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Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How Its History Has Shaped Us
A New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller
From New York Times bestselling author Kabir Sehgal, an informative, rousing, surprising history of the one thing that makes the world go ' money.
The importance of money in our lives is readily apparent to everyone--rich, poor, and in between. However grudgingly, we are all aware of the power of money--how it influences our moods, compels us to take risks, and serves as the yardstick of success in societies around the world. Yet because we take the daily reality of money so completely for granted, we seldom question how and why it has come to play such a central role in our lives.
In The Rich Life of Money And How Its History Has Shaped Us , author Kabir Sehgal casts aside our workaday assumptions about money and takes the reader on a global quest to uncover a deeper understanding of the relationship between money and humankind. More than a mere history of its subject, Coined probes the conceptual origins and evolution of money by examining it through the multiple lenses of disciplines as varied as biology, psychology, anthropology, and theology. Coined is not only a profoundly informative discussion of the concept of money, but it is also an endlessly fascinating and entertaining take on the nature of humanity and the inner workings of the mind.
From New York Times bestselling author Kabir Sehgal, an informative, rousing, surprising history of the one thing that makes the world go ' money.
The importance of money in our lives is readily apparent to everyone--rich, poor, and in between. However grudgingly, we are all aware of the power of money--how it influences our moods, compels us to take risks, and serves as the yardstick of success in societies around the world. Yet because we take the daily reality of money so completely for granted, we seldom question how and why it has come to play such a central role in our lives.
In The Rich Life of Money And How Its History Has Shaped Us , author Kabir Sehgal casts aside our workaday assumptions about money and takes the reader on a global quest to uncover a deeper understanding of the relationship between money and humankind. More than a mere history of its subject, Coined probes the conceptual origins and evolution of money by examining it through the multiple lenses of disciplines as varied as biology, psychology, anthropology, and theology. Coined is not only a profoundly informative discussion of the concept of money, but it is also an endlessly fascinating and entertaining take on the nature of humanity and the inner workings of the mind.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 26, 2015
63 people are currently reading
1016 people want to read
About the author
Kabir Sehgal
28 books54 followersKabir Sehgal is a vice president in emerging market equities at J. P. Morgan in New York. He serves as an officer in the United States Navy Reserve, served as a speechwriter on a presidential campaign, and is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
He is the New York Times bestselling author of books including Coined, Walk in My Shoes (with Andrew Young), A Bucket of Blessings, and Jazzocracy.
A Grammy-winning producer who has performed with Grammy-winning musicians as a jazz bassist, he co-founded an arts organization which merged with the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance.
Sehgal is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the London School of Economics. He is a diehard Atlanta Braves fan.
To learn more about the author, visit CoinedBook.com.
He is the New York Times bestselling author of books including Coined, Walk in My Shoes (with Andrew Young), A Bucket of Blessings, and Jazzocracy.
A Grammy-winning producer who has performed with Grammy-winning musicians as a jazz bassist, he co-founded an arts organization which merged with the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance.
Sehgal is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the London School of Economics. He is a diehard Atlanta Braves fan.
To learn more about the author, visit CoinedBook.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 26, 2015
Coined is written as though the author were a very bright high school or college student, not quite versed in the way the world works, but eager to show off all the extensive scholastic research he's done to try to figure it out. If you like lots of footnotes, new and different rapid-fire academic references in almost every paragraph, and sentences like this...
"Researchers used brain scans to discover that the ventral pallidum (which is part of the ventral striatum that includes the nucleus accumbens) registered more activity when a pound was displayed."
...then this might be the book for you.
The author throws in some of his own personal experiences, but even those tend to display the wonderment of a young student just discovering the ways of the world for the first time. For example, the opening tale is when the author rode a cab in Jakarta, and the cab driver paid a passer-by to ride with them, so they could take the car pool lanes and get to their destination more quickly. The author then patiently explains to us that this mysterious and terrifying process wasn't a terrorist attack or kidnapping, but an economic transaction that benefitted all parties: The driver, the passenger, and the passer-by. Well, I could have saved you the trip to Jakarta -- come to Washington, D.C. and ask anyone here about a "slug line."
In another story, the author tells of the "experiment" he conducted with his colleagues when they went out to a bar for a few rounds of drinks. When it came his turn to pay for a round, the author refused to pay, to test his colleagues reaction. Know what he discovered? His colleagues got mad at him! The author then informs us that he found out there was apparently an implied agreement that he would repay his colleagues for the rounds that they picked up, by buying a round himself.
I got this book free as part of the Goodreads giveaway program. Perhaps there was an implied agreement that I would repay the free book by giving it a really good review in this round. But as the author demonstrated to his colleagues, it doesn't always work that way.
"Researchers used brain scans to discover that the ventral pallidum (which is part of the ventral striatum that includes the nucleus accumbens) registered more activity when a pound was displayed."
...then this might be the book for you.
The author throws in some of his own personal experiences, but even those tend to display the wonderment of a young student just discovering the ways of the world for the first time. For example, the opening tale is when the author rode a cab in Jakarta, and the cab driver paid a passer-by to ride with them, so they could take the car pool lanes and get to their destination more quickly. The author then patiently explains to us that this mysterious and terrifying process wasn't a terrorist attack or kidnapping, but an economic transaction that benefitted all parties: The driver, the passenger, and the passer-by. Well, I could have saved you the trip to Jakarta -- come to Washington, D.C. and ask anyone here about a "slug line."
In another story, the author tells of the "experiment" he conducted with his colleagues when they went out to a bar for a few rounds of drinks. When it came his turn to pay for a round, the author refused to pay, to test his colleagues reaction. Know what he discovered? His colleagues got mad at him! The author then informs us that he found out there was apparently an implied agreement that he would repay his colleagues for the rounds that they picked up, by buying a round himself.
