The History of Money

The History of Money: From Sandstone to Cyberspace is cultural anthropologist Jack Weatherford's account of how money, in its many forms, has shaped human civilisation.

Ranging from the cowrie shells and salt used as currency by early societies to coinage, paper money and the electronic transactions of the modern financial system, Weatherford traces how each new form of money has transformed the economies, politics and everyday lives of the people who used it.

Drawing on examples from cultures around the world, he shows money not as a neutral tool but as a force that has repeatedly reshaped social structures and personal relationships throughout history.

Accessible and wide-ranging, the book offers a readable history of an institution most of us use every day without ever really thinking about.