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How to Speak Money

What the Money People Say - and What It Really Means

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About this listen

To those who don't speak it, the language of money can seem impenetrable and its ideas too complex to grasp. How to Speak Money is acclaimed writer John Lanchester's entertaining and informative attempt to bridge the gap between the money people and the rest of us. With characteristic wit and candor ("wickedly funny" - Dwight Garner, New York Times), Lanchester shows how the world of finance and economics really works - from the terms and conditions of your personal checking account to the evasions of bankers appearing in front of Congress.

How to Speak Money reveals how the language of money is often a tool to conceal and mislead; he explains hundreds of common economic terms, from GDP to the IMF, amortization to securitization to collateralized debt obligation; and he argues that we all need to speak money lest those who do write the financial rules for themselves.

©2014 John Lanchester (P)2014 Gildan Media LLC Career Success Economics Personal Finance Money Management Money Business Banking Capitalism Taxation US Economy Economic Inequality Economic Policy Career Great Recession Government Socialism Economic disparity

Critic reviews

"How finance really works - by the writer hailed for “explain[ing] complex stuff in a down-to-earth and witty style" ( Economist)
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A fun introduction to the world of money. I read this book in conjunction with other introductory economics material such as YouTube lectures and Great Courses Audible series. It helped consolidate ideas that I first encountered in these other sources.

worth a read

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What could be a very dry subject was made into a hugely interesting listen. Credit to the author and the reader. Would certainly recommend

Candour and humour

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I just wanted a book that explained some of the jargon of economic chat, instead I'm being told the authors opinion on the World Development Goals, and how terrible it is that rich people are getting more rich. I had to switch off when he made the comment along the lines of 'neo-liberalism' replacing the Bretton Woods system - Who on earth can argue that? modern Libertarianism is crying out for a return to the gold standard...

A journalist dressed up as an economist

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fascinating introduction, financial dictionary and sobering assessment of the world seen from the vantagepoint of 2013.

very thorough and fascinating

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As a scientist, I used to think I disliked economics for all its sudo-science terms. I now know that I do.
I’m also skeptical about any book that uses the phrase “let’s begin” 2.5hrs in! Be warned that 6.5 hours of this are literally a man reading a glossary with brief anecdotes. It’s rather dry, although it is informative and a useful introduction to money-slang.

72

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