Money : A Story of Humanity

Charting the relationship between humans and money, McWilliams' eye-opening and entertaining volume ranges across trade, science, art and philosophy.

Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month for July 2025

'Money. The object of our desires. The engine of our genius. Humanity’s greatest invention.'

Whether we like it or not, our world revolves around money, but we rarely stop to think about it. What is money, where does it come from, and can it run out? What is this substance that drives trade, revolutions and discoveries; inspires art, philosophy and science?

In this illuminating, sometimes irreverent, and often surprising journey, economist David McWilliams charts the relationship between humans and money – from a tally stick in ancient Africa to coins in Republican Greece, from mathematics in the medieval Arab world to the French Revolution, and from the emergence of the US dollar right up to today’s cryptocurrency and beyond. Along the way, we meet a host of characters who have innovated with money, disrupting society and changing the way we live, in an ongoing monetary evolution that has, for the last 5000 years, animated human progress.

McWilliams unlocks the mysteries and power of money, explaining why it matters and how it shapes our world.

MEDIA REVIEWS

‘A hugely ambitious, insightful and readable account of our relationship with money' - Felix Martin, Financial Times

'If you still think of economics as 'the dismal science', then this firecracker of a book might change your mind' - Christopher Hart, The Mail on Sunday

‘A breathtaking, expansive and imaginative ride through the history and future of money from an author who truly understands it. If, like me, you’ve never quite figured out where money comes from or even what it is, this is the book for you’ - Professor Brian Cox

'If, as David McWilliams complains, economists take the fun out of money, then he is the exception that proves the rule: a man who could not write a boring sentence if he tried, and who, in this brilliantly informative and entertaining book, has done his subject splendid justice' - Tom Holland

‘A timely, fascinating account of how money has powered life on our planet from Ireland’s superstar economist. Money is so often shrouded in secrecy and manipulated by forces we barely understand, so it’s refreshing to read a book that traces our relationship with it with such healthy irreverence!’ - Mariella Frostrup

‘A tour de force of economic history that manages to be erudite, authoritative and engaging ... His account is peppered with memorably colourful - and sometimes spicy - details that will grab the attention of experts and lay people alike ... After reading this, you will never look at your bank account in the same way again’ - Gillian Tett

​‘A cracking book that is as enjoyable as it is readable’ - Peter Frankopan

‘Equally entertaining and insightful’ - Yanis Varoufakis