institutions and platforms--from PayPal and Venmo to WeChat, Alipay, and the brave new world of stablecoins--has harnessed new technology to disrupt the system of money and payments as we know it. Beyond Banks explains why this disruption holds out the promise of faster, cheaper, more convenient, and more secure payments, but also how it increasingly risks exposing consumers, businesses, and governments to the problem of bad money.

Dan Awrey traces the origins of our current bundled system of banking, money, and payments. He explains why the problem of bad money--the result of antiquated and inadequate laws and regulation that fail to establish credible commitments to hold, transfer, or return a customer's money on demand--requires that policymakers fundamentally rethink their approach toward the design of the laws and institutions at the heart of this system. He presents ways to effectively unbundle banking from money and payments, ensure the credibility of monetary commitments, and promote the stability of this system. Awrey also envisions a more forward-looking role for policymakers in encouraging greater technological experimentation, competition, and innovation in the realm of payments.

Beyond Banks sheds critical light on the important but too often dysfunctional relationship among technology, regulation, and money, and lays the foundations for a safer, more nimble, and more inclusive system of money and payments.

Why cash is worth preserving in an increasingly cashless society

Over the last thirty years, we have witnessed a rapid transformation in the way that people pay for goods and services. Where we used to use cash for all but our largest purchases, many people now prefer credit cards, debit cards, cryptocurrency, and electronic services like Venmo, PayPal, or Alipay. And that's not necessarily a good thing.

In The Power of Cash: Why Using Paper Money is Good for You and Society, Professor Jay Zagorsky, former advisor to the Boston Federal Reserve, delivers a startlingly insightful and eye-opening discussion of the harmful and unintended consequences of the demise of paper money. The author convincingly argues that cash is an essential and helpful tool that's worth preserving for the long run.

You'll learn why using cash makes it easier to control your spending, secures your anonymity and privacy against bad actors intent on stealing your data, mitigates the chaos of climate change and war, and helps the poor, vulnerable, unbanked, and disenfranchised to navigate society. You'll also discover:

• When business and governments can refuse to take your paper money
• How cash maintains your privacy and anonymity from tech companies, hackers, banks, and others
• How cash ensures companies cannot charge you a high custom price
• The potential dangers of giving governments control and knowledge of your spending
• How cash controls additional fees and costs associated with electronic purchases

Perfect for anyone with an interest in the way we pay for the things we buy each and every day, The Power of Cash is also a must-read for people interested in the implications of a truly cashless society on personal finance, technology, politics, and social justice.

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.

Our Dollar, Your Problem argues that America's currency might not have reached today's lofty pinnacle without a certain amount of good luck. Drawing in part on his own experiences, including with policymakers and world leaders, Kenneth Rogoff animates the remarkable postwar run of the dollar--how it beat out the Japanese yen, the Soviet ruble, and the euro--and the challenges it faces today from crypto and the Chinese yuan, the end of reliably low inflation and interest rates, political instability, and the fracturing of the dollar bloc. Americans cannot take for granted that the Pax Dollar era will last indefinitely, not only because many countries are deeply frustrated with the system, but also because overconfidence and arrogance can lead to unforced errors. Rogoff shows how America's outsized power and exorbitant privilege can spur financial instability--not just abroad but also at home.

There is an economic storm brewing that threatens the sandy foundations of our monetary system. - From the Foreword by Russell Okung, Super Bowl Champion

Money is a fact of everyday life. We earn it, spend it and save it. We're tempted to worship it and to trust it to provide for our needs. While much has been written about the power, danger, and stewardship of money, little has been written about what money actually is and whether or not money itself is moral. That information gap has been exploited to enrich a privileged few, enslave millions, and reap confusion and division throughout the world. How did this happen and what can we do about it?

Thank God for Bitcoin explores the ways in which the current monetary system is broken and what can be done to fix it. It explores the creation of money, its corruption and its potential redemption. It looks at how Bitcoin is redeeming the ills of our corrupt monetary system and how the ongoing transition to sound money is a source of hope for a broken world.

Welcome to The Ultimate Money Saving Challenge Book & Monthly Budget Tracker, with 70 All New Fun and Exclusive Savings Challenges to Help you Easily Color Your Way to Your Savings Goals!

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