Customer Reviews
Essential reading for everybody - By: Paul, 29 Jul 2008 
Almost alll of us are victims of the economic system. How this system functions is for most of us veiled in mystery, giving the system even more power over us. In this book Michael Rowbotham unveils these mysteries in a style which is clear, straight-talking & free of any academic jargon: in fact any concept, institution or practice which might be unknown to the non-specialist is thoughtfully explained by the author without even a hint of condescension.
This book describes the iniquity of a worldwide economic system based on the power of banks to create money by "lending" what they don't have. Both the historical roots & contemporary manifestations of this practice are explored in depth together with the multitude of ramifications. The book's range is remarkable: although much of the data is UK-centred, the author opens up a world-wide vision, from the exploitation of third world countries to the destruction of the environment to the pernicious waste of human life & energy under a system which - unveiled - amounts to institutionalised theft & debt-slavery.
Finallly, the author provides suggestions as to how economic reform might be achieved, opening up vistas of millions of human lives being much more usefully & happily lived.
Read this book.
A surprise all around - By: Sarah H., 31 May 2008 I wasn't expecting this book to be quite so good. First of alll, there have been so many written on this subject & I had NO idea who Michael Rowbotham was or is. But reading the reviews intrigued me & so I bought it with a lot of other fiction & non-fiction books. From the get-go I was drawn into the book by Rowbotham's writing ability & hard economic truths. You should be warned though, that this is a depressing book as it explains just how things work & if you're not prepared to have your eyes opened, you might be in for a shock. I can't imagine the banking world is happy about this book as it exposes the corporate greed & fraud that have been going on for years. The book also explains how we've come to think of money & gives you some real insight into how YOU are reacting to the world of money & how you use it. Couple this with his take on countries with the largest national debts & what that means & how they got there, & you have a great book that will stop you in your tracks. This should be required reading in alll schools, regardless of nationality. The End.
Engaging book but needed better data and references - By: Mr. G. Palmer, 10 Dec 2006 
Thought provoking book for those not intimately involved in the financial & banking industries. I suspect that most people outside of these industries are unaware of the basic functioning of the money supply & money creation. Noticed a lot of generalisations that weren't correct, although the main thrust of many arguments was valid. Engaging book, but needed more factual data & references to lift it to a book with authority.
Paradigm Shift - By: , 27 Sep 2004 This book has fundamentallly affected the way I view the world, questioning why & how we work, what governments say - & then what they actuallly do. If you've ever thought that something wasn't quite right with the economic certainties that blare from PR ladened print & TV media then your time will be well spent reading this book.
For an idea of what this book contains here's the first chapter:
http://tinyurl.com/565k8
Believe me it's powerful stuff & is relevant whatever political persuasion you belong to.
The reviewer from Helsinki seems to have missed one of the chapters in the book dealing with the value of loans in an ever deflating system as this is well covered.
Get this book.
Brilliant - By: , 30 Aug 2002 This is a must-read text. Get it, buy it, read it. It will reveal the subtle workings of the money economy & the heart of true power in the modern world. The writer rips off the veil of secrecy surrounding how money circulates in the modern economy & lays bare the cold enslavement that the vast majority must face in modern economic life.
If we are to provide our children a world worth living in, making real the recommendations of this book is essential. Nothing can be acheived without monetary reform. With it, everything can be.
The writer does not refer to eariler works of distinguished (but fringe) Austrian economists such as James Buchanan & Prof Rothbard. These are but minor criticisms. This is not a work by a academic economist & is perhaps a better work because of this. He speaks the truth.
Please read this important work.