I got this book free as part of the Goodreads giveaway program. Perhaps there was an implied agreement that I would repay the free book by giving it a really good review in this round. But as the author demonstrated to his colleagues, it doesn't always work that way.
December 14, 2018
Rich banker wants to write a book and so he travels to a bunch of places and regurgitates all the wrong theories of money. Oh and did I mention micro-credit? Don’t bother!
February 8, 2017
Latviešu valodā populārzinātniskas grāmatas iznāk daudz par maz. Protams, ne man pavēlēt izdevējiem izdot izglītojošu nozaru literatūru, bet, spriežot pēc esošās situācijas, cilvēki to praktiski nelasa. Patiešām izcilas grāmatas izdevniecības pārdod daudzus gadus par arvien zemākām cenām. Tādēļ katru reizi, kad iznāk kāda no populārzinātniskajām grāmatām, es cenšos pie viņas tikt. Šajā gadījumā gan sanāk nedaudz liekulīgi, jo nebalsoju par grāmatu ar savu naudas maku, bet izdevniecība man to iedeva apmaiņā pret godīgu atsauksmi.
Sāksim ar grāmatas anotāciju:
Kabīra Segala pētījumu rezultāts ir vienreizēja un aizraujoša grāmata par naudu ne tikai kā maksāšanas līdzekli, bet arī kā mūsu civilizācijas sastāvdaļu visos laikmetos. Grāmata savā ziņā maina lasītāju priekšstatus par naudu un ļauj paraudzīties uz to no cita skatpunkta, ļaujot ieraudzīt tās lomu un ietekmi uz ikviena cilvēka dzīvi. Autors pēta un apraksta naudu kā dzīvu būtni.
Ja būtu jāsaka pavisam godīgi, tad es grāmatu nesauktu par pētījumu, bet gan par konspektu. To es varu droši apgalvot, jo tā ir sanācis, ka es no autora izmantotās literatūras esmu izlasījis gandrīz visas grāmatas. Man šī grāmata atsvaidzināja atmiņā senāk un ne tik sen lasītas lietas. Autors pats no sevis ir ielicis tikai pāris gadījumus “no dzīves”, viss pārējais nāk no citām grāmatām. Viņš jau arī nemaz necenšas izgudrot riteni no jauna un godīgi atklāj savus avotus, un visur pieliek atsauces. Grāmata ir tāds savdabīgs rafinēts produkts, kas sevī ietvēris daudzu citu ekonomikas un naudas tēmu grāmatu būtiskāko un interesantāko.
Autors cenšas parādīt, un viņam tas izdodas, ka nauda ir ne tikai papīra vai metāla gabals, kuru mēs veikalā apmainām pret preci. Nauda cilvēkiem ir kaut kas vairāk, skaitot naudu smadzeņu darbošanās režīms kļūst apbrīnojami līdzīgs narkomāna smadzenēm. Naudas vēsture ir cieši saistīta ar civilizācijas vēsturi, pat vairāk - jau pirmatnējām sabiedrībām visticamāk ir bijis kāds naudas ekvivalents. Daudzi pētnieki uzskatā, ka tāds barters īsti nekad nemaz nav bijis, iespējams, tā lomu ir pildījušas parādsaistības. Lasot nodaļas par papīra un metāla naudām var uzzināt daudz ko interesantu. Papīra naudu pirmie sāka lietot ķīnieši, bet parādzīmes bija populāras jau no aizseniem laikiem. Par metāla monētām neviens nevar būt drošs, var piekrist apgalvojumam, ka pirmie tās lietoja Līdijā, bet nav izslēgts, ka ar laiku uzradīsies vēl kāda senāka monēta. Savukārt mūsdienu elektroniskā nauda, tā, kas ir nemateriāla, šķiet, ir radījusi nelielu vērtības sajūtas pārrāvumu, cilvēki to tērē brīvāk nekā skaidru naudu un daudz labprātāk uzņemas kredītsaistības.
Taču, ja lasītājs naudas tēmai ir pievērsies nesen, nav specializējies ekonomikas un monetārajās teorijās, tad viņam šī būs īsta medusmaize. Tā vietā, lai lasītu daudzas biezas (nenoliedzami interesantas) grāmatas un tērētu savu ierobežoto lasīšanas laiku, te viņš pāris vakaros varēs iegūt informāciju par visu būtiskāko. Es gan neieteiktu raut grāmatu cauri uzreiz, jo aprakstītās teorijas un fakti ir no tiem, kas tomēr prasa nelielu apdomāšanu un pastrīdēšanos ar autoru.
Piemēram, es personīgi nepiekritu autoram jau pirmajā nodaļā. It kā jau pirmajā acu uzmetienā nauda kā enerģijas ekvivalents skan visnotaļ patiesi. Maksājam jau par pakalpojumu vai produktu, kas bēc būtības ir darba atvasinājums. Taču visam tam klāt siet evolūciju un mēģināt vispārināt to uz tādu kā simbiozi, man šķita pārāk paviršs piegājiens, tāda maldīga analoģija. Viena nodaļa, kurā tika runāts pa naudas dvēseli, par vērtību sistēmām, morāles un ētikas kontekstā, man negāja pie sirds. Tajā, manuprāt, bija par daudz dažādu svēto rakstu citātu, kas vietumis bija atrauti no konteksta un izklāsts pretnostatījās visai pārējai grāmatai. Saprotu arī, ka nevar runāt par naudu un aizmirst reliģisko sabiedrības aspektu, tas ir svarīgs un būtisks.
Grāmatai lieku 9 no 10 ballēm, ja interesē atbilde uz jautājumu: kas ir nauda, tad droši lasi. Šī grāmata koncentrētā veidā sniegs informāciju, kas citkārt būtu jāmeklē pārdesmit citās grāmatās. Ja vēlāk vēlēsies, tad varēsi izlasīt arī tās. Savukārt cilvēkam, kurš par naudu jau ir labi informēts, šī atsvaidzinās un aktualizēs zināšanas par naudas vietu mūsu dzīvē.
