The Ascent of Money

A Financial History of the World

By: Niall Ferguson

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance.

Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: Call it what you like, it matters. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it's the sinews of war. To revolutionaries, it's the chains of labor. But in The Ascent of Money, Niall Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress. What's more, he reveals financial history as the essential back story behind all history.

Through Ferguson's expert lens familiar historical landmarks appear in a new and sharper financial focus. Suddenly, the civilization of the Renaissance looks very different: a boom in the market for art and architecture made possible when Italian bankers adopted Arabic mathematics. The rise of the Dutch republic is reinterpreted as the triumph of the world's first modern bond market over insolvent Habsburg absolutism. And the origins of the French Revolution are traced back to a stock market bubble caused by a convicted Scot murderer.

©2008 Niall Ferguson (P)2008 Tantor

Well written, well read.

If you are looking for something in-depth or math heavy you should continue looking. This book is both approachable and easy to follow for anyone interested in a brief overview of the history of finance, so 5 stars.

Financial neophyte

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

As someone who knows practically nothing about finance, stocks, bonds, etc or why the world is in such dire financial straits, I found the second half of this book invaluable. It is clear, concise layman's language with lively discussion. I enjoyed the first half's history lesson even more. It explains why, how, where, and when money started to be used, what was considered money; the evolution of finance through the middle ages, etc. Good book for the non business guy.

I learned a lot

This was a good book. I learned a lot and that is what made it interesting for me.

Excellent

Even for the relatively uneducated on finance this is an easy to follow and very good explanation of the world of finance. The well educated will also learn, too, I'm sure.

Surprised it's non-fiction

Even though it was non-fiction it was a great story well narrated. The narrator did an excellent job of not falling into a monotonous rhythm but kept the flow of the narration just like you would expect if he was reading a novel.