This is a straight-forward, readable account, written with the minimum of jargon, of the central importance of money in the ordinary business of the life of different people throughout the ages from ancient times to the present day. It includes the Barings crisis and the report by the Bank of England on Barings Bank; up-to-date information on the state of Japanese banking and the changes in the financial scene in the US. It also touches on the US housing market and the problem of negative...