“Meltdown,” “crisis,” “downturn,” and the dreaded “R-word”: recession. These words have migrated from business sections to headline news.

From barter to coins, from the origins of banking to today’s credit crunch, this highly topical book explores cash, borrowing, and lending, and delves into the dark side of the global financial system.

But as we teeter on the brink of a global depression, space develops for new thinking. From doing away with tax havens, putting teeth into regulation, and taxing currency transactions, this book makes suggestions for a fresh start and argues that another (financial) world is possible.