As the global economy struggles to avoid meltdown, so the greatest Ponzi scheme in history approaches its final death rattle. Politicians have stood by and watched the financial industry create a massive overhang of debt, a mountain of low quality assets - and ultimately, an economic disaster which has dwarfed all others. The Eurozone crisis and the LIBOR manipulaton scandal are just two symptoms of a much broader problem: one of vastly excessive debt, regulatory failure, a culture of deceit on Wall Street and the City of London, and governments that have promised their citizens far more than they can deliver. In "Planet Ponzi", Mitch Feierstein tells you what's happened, what will happen next and how to protect yourself and your family.
I think Fraudcoin is the most engaging and easy to read book about inflation that has ever been written. It also offers a great level of detail on all the government moves and countermoves in the development of the inflation policy. Very well done. Lawrence W. Lepard, Investment Manager, Sherborn, Massachusetts, USA Congratulations, you should be very proud about your book! Excellent work! Ronald-Peter Stöferle, Managing Partner of Incrementum AG Fraudcoin is an excellent book exploring the role of inflation on politics and world history. Inflation is largely a political decision that impacts all aspects of society and can bring down mighty empires, yet there is little debate about why inflation occurs and the immense repercussions. This book is an important contribution toward educating the public that the destructive power of inflation is not an unfortunate act of nature, but the result of reckless policy. Glenn Diesen, Professor, University of South-Eastern Norway, Department of Business, History and Social Sciences This mini-series only scratches the surface of Rune Østgård's book "Fraudcoin", which I recommend everyone to buy and recommend to others."Fraudcoin is the best book I've read about inflation. It's the perfect mix between the description of historical evidence and the explanation of different economic theories. It certainly demonstrates that inflation is a policy, NOT an unfortunate spontaneously emerging calamity. Wolfgang Wee, the Wolfgang Wee Uncut podcast A book that's hard to put down. A bit like a thriller. Suddenly, you understand things you thought were insurmountable to gain insight into. Erika Hauffen, Librarian, Snåsa, Norway Fraudcoin is the best book I've read about inflation. It's the perfect mix between the description of historical evidence and the explanation of different economic theories. It certainly demonstrates that inflation is a policy, NOT an unfortunate spontaneously emerging calamity. David St-Onge, Author of “Tout sur Bitcoin" (Bitcoin: Everything you need to know), Montreal, Canada A wonderfully well-written and accessible book for everyone, regardless of your knowledge background. Children and young people really need to have access to this knowledge. Trine Sofie Bergh, Economics blogger, Trondheim, Norway This is an incredibly important book. It lays out the story of the inflation policy in a clear, precise, and easy-to-understand way. It is absolutely necessary for a healthy society to have healthy money, but that will not happen until most people understand what sound money is, and why the inflation policy creates sick money. @hodlonaut *** Rune Østgård’s easy-to-read book explains what inflation is and how it affects the society. The book takes us through 1000 Years of Inflation as a Policy, beginning with the Viking age and King Harald Hardrada, who introduced the death penalty for those who did not accept his coins as payment. With lessons learned from the historical narrative, it is easy to join the author on the ‘journey of money’ through modern society, as he demonstrates how inflation redistributes wealth from the working and middle classes to the upper class, speculators, and the state, and away from the countryside and into the big cities. The book includes a discussion on several issues related to monetary policy, including national security, cryptocurrency, saving and investment, and if it is correct to say that “a little inflation is good for the economy” and that “our system is based on trust”.
Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back .
Called by H. L. Mencken, one of the few economists in history who could really write, Henry Hazlitt achieved lasting fame for this brilliant but concise work. In it, he explains basic truths about economics and the economic fallacies responsible for unemployment, inflation, high taxes, and recession. Covering considerable ground, Hazlitt illustrates the destructive effects of taxes, rent and price controls, inflation, trade restrictions, and minimum-wage laws. He also writes about key classical liberal thinkers like John Locke, Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, John Stuart Mill, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Herbert Spencer.
The greatest investment advisor of the twentieth century, Benjamin Graham taught and inspired people worldwide. Graham's philosophy of “value investing”—which shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies—has made The Intelligent Investor the stock market bible ever since its original publication in 1949. Over the years, market developments have proven the wisdom of Graham’s strategies. While preserving the integrity of Graham’s original text, this revised edition includes updated commentary by noted financial journalist Jason Zweig, whose perspective incorporates the realities of today’s market, draws parallels between Graham’s examples and today’s financial headlines, and gives readers a more thorough understanding of how to apply Graham’s principles. Vital and indispensable, The Intelligent Investor is the most important book you will ever read on how to reach your financial goals.