Sāksim ar grāmatas anotāciju:
Kabīra Segala pētījumu rezultāts ir vienreizēja un aizraujoša grāmata par naudu ne tikai kā maksāšanas līdzekli, bet arī kā mūsu civilizācijas sastāvdaļu visos laikmetos. Grāmata savā ziņā maina lasītāju priekšstatus par naudu un ļauj paraudzīties uz to no cita skatpunkta, ļaujot ieraudzīt tās lomu un ietekmi uz ikviena cilvēka dzīvi. Autors pēta un apraksta naudu kā dzīvu būtni.
Ja būtu jāsaka pavisam godīgi, tad es grāmatu nesauktu par pētījumu, bet gan par konspektu. To es varu droši apgalvot, jo tā ir sanācis, ka es no autora izmantotās literatūras esmu izlasījis gandrīz visas grāmatas. Man šī grāmata atsvaidzināja atmiņā senāk un ne tik sen lasītas lietas. Autors pats no sevis ir ielicis tikai pāris gadījumus “no dzīves”, viss pārējais nāk no citām grāmatām. Viņš jau arī nemaz necenšas izgudrot riteni no jauna un godīgi atklāj savus avotus, un visur pieliek atsauces. Grāmata ir tāds savdabīgs rafinēts produkts, kas sevī ietvēris daudzu citu ekonomikas un naudas tēmu grāmatu būtiskāko un interesantāko.
Autors cenšas parādīt, un viņam tas izdodas, ka nauda ir ne tikai papīra vai metāla gabals, kuru mēs veikalā apmainām pret preci. Nauda cilvēkiem ir kaut kas vairāk, skaitot naudu smadzeņu darbošanās režīms kļūst apbrīnojami līdzīgs narkomāna smadzenēm. Naudas vēsture ir cieši saistīta ar civilizācijas vēsturi, pat vairāk - jau pirmatnējām sabiedrībām visticamāk ir bijis kāds naudas ekvivalents. Daudzi pētnieki uzskatā, ka tāds barters īsti nekad nemaz nav bijis, iespējams, tā lomu ir pildījušas parādsaistības. Lasot nodaļas par papīra un metāla naudām var uzzināt daudz ko interesantu. Papīra naudu pirmie sāka lietot ķīnieši, bet parādzīmes bija populāras jau no aizseniem laikiem. Par metāla monētām neviens nevar būt drošs, var piekrist apgalvojumam, ka pirmie tās lietoja Līdijā, bet nav izslēgts, ka ar laiku uzradīsies vēl kāda senāka monēta. Savukārt mūsdienu elektroniskā nauda, tā, kas ir nemateriāla, šķiet, ir radījusi nelielu vērtības sajūtas pārrāvumu, cilvēki to tērē brīvāk nekā skaidru naudu un daudz labprātāk uzņemas kredītsaistības.
Taču, ja lasītājs naudas tēmai ir pievērsies nesen, nav specializējies ekonomikas un monetārajās teorijās, tad viņam šī būs īsta medusmaize. Tā vietā, lai lasītu daudzas biezas (nenoliedzami interesantas) grāmatas un tērētu savu ierobežoto lasīšanas laiku, te viņš pāris vakaros varēs iegūt informāciju par visu būtiskāko. Es gan neieteiktu raut grāmatu cauri uzreiz, jo aprakstītās teorijas un fakti ir no tiem, kas tomēr prasa nelielu apdomāšanu un pastrīdēšanos ar autoru.
Piemēram, es personīgi nepiekritu autoram jau pirmajā nodaļā. It kā jau pirmajā acu uzmetienā nauda kā enerģijas ekvivalents skan visnotaļ patiesi. Maksājam jau par pakalpojumu vai produktu, kas bēc būtības ir darba atvasinājums. Taču visam tam klāt siet evolūciju un mēģināt vispārināt to uz tādu kā simbiozi, man šķita pārāk paviršs piegājiens, tāda maldīga analoģija. Viena nodaļa, kurā tika runāts pa naudas dvēseli, par vērtību sistēmām, morāles un ētikas kontekstā, man negāja pie sirds. Tajā, manuprāt, bija par daudz dažādu svēto rakstu citātu, kas vietumis bija atrauti no konteksta un izklāsts pretnostatījās visai pārējai grāmatai. Saprotu arī, ka nevar runāt par naudu un aizmirst reliģisko sabiedrības aspektu, tas ir svarīgs un būtisks.
Grāmatai lieku 9 no 10 ballēm, ja interesē atbilde uz jautājumu: kas ir nauda, tad droši lasi. Šī grāmata koncentrētā veidā sniegs informāciju, kas citkārt būtu jāmeklē pārdesmit citās grāmatās. Ja vēlāk vēlēsies, tad varēsi izlasīt arī tās. Savukārt cilvēkam, kurš par naudu jau ir labi informēts, šī atsvaidzinās un aktualizēs zināšanas par naudas vietu mūsu dzīvē.
November 17, 2015
Very dry. Kabir Sehgal speaks elementary to his readers when he tries to draw connections with phenomena; he rambles on in unnecessary explanation when he could have done one sentence referencing the metaphor (i.e. explaining in gruesome detail how bees pollinate and how it's similar to the concept of currency exchange). Would not recommend unless you're extremely interested in the psychology and history behind money.
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August 8, 2016"In this highly readable book, he offers an enthusiastic romp through the history, philosophy, and even the neuroscience of money, broken up by firsthand accounts akin to travelogue. The result is a frequently fascinating, occasionally platitudinous and loopy, but consistently entertaining account of the grand, pocket-size social contract that makes the world go round.
