Money: The Unauthorised Biography by Felix Martin surveys the development of money from early ledgers to today's digital finance. Martin reframes political and economic episodes to explain how trust, institutions and power create and sustain currency.

The narrative moves from Mesopotamia and ancient Greek ideas through the gold standard, shadow banking and the Great Recession. It also highlights diverse systems—from Yap's stone money to state experiments that tried to eliminate monetary exchange—showing money's persistent political role.

Mixing historical case studies with policy analysis, Martin connects past debates to modern financial fragility and suggests practical directions for reform.

• Origins and evolution of currency
• Money as a political institution
• Financial crises and policy responses

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