Already famous throughout Europe, this international bestseller plumbs recently opened archives in the former Soviet bloc to reveal the actual, practical accomplishments of Communism around the world: terror, torture, famine, mass deportations, and massacres. Astonishing in the sheer detail it amasses, the book is the first comprehensive attempt to catalogue and analyze the crimes of Communism over seventy years. "Revolutions, like trees, must be judged by their fruit," Ignazio Silone wrote, and this is the standard the authors apply to the Communist experience―in the China of "the Great Helmsman," Kim Il Sung's Korea, Vietnam under "Uncle Ho" and Cuba under Castro, Ethiopia under Mengistu, Angola under Neto, and Afghanistan under Najibullah. The authors, all distinguished scholars based in Europe, document Communist crimes against humanity, but also crimes against national and universal culture, from Stalin's destruction of hundreds of churches in Moscow to Ceausescu's leveling of the historic heart of Bucharest to the widescale devastation visited on Chinese culture by Mao's Red Guards. As the death toll mounts―as many as 25 million in the former Soviet Union, 65 million in China, 1.7 million in Cambodia, and on and on―the authors systematically show how and why, wherever the millenarian ideology of Communism was established, it quickly led to crime, terror, and repression. An extraordinary accounting, this book amply documents the unparalleled position and significance of Communism in the hierarchy of violence that is the history of the twentieth century.
Written in the same year that he testified before the Currency Commission in Austria-Hungary, and published in English in 1892, Carl Menger explains that it is not government edicts that create money but instead the marketplace. Individuals decide what the most marketable good is for use as a medium of exchange. “Man himself is the beginning and the end of every economy,” Menger wrote, and so it is with deciding what is to be traded as money."Money has not been generated by law. In its origin it is a social, and not a state institution. Sanction by the authority of the state is a notion alien to it. "This is the first time this essay has been in print in more than a century!Introduction by Doug French
A comprehensive and authoritative exploration of Bitcoin and its place in monetary history When a pseudonymous programmer introduced “a new electronic cash system that’s fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party” to a small online mailing list in 2008, very few people paid attention. Ten years later, and against all odds, this upstart autonomous decentralized software offers an unstoppable and globally accessible hard money alternative to modern central banks. The Bitcoin Standard analyzes the historical context to the rise of Bitcoin, the economic properties that have allowed it to grow quickly, and its likely economic, political, and social implications. While Bitcoin is an invention of the digital age, the problem it purports to solve is as old as human society itself: transferring value across time and space. Author Saifedean Ammous takes the reader on an engaging journey through the history of technologies performing the functions of money, from primitive systems of trading limestones and seashells, to metals, coins, the gold standard, and modern government debt. Exploring what gave these technologies their monetary role, and how most lost it, provides the reader with a good idea of what makes for sound money, and sets the stage for an economic discussion of its consequences for individual and societal future-orientation, capital accumulation, trade, peace, culture, and art. Compellingly, Ammous shows that it is no coincidence that the loftiest achievements of humanity have come in societies enjoying the benefits of sound monetary regimes, nor is it coincidental that monetary collapse has usually accompanied civilizational collapse. With this background in place, the book moves on to explain the operation of Bitcoin in a functional and intuitive way. Bitcoin is a decentralized, distributed piece of software that converts electricity and processing power into indisputably accurate records, thus allowing its users to utilize the Internet to perform the traditional functions of money without having to rely on, or trust, any authorities or infrastructure in the physical world. Bitcoin is thus best understood as the first successfully implemented form of digital cash and digital hard money. With an automated and perfectly predictable monetary policy, and the ability to perform final settlement of large sums across the world in a matter of minutes, Bitcoin’s real competitive edge might just be as a store of value and network for the final settlement of large payments―a digital form of gold with a built-in settlement infrastructure. Ammous’ firm grasp of the technological possibilities as well as the historical realities of monetary evolution provides for a fascinating exploration of the ramifications of voluntary free market money. As it challenges the most sacred of government monopolies, Bitcoin shifts the pendulum of sovereignty away from governments in favor of individuals, offering us the tantalizing possibility of a world where money is fully extricated from politics and unrestrained by borders. The final chapter of the book explores some of the most common questions surrounding Bitcoin: Is Bitcoin mining a waste of energy? Is Bitcoin for criminals? Who controls Bitcoin, and can they change it if they please? How can Bitcoin be killed? And what to make of all the thousands of Bitcoin knockoffs, and the many supposed applications of Bitcoin’s ‘block chain technology’? The Bitcoin Standard is the essential resource for a clear understanding of the rise of the Internet’s decentralized, apolitical, free-market alternative to national central banks.