Coined is, as its name suggests, a somewhat improvisational collection of facts, theories, and anecdotes that, like the objects in a cabinet of curiosities, deliberately blurs the lines between the arts, literature, and natural science.
Money, in this book, is not some timeless medium of exchange but a shape-shifting creature that can take on new and ever more abstract forms, depending on the parties to the exchange and the kinds of societies they inhabit."
–Stephen Mihm on Kabir Sehgal's Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How its History Has Shaped Us in the April/May 2015 issue of Bookforum
To read the rest of this review, go to Bookforum:
http://bookforum.com/inprint/022_01
Coined is, as its name suggests, a somewhat improvisational collection of facts, theories, and anecdotes that, like the objects in a cabinet of curiosities, deliberately blurs the lines between the arts, literature, and natural science.
Money, in this book, is not some timeless medium of exchange but a shape-shifting creature that can take on new and ever more abstract forms, depending on the parties to the exchange and the kinds of societies they inhabit."
–Stephen Mihm on Kabir Sehgal's Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How its History Has Shaped Us in the April/May 2015 issue of Bookforum
To read the rest of this review, go to Bookforum:
http://bookforum.com/inprint/022_01
September 28, 2021
Book: Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How Its History Has Shaped Us
Author: Kabir Sehgal
Publisher: John Murray (14 January 2016)
Language: English
Paperback: 336 pages
Item Weight: 236 g
Dimensions: 13.5 x 2.2 x 19.9 cm
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Price: 458/-
Workers earn it, Spendthrifts burn it,
Bankers lend it, Women spend it,
Forgers fake it, Taxes take it,
Dying leave it, Heirs receive it,
Thrifty save it, Misers crave it,
Robbers seize it, Rich increase it,
Gamblers lose it... I COULD USE IT.
Perhaps the most widespread claim pertaining to the significance of money in our everyday life is the ethically neutral if comically exaggerated claim that ‘money makes the world go round’.
Equally embroidered but showing unfathomable insight is the biblical warning that ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’, proficiently altered by George Bernard Shaw into the fear that it is rather ‘the lack of money’ which is the root of all evil.
However, whether it is the love or in opposition the lack of money which is potentially sinful, the purpose of the statement in either case is to underscore the overpowering personal and moral worth of money to society in a way that gives a broader and deeper insight into its importance than simply stressing its basically economic aspects, as when we say that ‘money makes the world go round’.
Consequently whether we are speaking of money in simple, so called primitive communities or in much more advanced, complex and sophisticated societies, it is not enough simply to scrutinize the slender economic aspects of money so as to grasp its true meaning. To analyse the significance of money it must be largely studied in the context of the particular society concerned. It is a matter for the heart as well as for the head: feelings are reasons, too.
The traditional definition of money is that it’s a medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value. It likely originates from economist William Stanley Jevons’s 1875 text, Money and the Mechanism of Exchange. The definition adequately describes the economic function of money.
One of these ways is to see money as alive. It lives. It sleeps. It breathes. It adapts. That’s because we as humans are ever changing.
Ever since the creation of money, we have adapted it to better fit our needs, from precious metals to plastic. But just as we think we determine the form of money, it also shapes us. Our skin conductance increases at the thought of money. Our brains register money as a stimulus, so much so that the brain scan of someone about to receive a hit of cocaine is virtually indistinguishable from someone about to gain money.
Money has done to us what Pavlov did to his dog: Anticipated gain stimulates and conditions the brain.
Some scholars contend that money may have led to the creation or spread of religions. As coinage was invented in Greece, India, and China, leaders like Pythagoras, Buddha, and Confucius gained legions of followers.
Dealing with money is a central theme of many religious lessons.
In the Gospel of Matthew, eight of the ten parables reference money or wealth in some way. That money may shape our religious beliefs and rewires our neural circuitry reveals its ubiquitous and dynamic force on our lives. It encroaches in almost every part of our lives from birth, presenting gifts to a newborn; to death, receiving an inheritance; to the hereafter, buying indulgences to save the soul.
The author personifies money with the subtitle: ‘The Rich Life of Money and How Its History Has Shaped Us’ to highlight its influence. He also invokes a biographical device to serve as the organizational skeleton for this text.
This book, this life of money, is split into three segments: Mind, Body, and Soul.
The chapters are as follows:
Part I MIND: The Roots of an Idea
Chapter 1: It’s a Jungle Out There - The biology of exchange
Chapter 2: A Piece of My Mind - The psychology of money
Chapter 3: So in Debt - The anthropology of debt
Part II BODY: The Material Forms of Money
Chapter 4: Hard and Heavy - A brief history of hard money
Chapter 5: Some Like It Soft - A brief history of soft money
Chapter 6: Back to the Future - The future of money
Part III SOUL: A Symbol of Values
Chapter 7: Angel Investors - Religion and money
Chapter 8: Gilt Complex - The art on money
In the opening segment entitled ‘Mind’, the author asks “Why?” That is, why do we use money? He answers this question by using biology, psychology, and anthropology.
In chapter 1, the author travels to the Galapagos Islands in search of the origin of exchange. It’s a peculiar place to start. On these islands, he meets scientists who teach him about the evolutionary biological process and how exchange is elemental to life on this planet. Thus he traces the development and extension of the brain, and how the first signs of symbolic thought are found in cave drawings that were made tens of thousands of years ago.
In chapter 2, the book treks inside the brain, examining the psychology and neuroscience of financial decision making. The subconscious operates silently underneath the surface, making financial decisions even when we think we’re not.
For instance, the weather impacts how much one tips a waiter. The type of music playing in a store manipulates what type of wine one buys. There may even be a gene that decides whether someone is predisposed to making riskier financial decisions. The promise of neuroeconomics, the nexus of neuroscience and economics, may tell us more than conventional economic models ever did about human actions.
