The Money Spell — The Hidden History and Strange Psychology of Money

Money is the most powerful illusion humanity ever created — a shared belief so complete we forget it's a spell at all. The Money Spell reveals the hidden history and strange psychology behind the paper, metal and digits that quietly run the world.

From a world before money and the astonishing leap to paper, to why losing hurts more than winning and what money really does to the mind, this is a fascinating tour of the greatest shared belief we all live inside.

What you’ll discover

• Trace money from shells and gold to paper and pure information
• Understand why money has value — the great shared belief
• Discover the strange psychology of spending and loss
• See the "money illusion" and what money does to the mind
• Explore money, happiness and the future of money

Inside this book

• The world before money + the birth of money
• The age of precious metal + the leap to paper
• When money becomes just information
• The strange psychology of spending
• Why losing hurts more than winning
• The money illusion + what money does to the mind
• Money, trust and the great shared belief
• When money goes wrong
• Money and happiness — the real story
• The future of money + 100 fascinating facts

Who it’s for

Anyone curious about the thing that rules so much of life — how money really works, where it came from, and the psychology behind it.

Why this book

You use money every day without ever seeing the spell. This book pulls back the curtain — and you'll never look at a banknote the same way again.

More "Hidden Histories" to explore

Fall down another fascinating rabbit hole: Word Magic · The Bean That Conquered the World · The Stuff Around You. Browse the full Digital Library, or explore our free tools and blog.

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