hunted the 5000 year book this afternoon, took last copy, been reading it, taking a break as we speak.
very long, unlike the french book.
i think you'll like it very much, despite its length, as it is very well written.
caution: surprise insight follows. do not read further if you'd rather read book version.
why, exactly, did gold become so popular as a store of value?
turns out that it had to do with looting. soldiers of course had to carry off stuff to get paid....well, furniture, and debt instruments and such didn't work very well, so something relatively small, portable, that did not deteriorate fit the bill perfectly. and, my add, could be turned into jewelry that seduced the ladies at home.
this happened mostly in asia. perhaps explaining the historical predilection.
also writes about cycles convincingly...but no more spoilers. |