Neuroeconomics may reveal why we use money in the first place—or at least how to be more aware of the hidden forces guiding our financial decisions.
In chapter 3, the book observes the social brain, the collective wisdom of crowds. Some anthropologists contend that debt, not barter, was the forerunner to money. The book discovers how different cultures deal with social debt or gifts: the Maori people of New Zealand, residents of the Trobriand Islands in the Solomon Sea, the Kwakiutl people of the Pacific Northwest; even netizens who use Napster and Kickstarter. The author examines the edge of where the ‘gift economy’ ends and the ‘market economy’ begins. When market values reign supreme, and everything has a price, it can lead to the dark side of debt. When social debt is transformed into market debt, it may result in revolting practices like debt bondage and slavery.
In Section II entitled ‘Body’, the author asks “What?” That is, what is money? He answers this question by focusing on the physical forms of money all over the ages, and also on the likely futures of it.
Chapter 4 is the story of hard money, made from precious metals. The author visits the gold vault beneath the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and sees the complicated measures the government takes to preserve ‘yellow metal’. This part of the book traces the origin of metal as money from ancient Mesopotamia to ancient Egypt. In the 7th century BC, coinage was invented in Lydia. It spread throughout Greece and the Mediterranean world in the following centuries. During the Roman Empire, coins were degraded and stage-managed for political reasons. In altering the physical form of money, man was also trying to shape society and control others.
Chapter 5 is the story of soft money, which is not linked to metal. The author discovers the early uses of paper money in 10th century China. It was used widely by Kublai Khan to amalgamate his empire during the 13th century. But paper money is only one part of the modern monetary system. 18th century France is an example of how paper money can reboot a flagging economy. John Law’s monetary system may have lasted only four years, but it achieved a financial resurrection, thanks in part to soft money. The modern financial system relies on soft money. Therefore, the author briefly surveys the history of the dollar until it was unhooked from gold in 1971, and explain how the Federal Reserve and banks work together to create money today.
Chapter 6 is the story of the future — the good, the bad, and the incredible. If the world suffers an economic cataclysm, we may return to using goods and services. In the 2008 financial crisis, the price of gold soared. Many returned to bartering, the exchange of hard commodities, instead of just using money.
If the world avoids disaster, it’s likely that money will be increasingly plastic and invisible. In the emerging world, there is a lack of credit cards but a plethora of mobile phones. The future of money will be realized when mobile phones become the preferred method of payment for billions around the world. The future of money may also resemble science fiction: the rise of a “neural wallet” in which everyone is plugged into a grid that enables people to trade ideas and energy.
In Part III entitled ‘Soul’, the author asks “How?” That is, how should we use money? He answers this question by turning to the humanities, such as religion and art. Money isn’t just a symbol of value but a symbol of our values, depending on how it’s used and expressed.
In chapter 7, the book emphasizes how major religions provide ample instruction on how to handle money. The author recounts lessons from the Bible, Torah, Koran, and Vedas. In all these scriptures, there seems to be a spiritual logic of less is more or enough is enough when it comes to material wealth.
For example, Jesus advises a rich man to sell his earthly treasures and follow him. In Hinduism, it’s through experiencing artha, or material delights, that one is awakened to the need to forsake it and accomplish moksha, or deliverance.
In chapter 8, the author travels with an archaeologist to rural Bangladesh in search of a lost civilization that Ptolemy once described. It’s through a stockpile of coins discovered at the ruins, the symbols on the money, that one can identify this civilization. The symbols, the art, help to elevate money to its valuable, monetary status.
This book begins with a historical explanation of symbolic Paleolithic cave art, and it ends with a geographical safari in which the author interprets the creativity found on monetary art.
What did I learn from this book? Well, I learnt the following:
1) This book does not offer a grand theory, nor does it provide totally unique perspectives. It merely synthesizes the work of others.
2) This book that has resulted from the author’s efforts is a study of money, not just as an instrument for buying and selling but also as an extension of humankind through the ages.
3) This book reflects our multidimensional nature, as it is an exploration of money and exchange through the perspective of various disciplines from biology and anthropology to history and theology.
4) Kabir examines the uses of money, its invention, its change over time, its future forms, why it is such a powerful force in our lives, and, ultimately, how it should be used.
5) Kabir examines the past and present of money and projects its likely future.
The is no denying the fact that as modern men we are so very interested in the future incarnation of money: what it can be, and how it holds the power for changing society. Regardless of how we look at money, it continues to stares back at us. But it isn’t waiting. It’s always moving, shifting, and encroaching on various parts of our lives, and we often don’t realize it. Only with deliberate reflection can we see how its history has shaped us, from helping to control or democratize a society, to obtaining the resources necessary to live. This symbol of value activates our minds, steers our bodies, and helps determine the fate of our souls.
Keeping the above perspective in mind, there are two major points of denigration that I’d like to raise about the book.
1) After the first four chapters or so, the book loses its momentum and becomes a personal recollection,
2) The author continually loses focus by taking his reader to enormously pointless uncharted territories which have almost no import upon the topic under scrutiny.
A mixed experience! Grab a copy if you choose.
Author: Kabir Sehgal
Publisher: John Murray (14 January 2016)
Language: English
Paperback: 336 pages
Item Weight: 236 g
Dimensions: 13.5 x 2.2 x 19.9 cm
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Price: 458/-
Workers earn it, Spendthrifts burn it,
Bankers lend it, Women spend it,
Forgers fake it, Taxes take it,
Dying leave it, Heirs receive it,
Thrifty save it, Misers crave it,
Robbers seize it, Rich increase it,
Gamblers lose it... I COULD USE IT.
Perhaps the most widespread claim pertaining to the significance of money in our everyday life is the ethically neutral if comically exaggerated claim that ‘money makes the world go round’.
