The Ascent of Money

The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson is a fantastic book.I was drawn to read it after watching the TV series based on the book and I have no regrets.It’s time and money well spent.

The book describes how banks, joint stock stock companies, bond markets, insurance companies, etc. originated at different places, at different points in time, in response to specific needs .While I was reading the book I had many aha moments and I heartily recommend the book to anyone who wishes to understand our modern financial world better.

Prof.Ferguson also tells the fascinating stories of how time and again with every financial innovation there have been abuses and excesses.These stories are great to remind us that neither good nor bad times last forever,that frauds and scams are par for the course and that no financial crisis is the end of the world though it might end the world as we know it.

The book is 362 pages long.Though written in an engaging manner,it is full of facts that need to be digested slowly.So if you haven’t the time or just want an overview watch the videos below: