Ascent of Money - Book Review

I finished reading this book last week. Niall Ferguson as always makes a very engaging read. Book covers a lot of ground in terms of monetary and banking history. Book tries to explain the role money, banking and finance has played in the development civilization. However, in the end, leaves the author with the impression that it has been put together too quickly, to get it to market before the current turmoil in the financial markets get too far ahead.

Book covers everything from the early history of money to the modern finance, from banking and it's italian origins to the rise of the Rothschild dynasty, and from Incas to the Chinese. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants read about the history of money & banking..

Personal disagreements aside about how he interpreted the history, and his solutions for the future, book leaves a lot to be desired in terms of organization. The last chapter on the "Descent of Money" was short and unconvincing to say the least. Mr. Ferguson has worked hard to remain unbiased, but his monetarist bias comes through every now and then.