Equally embroidered but showing unfathomable insight is the biblical warning that ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’, proficiently altered by George Bernard Shaw into the fear that it is rather ‘the lack of money’ which is the root of all evil.
However, whether it is the love or in opposition the lack of money which is potentially sinful, the purpose of the statement in either case is to underscore the overpowering personal and moral worth of money to society in a way that gives a broader and deeper insight into its importance than simply stressing its basically economic aspects, as when we say that ‘money makes the world go round’.
Consequently whether we are speaking of money in simple, so called primitive communities or in much more advanced, complex and sophisticated societies, it is not enough simply to scrutinize the slender economic aspects of money so as to grasp its true meaning. To analyse the significance of money it must be largely studied in the context of the particular society concerned. It is a matter for the heart as well as for the head: feelings are reasons, too.
The traditional definition of money is that it’s a medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value. It likely originates from economist William Stanley Jevons’s 1875 text, Money and the Mechanism of Exchange. The definition adequately describes the economic function of money.
One of these ways is to see money as alive. It lives. It sleeps. It breathes. It adapts. That’s because we as humans are ever changing.
Ever since the creation of money, we have adapted it to better fit our needs, from precious metals to plastic. But just as we think we determine the form of money, it also shapes us. Our skin conductance increases at the thought of money. Our brains register money as a stimulus, so much so that the brain scan of someone about to receive a hit of cocaine is virtually indistinguishable from someone about to gain money.
Money has done to us what Pavlov did to his dog: Anticipated gain stimulates and conditions the brain.
Some scholars contend that money may have led to the creation or spread of religions. As coinage was invented in Greece, India, and China, leaders like Pythagoras, Buddha, and Confucius gained legions of followers.
Dealing with money is a central theme of many religious lessons.
In the Gospel of Matthew, eight of the ten parables reference money or wealth in some way. That money may shape our religious beliefs and rewires our neural circuitry reveals its ubiquitous and dynamic force on our lives. It encroaches in almost every part of our lives from birth, presenting gifts to a newborn; to death, receiving an inheritance; to the hereafter, buying indulgences to save the soul.
The author personifies money with the subtitle: ‘The Rich Life of Money and How Its History Has Shaped Us’ to highlight its influence. He also invokes a biographical device to serve as the organizational skeleton for this text.
This book, this life of money, is split into three segments: Mind, Body, and Soul.
The chapters are as follows:
Part I MIND: The Roots of an Idea
Chapter 1: It’s a Jungle Out There - The biology of exchange
Chapter 2: A Piece of My Mind - The psychology of money
Chapter 3: So in Debt - The anthropology of debt
Part II BODY: The Material Forms of Money
Chapter 4: Hard and Heavy - A brief history of hard money
Chapter 5: Some Like It Soft - A brief history of soft money
Chapter 6: Back to the Future - The future of money
Part III SOUL: A Symbol of Values
Chapter 7: Angel Investors - Religion and money
Chapter 8: Gilt Complex - The art on money
In the opening segment entitled ‘Mind’, the author asks “Why?” That is, why do we use money? He answers this question by using biology, psychology, and anthropology.
In chapter 1, the author travels to the Galapagos Islands in search of the origin of exchange. It’s a peculiar place to start. On these islands, he meets scientists who teach him about the evolutionary biological process and how exchange is elemental to life on this planet. Thus he traces the development and extension of the brain, and how the first signs of symbolic thought are found in cave drawings that were made tens of thousands of years ago.
In chapter 2, the book treks inside the brain, examining the psychology and neuroscience of financial decision making. The subconscious operates silently underneath the surface, making financial decisions even when we think we’re not.
For instance, the weather impacts how much one tips a waiter. The type of music playing in a store manipulates what type of wine one buys. There may even be a gene that decides whether someone is predisposed to making riskier financial decisions. The promise of neuroeconomics, the nexus of neuroscience and economics, may tell us more than conventional economic models ever did about human actions.
Neuroeconomics may reveal why we use money in the first place—or at least how to be more aware of the hidden forces guiding our financial decisions.
In chapter 3, the book observes the social brain, the collective wisdom of crowds. Some anthropologists contend that debt, not barter, was the forerunner to money. The book discovers how different cultures deal with social debt or gifts: the Maori people of New Zealand, residents of the Trobriand Islands in the Solomon Sea, the Kwakiutl people of the Pacific Northwest; even netizens who use Napster and Kickstarter. The author examines the edge of where the ‘gift economy’ ends and the ‘market economy’ begins. When market values reign supreme, and everything has a price, it can lead to the dark side of debt. When social debt is transformed into market debt, it may result in revolting practices like debt bondage and slavery.
In Section II entitled ‘Body’, the author asks “What?” That is, what is money? He answers this question by focusing on the physical forms of money all over the ages, and also on the likely futures of it.
Chapter 4 is the story of hard money, made from precious metals. The author visits the gold vault beneath the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and sees the complicated measures the government takes to preserve ‘yellow metal’. This part of the book traces the origin of metal as money from ancient Mesopotamia to ancient Egypt. In the 7th century BC, coinage was invented in Lydia. It spread throughout Greece and the Mediterranean world in the following centuries. During the Roman Empire, coins were degraded and stage-managed for political reasons. In altering the physical form of money, man was also trying to shape society and control others.
Chapter 5 is the story of soft money, which is not linked to metal. The author discovers the early uses of paper money in 10th century China. It was used widely by Kublai Khan to amalgamate his empire during the 13th century. But paper money is only one part of the modern monetary system. 18th century France is an example of how paper money can reboot a flagging economy. John Law’s monetary system may have lasted only four years, but it achieved a financial resurrection, thanks in part to soft money. The modern financial system relies on soft money. Therefore, the author briefly surveys the history of the dollar until it was unhooked from gold in 1971, and explain how the Federal Reserve and banks work together to create money today.