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER "This book blew my mind. It’s a riveting read, full of instantly actionable advice-not just for high-stakes situations, but also for handling everyday conflicts at work and at home." ―Adam Grant, author of Think Again This international bestseller, with more than 5 million copies sold, offers a field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations―whether in the boardroom, in your community, or at home. Life is a series of negotiations, and essential negotiation skills are at the heart of collaboration―whether you are a business executive, a salesperson, a parent , a community leader, or a spouse. As a former FBI hostage negotiator, Chris Voss gives you the tools for effective persuasion in any situation: negotiating a business deal, buying (or selling) a car, negotiating a salary, acquiring a home, renegotiating rent, deliberating with your partner, or communicating with your children. Taking the power of tactical empathy, active listening, and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any difficult conversation or conflict resolution scenario. This book is a masterclass in influencing others, no matter the circumstances. After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a hostage negotiator brought him face-to-face with a range of criminals, including bank robbers and terrorists. Reaching the pinnacle of his profession, he became the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator. Never Split the Difference distills the Voss method, revealing the communication skills that matter most when it comes to achieving your goals in both your professional and personal life. Step-by-step, Voss show you how to: * Establish Rapport * Create Trust with Tactical Empathy * Gain the Permission to Persuade * Shape What Is Fair * Calibrate Questions * Transform Conflict into Collaboration * Spot Liars * Create Breakthroughs by Revealing the Unknown Unknowns Never Split the Difference is your definitive source for defusing potential crises, winning people over, and achieving your goals at work and at home with proven negotiating strategies.
Read this book and send your nonverbal intelligence soaring. Joe Navarro, a former FBI counterintelligence officer and a recognized expert on nonverbal behavior, explains how to "speed-read" people: decode sentiments and behaviors, avoid hidden pitfalls, and look for deceptive behaviors. You'll also learn how your body language can influence what your boss, family, friends, and strangers think of you. You will discover: * The ancient survival instincts that drive body language * Why the face is the least likely place to gauge a person's true feelings * What thumbs, feet, and eyelids reveal about moods and motives * The most powerful behaviors that reveal our confidence and true sentiments * Simple nonverbals that instantly establish trust * Simple nonverbals that instantly communicate authority Filled with examples from Navarro's professional experience, this definitive book offers a powerful new way to navigate your world... He says that's his best offer. Is it? She says she agrees. Does she? The interview went great—or did it? He said he'd never do it again. But he did.
Written 75 years ago, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever... This 75th Anniversary Edition includes: • A New Introduction by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of Take My Hand, winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work—Fiction • A New Afterword by Sandra Newman, author of Julia: A Retelling of George Orwell’s 1984 “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching... A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions—a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. • Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read •
The foundational and wildly popular go-to resource for influence and persuasion—a renowned international bestseller, with over 5 million copies sold—now revised adding: new research, new insights, new examples, and online applications. In the new edition of this highly acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Robert Cialdini—the seminal expert in the fields of influence and persuasion—explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings. Using memorable stories and relatable examples, Robert Cialdini makes this crucially important subject surprisingly easy. With Cialdini as a guide, you don’t have to be a scientist to learn how to use this science. You’ll learn Cialdini’s Universal Principles of Influence, including new research and new uses so you can become an even more skilled persuader—and just as importantly, you’ll learn how to defend yourself against unethical influence attempts. You may think you know these principles, but without understanding their intricacies, you may be ceding their power to someone else. Cialdini’s Principles of Persuasion: * Reciprocation * Commitment and Consistency * Social Proof * Liking * Authority * Scarcity * Unity, the newest principle for this edition Understanding and applying the principles ethically is cost-free and deceptively easy. Backed by Dr. Cialdini’s 35 years of evidence-based, peer-reviewed scientific research—including a three-year field study on what leads people to change—Influence is a comprehensive guide to using these principles to move others in your direction.