Money: Myths, Truths and Alternatives

by Mary Mellor

Overview

What does money mean? Where does it come from and how does it work?

In this highly topical book, Mary Mellor, an expert on money, examines money’s social, political and commercial histories to debunk longstanding myths such as money being in short supply and needing to come from somewhere.

Arguing that money’s immense social value means that its creation and circulation should be a matter of democratic choice, she sets out a new finance system, based on green and feminist concerns, to bring radical change for social good.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781447346296
Publisher:	Policy Press
Publication date:	07/03/2019
Series:	21st Century Standpoints
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Mary Mellor is Emeritus Professor at the University of Northumbria. She has published extensively on gender and the environment, social, green and feminist economics and the democratisation of money as a public resource.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Unlocking the Mysteries of Money;

A Fairy Tale about Money – Myths and their Consequences;

Old Magic – Money before States and Markets;

The King was in His Counting House – Money and the State;

Conjuring Money out of Thin Air - Money and Banking;

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Magic Money out of Control;

Ditching the Sorcerer – Money without the State;

Breaking the Spell – Money for the People.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Mary Mellor uses easy to follow stories and metaphors to dispel the myths and clarify the mysteries of money and banking. Along the way she succeeds in making it not only understandable but actually interesting. Fine work!” Ellen Brown, Public Banking Institute and author of Web of Debt and The Public Bank Solution

“An exciting vision of how money can be democratically transformed from a leading expert on money. …essential reading for anyone who wants a better and fairer economic future, it will teach you how to think critically about money and the monetary system.“ Johnna Montgomerie, King's College London

“Challenges the myths and the routine thinking of the Davos set. Exciting, funny, and strategically designed to undercut the orthodoxy. Tax, savings, debt… Mary Mellor has got it right!” Wendy Olsen, University of Manchester

"An eminently readable and timely book which punctures the myths around money....convincingly argues for alternative social, political and commercial stories of money that open up its radical potential." Wendy Harcourt, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus UniversityRotterdam

"Mary Mellor questions the myths about money and considers money as a social institution. She takes the magic out of money and subjects it to democratic debate. An exciting read for anyone interested in thinking differently about economics" Christine Bauhardt, Humboldt-Universityät zu Berlin

"An insightful and thought-provoking anthropological account that pulls back the curtain on the mystery of money." Lavinia Steinfort, The Transnational Institute

"A timely and succinct view of economic, sociological and anthropological debates about money. Essential reading at a time when our monetary and financial future is in flux." Tod van Gunten, University of Edinburgh

Editorial Reviews

"Mary Mellor is one of our pre-eminent monetary myth-busters. Once again she has challenged us to break the lazy cliches about money and to truly reimagine our monetary horizons." Brett Scott, Author of The Heretic's Guide to Global Finance

"...an accessible and coherent account of the nature of money and of how it might be better organised." Citizens Basic Income Trust

From the Publisher

An exciting vision of how money can be democratically transformed from a leading expert on money. . . . Essential reading for anyone who wants a better and fairer economic future, it will teach you how to think critically about money and the monetary system.“

 

Johnna Montgomerie

"An eminently readable and timely book which punctures the myths around money. . . . Convincingly argues for alternative social, political and commercial stories of money that open up its radical potential."
 

Wendy Harcourt

Mary Mellor uses easy to follow stories and metaphors to dispel the myths and clarify the mysteries of money and banking. Along the way she succeeds in making it not only understandable but actually interesting. Fine work!

Ellen Brown

"Mary Mellor is one of our pre-eminent monetary myth-busters. Once again she has challenged us to break the lazy cliches about money and to truly reimagine our monetary horizons."
 

Brett Scott