Chapter 6 is the story of the future — the good, the bad, and the incredible. If the world suffers an economic cataclysm, we may return to using goods and services. In the 2008 financial crisis, the price of gold soared. Many returned to bartering, the exchange of hard commodities, instead of just using money.
If the world avoids disaster, it’s likely that money will be increasingly plastic and invisible. In the emerging world, there is a lack of credit cards but a plethora of mobile phones. The future of money will be realized when mobile phones become the preferred method of payment for billions around the world. The future of money may also resemble science fiction: the rise of a “neural wallet” in which everyone is plugged into a grid that enables people to trade ideas and energy.
In Part III entitled ‘Soul’, the author asks “How?” That is, how should we use money? He answers this question by turning to the humanities, such as religion and art. Money isn’t just a symbol of value but a symbol of our values, depending on how it’s used and expressed.
In chapter 7, the book emphasizes how major religions provide ample instruction on how to handle money. The author recounts lessons from the Bible, Torah, Koran, and Vedas. In all these scriptures, there seems to be a spiritual logic of less is more or enough is enough when it comes to material wealth.
For example, Jesus advises a rich man to sell his earthly treasures and follow him. In Hinduism, it’s through experiencing artha, or material delights, that one is awakened to the need to forsake it and accomplish moksha, or deliverance.
In chapter 8, the author travels with an archaeologist to rural Bangladesh in search of a lost civilization that Ptolemy once described. It’s through a stockpile of coins discovered at the ruins, the symbols on the money, that one can identify this civilization. The symbols, the art, help to elevate money to its valuable, monetary status.
This book begins with a historical explanation of symbolic Paleolithic cave art, and it ends with a geographical safari in which the author interprets the creativity found on monetary art.
What did I learn from this book? Well, I learnt the following:
1) This book does not offer a grand theory, nor does it provide totally unique perspectives. It merely synthesizes the work of others.
2) This book that has resulted from the author’s efforts is a study of money, not just as an instrument for buying and selling but also as an extension of humankind through the ages.
3) This book reflects our multidimensional nature, as it is an exploration of money and exchange through the perspective of various disciplines from biology and anthropology to history and theology.
4) Kabir examines the uses of money, its invention, its change over time, its future forms, why it is such a powerful force in our lives, and, ultimately, how it should be used.
5) Kabir examines the past and present of money and projects its likely future.
The is no denying the fact that as modern men we are so very interested in the future incarnation of money: what it can be, and how it holds the power for changing society. Regardless of how we look at money, it continues to stares back at us. But it isn’t waiting. It’s always moving, shifting, and encroaching on various parts of our lives, and we often don’t realize it. Only with deliberate reflection can we see how its history has shaped us, from helping to control or democratize a society, to obtaining the resources necessary to live. This symbol of value activates our minds, steers our bodies, and helps determine the fate of our souls.
Keeping the above perspective in mind, there are two major points of denigration that I’d like to raise about the book.
1) After the first four chapters or so, the book loses its momentum and becomes a personal recollection,
2) The author continually loses focus by taking his reader to enormously pointless uncharted territories which have almost no import upon the topic under scrutiny.
A mixed experience! Grab a copy if you choose.
January 30, 2021
A book written by a J P Morgan employee that poorly summarises the history of money. Constantly veering off into unimportant territories all whilst wasting everyones time by speculating rather than dealing in facts at times. Don't even bother, better books on money and debt have been written.
April 25, 2022
A very well balanced approach to money.
September 29, 2015
Show me the money!
This was an interesting read on something we use and rely upon every day. I liked how he talked about the exchange of money being like biological symbiosis. Money affects us multiple ways, but we should avoid making it into an idol to worship.
This was an interesting read on something we use and rely upon every day. I liked how he talked about the exchange of money being like biological symbiosis. Money affects us multiple ways, but we should avoid making it into an idol to worship.
February 22, 2019
Fine read for those who have not studied economics. The author is highlighting some historical developments of money that has brought us here. At the same time, the book is full with unnecessary notes about his travels and the only bit for managing money will be “less is more.”
September 6, 2017
I was looking for something on the history of money in my local bookshop and picked this book up. I expected it to be a thought provoking one. Well, it was in some way and I put some of my observations down here.
In the page 132 the author claims-
“Borrowers will be less troubled by unexpected increases in inflation because it erodes the value of money over time, which means they will pay back the lender with money that is worth less than it is today.”
Well, being the vice president of J. P. Morgan, it might sound cool to the author’s ear. I am concerned about the average working Americans, who saved money all their lives to enjoy the retirement. A successive erosion of value of money may render their savings worthless.
He says,“Price of global commodities like oil and many other tradable goods are set and settled in dollars even if the United States isn’t involved in these transactions; 81 percent of global trade is settled in dollars.”
It does not complete the whole picture. The author could shed some lights on the recent trend of bypassing dollars in international trades as well.
Mr. Sehgal is an advocate of fiat currency, which he makes sure by saying,
“A dollar’s worth is supposedly backed by the faith and credit of the US government……dollars’value…reflects the underlying fundamentals of the US economy.”
What if the international community finds all these successive quantitative easing, debasing of currency, and reducing interest rates as damaging to their economy as well? What will happen when they'll juxtapose US economy with Nero’s monetary policy? What will be the result if all the dollars now circulating in the global market take the return flight?
Even being a fiat faithful, as a measure to combat the devaluation of money mr. Sehgal recommends getting back to the old gold standard could be a solution.
To conclude, I find this book confusing and not entertaining. I recommend not to read it.
In the page 132 the author claims-
“Borrowers will be less troubled by unexpected increases in inflation because it erodes the value of money over time, which means they will pay back the lender with money that is worth less than it is today.”
Well, being the vice president of J. P. Morgan, it might sound cool to the author’s ear. I am concerned about the average working Americans, who saved money all their lives to enjoy the retirement. A successive erosion of value of money may render their savings worthless.
