We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network

TIP404: The Untold History of Money w/ Joe Brown

4 snips

Dec 12, 2021

Join financial expert Joe Brown, known for his engaging YouTube channel, as he dives into the captivating history of money and how we got to today's economic landscape. Explore the Federal Reserve's potential strategies during a debt default and uncover insights on the current labor shortage. Brown discusses the often-misunderstood velocity of money and its implications for inflation. Get ready to rethink central bank digital currencies and their role in economic control, all while enjoying a lively exchange of ideas!

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Barter Myth

Common economic textbooks often describe barter as money's origin.
However, anthropological evidence suggests early monetary systems were credit-based.

INSIGHT

Gold and Silver's Rise

Gold and silver emerged as desirable forms of money due to their scarcity, requiring significant labor to produce.
This scarcity helped preserve pricing signals, crucial for accurate economic decisions.

INSIGHT

Deflation's Power

Deflation, where goods become more abundant and money more valuable, is a recurring historical force.
Technological advancements accelerate deflation by increasing wealth while the money supply remains relatively constant.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The Downfall of Money

Germany's Hyperinflation and the Destruction of the Middle Class

Frederick Taylor

The Downfall of Money by Frederick Taylor explores the dramatic story of Germany's hyperinflation during the early years of the Weimar Republic. The crisis saw the German mark plummet from 4.2 to the dollar in 1914 to over four trillion by the autumn of 1923, leading to the destruction of the middle class and having lasting effects on German society. Taylor's narrative delves into the political and economic factors that contributed to this financial meltdown, drawing parallels with contemporary economic anxieties.

Skin in the game

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

In 'Skin in the Game', Nassim Nicholas Taleb argues that having personal stakes in the outcomes of decisions is crucial for fairness, commercial efficiency, and risk management. The book highlights how individuals and systems that are insulated from the consequences of their decisions often make poor choices. Taleb draws on historical and contemporary examples to illustrate the importance of symmetry in risk and reward, and how this principle affects various domains, including politics, economics, and personal life. The book emphasizes that true learning and improvement come from experiencing the consequences of one's actions, a concept encapsulated in the Greek idea of 'pathemata mathemata' or 'guide your learning through pain'.

The Black Swan

The Impact of the Highly Improbable

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

David Chandler

Nassim Taleb

The Black Swan is a landmark book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb that investigates the phenomenon of highly improbable events with massive impacts. These events, termed Black Swans, are unpredictable, have a significant impact, and are rationalized after the fact to appear less random. Taleb argues that humans are hardwired to focus on specifics rather than generalities, leading to a failure to consider what we don’t know. The book delves into cognitive biases, the limitations of mathematical models, and the importance of robustness and antifragility in navigating a world filled with uncertainty. The second edition includes a new essay, 'On Robustness and Fragility,' offering tools to navigate and exploit a Black Swan world.

Market Wizards

Jack D. Schwager

Market Wizards is a must-read for traders and financiers, offering a deep dive into the strategies and mental attitudes of the world's most successful traders. The book includes interviews with traders such as Bruce Kovner, Richard Dennis, Paul Tudor Jones, and others, revealing their approaches to trading and the factors that contribute to their success. It covers a wide range of markets, including treasuries, futures, commodities, and more, and highlights the importance of solid methodology and proper mental attitude in trading[2][4][5].

Safe Haven

Nicholas Sparks

Katie, a mysterious and beautiful woman, flees her abusive husband, Kevin, and assumes a new identity in the small town of Southport, North Carolina. She forms relationships with Alex, a widowed store owner with two children, and her neighbor Jo. As Katie begins to fall in love with Alex, she struggles with the dark secrets of her past. With Jo's support, Katie must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards, ultimately realizing that love is the only true safe haven. The story takes a dramatic turn when Kevin discovers Katie's new identity and threatens her new life, leading to a climactic confrontation[2][3][4].

Antifragile

Things That Gain from Disorder

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Albino Santos Mosquera

Genís Sánchez Barberán

In 'Antifragile', Nassim Nicholas Taleb delves into the concept of antifragility, arguing that some systems not only withstand stress and disorder but actually benefit from them. The book builds on ideas from his previous works, such as 'Fooled by Randomness' and 'The Black Swan', and is part of his five-volume philosophical treatise on uncertainty, 'Incerto'. Taleb provides examples from various fields, including science, economics, and history, to illustrate how antifragility can be achieved and how it contrasts with fragility and robustness. He also discusses strategies like the barbell strategy and optionality, and critiques modern society's attempts to eliminate volatility, which he believes are harmful. The book is praised for its revolutionary ideas and multidisciplinary approach, though it has also received criticism for its style and some of the author's views on mental health and other topics.

The Forgotten Depression

1921: The Crash That Cured Itself

James Grant

In *The Forgotten Depression*, James Grant explores the economic downturn of 1920-21, which was characterized by a sharp contraction followed by a rapid recovery without significant government intervention. Grant argues that this episode offers valuable lessons for contemporary policymakers, contrasting it with later depressions where intervention was more pronounced. The book provides a compelling narrative of economic resilience and the role of market forces in recovery.

Debt

The First 5,000 Years

David Graeber

In this book, David Graeber argues that debt has a much longer history than money and that it has played a central role in shaping human societies. He debunks the myth of barter as the precursor to money, instead proposing that credit systems and debt were the primary means of trade. Graeber examines how debt has been used as a tool for social control, influenced law, religion, and politics, and has led to periodic crises and debtor revolts throughout history. The book also discusses the moral and social implications of debt, suggesting that the concept of debt is more complex than a simple economic transaction[1][2][4].

When Money Dies

Adam Fergusson