He says,“Price of global commodities like oil and many other tradable goods are set and settled in dollars even if the United States isn’t involved in these transactions; 81 percent of global trade is settled in dollars.”
It does not complete the whole picture. The author could shed some lights on the recent trend of bypassing dollars in international trades as well.
Mr. Sehgal is an advocate of fiat currency, which he makes sure by saying,
“A dollar’s worth is supposedly backed by the faith and credit of the US government……dollars’value…reflects the underlying fundamentals of the US economy.”
What if the international community finds all these successive quantitative easing, debasing of currency, and reducing interest rates as damaging to their economy as well? What will happen when they'll juxtapose US economy with Nero’s monetary policy? What will be the result if all the dollars now circulating in the global market take the return flight?
Even being a fiat faithful, as a measure to combat the devaluation of money mr. Sehgal recommends getting back to the old gold standard could be a solution.
To conclude, I find this book confusing and not entertaining. I recommend not to read it.
September 11, 2017
What is the book really about? Another entry in my tour through the philosophy of money. A good stop along that path. Sehgal considers a lot of issues: what in our brains seem to make us accept the idea of money, seem to make us want money, and trust or distrust various concepts of money. He ponders the history of money in different cultures, considers whether money grew out of barter or out of credit (credit wins here), discusses the concept of backing symbolic money with so-called "precious" metals or with the full faith and credit of the state (the way we do now, and the only reasonable way to conduct a modern economy) and he ponders the future of money in a world where financial transactions are largely conducted by transferring numbers from one numbered account to another. He touches on Bitcoin concepts, and ends by talking with numismatists about what they learn about history, culture and aesthetics from collecting historic coins.
How did you react to the book? A recorded book, read well enough for the kind of book it is by Kevin Stillwell. A dense topic, but handled in a way that made it as transparent as I think it could be. I was impressed by the range of ideas that he found to cover, especially the extended discussion of the psychology of money.
What will you remember about the book? I will remember his delving into the monetary history of odd cultures, like medieval Thailand, and the colonial Philippines. I will remember the pondering of how our brains seem to respond to money. I will remember the discussion of the importance of the aesthetic aspects of money
How did you react to the book? A recorded book, read well enough for the kind of book it is by Kevin Stillwell. A dense topic, but handled in a way that made it as transparent as I think it could be. I was impressed by the range of ideas that he found to cover, especially the extended discussion of the psychology of money.
What will you remember about the book? I will remember his delving into the monetary history of odd cultures, like medieval Thailand, and the colonial Philippines. I will remember the pondering of how our brains seem to respond to money. I will remember the discussion of the importance of the aesthetic aspects of money
November 8, 2017
As an Indian i was very curious to read this book right from the day of its launch and i must say that Kabir has done an amazing job in describing the origin, form and function of money. But i believe that somewhere in the middle the theme of the book moves in some other direction. I had read sapiens before reading this book and i would say that sapiens by yuval noah hararri also describes the function of money in similar way but more elegantly.
September 12, 2020
Money is an extremely powerful force. We evolved to use it to collaborate more effectively and survive in the wild. The financial choices we make are influenced by our emotions; and our values often stem from how we treat and treasure money. Money has changed a great deal since it was developed, and it’s clear that money will continue to evolve, especially as technology progresses.
September 16, 2017
รวบรวมความคิดเกี่ยวกับเงินตรา โดยแบ่งการนำเสนอออกเป็นสามด้านคือทางชีววิทยา ทางเศรษฐกิจ และทางจิตใจกับศาสนา
บรรณานุกรมหนาและรายละเอียดอ้างอิงเยอะ เหมาะเป็นจุดเร่ิมต้นในการค้นคว้าเกี่ยวกับความหมายของเงินในขั้นต่อไป
บรรณานุกรมหนาและรายละเอียดอ้างอิงเยอะ เหมาะเป็นจุดเร่ิมต้นในการค้นคว้าเกี่ยวกับความหมายของเงินในขั้นต่อไป
December 20, 2017
First interdisciplinary look at money and economic life that I've tackled. Surprisingly each to follow. The brain science was enlightening -- money's been around long enough we're hard-wired to respond to it! Who knew! I enjoyed the chapter on coins most, though.
June 29, 2019
Among other things, the books is good introduction to concepts such as hard vs soft money, inflation. Author also spends lots of time discussing evolution of money which provides intuition to what could be future of money. Go for it if you are not eco grad.
February 1, 2026
Interesting book examining the history of money and the psychology behind a transactional system. My only complaint would be that the book should have an updated edition due to the rapid evolution of electronic payment.
June 5, 2017
This was an interesting book but it's not the one the blurb says it is.
January 29, 2018
Interesting account on the principle of money and its potential future
April 7, 2018
A very interesting, multi-disciplinary approach to the subject of money. Recommended.
March 25, 2019
Don’t bother
February 20, 2020
Kabir did an excellent job of explaining the evolution of money and currency through human history and what money will look like in the future. Great Book!
May 20, 2020
Great history and factual as well.
July 15, 2021
Overall I liked it, but there were some parts I really had to slog through. I love the idea, though.
November 16, 2021
A very thoughtful and comprehensive analysis
April 21, 2022
เป็นหนังสือที่ให้ภาพกว้างเกี่ยวกับพัฒนาของเงินตราในหลากหลายแง่มุมตามที่ผู้เขียนอยากนำเสนอ
June 6, 2022
O documentatie foarte ampla,nu este o carte de citit doar de relaxare ,insa per ansamblu ideile prezentate sunt foarte bine punctate.
August 3, 2024
An interesting review of the cause, function, and evolution of money and coins throughout history and the social and religious impact seen across the world.
August 22, 2024
Didn't love it. Any book that uses Don Draper as evidence is suspect.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews